FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Media Relations

SOMERS, Wis. (Feb. 23, 2016)-- There is little time for rest for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside softball team. After playing five games in Oklahoma over the weekend the Rangers are back on the diamond this week, squaring off against 10th-ranked Winona State University in a midweek doubleheader inside the Rochester Dome in Minnesota on Wednesday before traveling to suburban Chicago for three days' worth of games at the Rosemont Dome.
 
The Rangers and Warriors hit the diamond at 3 p.m. on Wednesday in Rochester, Minnesota. UW-Parkside is idle on Thursday before opening the Rosemont Dome Tournament on Friday with games against the University of Findlay and Walsh University. The Rangers face Ashland University and Grand Valley State University on Saturday before closing the event against Wayne State University on Sunday. First pitch is slated for 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday while Sunday's single game is slated for 11 a.m.
 
About the Rangers: UW-Parkside (2-7) earned a pair of wins over the weekend at the fourth-annual NSU Softball Festival in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The Rangers fell victim to a walkoff double in the bottom of the 10th inning against Rogers State University to open the event on Saturday, falling 7-6 before rebounding with a 4-1 win over Lindenwood University to close the day. UW-Parkside surrendered six runs in one inning against Midwestern State University, falling 8-2 on Sunday before allowing a walkoff grand slam in a 4-3 setback to host Northeastern State University. The Rangers earned revenge on Monday, taking down NSU 9-7 in 10 innings after exploding for five runs in the 10th.
 
Emily Bell owns a team-best .476 batting average and a .522 on-base percentage while Rachel Seefeldt is hitting at a .462 clip, having scored a team-high six runs. Carly Dundee has two of the squad's five home runs while leading the team with 10 RBIs.
 
In the circle, Dundee owns a team-best 3.53 earned run average, tossing four complete games and striking out 21 in 37 2/3 innings of work. Bridget Jost has logged 13 2/3 innings in the circle for the Rangers, including a scoreless 5 2/3 innings on Sunday against Northeastern State.
 
About the Warriors: 10th-ranked Winona State (5-1) has played all of its games inside the Rochester Dome so far, winning all but one contest. The Warriors opened 2016 with a 6-2 and 12-3 doubleheader sweep of NAIA Grand View University on Feb. 16 before hosting the WSU Dome Tournament over the weekend against a trio of Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association teams.
 
Winona bested Pittsburg State University and Washburn University by 6-2 and 8-6 scores on Friday before getting blanked 4-0 by Pitt State on Saturday. The Warriors rebounded in the nightcap, thrashing Northwest Missouri State University 6-0 to close out the event.
 
James Schleis is WSU's top hitter with at least 10 at-bats, owning a .412 batting average while McKenna Larsen has a team-leading eight RBIs.
 
Hanna Lythberg has handled a majority of the pitching duties, sporting a 3-0 record with a 1.22 earned run average in 23 innings of labor. She additionally leads the team with 18 punchouts.
 
About the Oilers: Findlay (0-0) opens its season on Friday after finishing the 2015 campaign with a 26-23 overall record and a 14-12 mark in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action. Under first year Head Coach Danielle Lowe the Oiler were picked to finish seventh in the GLIAC Coaches' Poll.
 
About the Cavaliers: Walsh (0-0) will also be opening its season on Friday after compiling a 23-16 record and a 16-10 mark in GLIAC play last season. The Cavaliers were selected to finish sixth in the GLIAC Coaches' Poll returning Second Team All-GLIAC third basemen Jenna Head along with Honorable Mention All-League picks Marissa Bondoni and Kendra Moore.
 
About the Eagles: Ashland (0-0) tallied a 39-10 overall record last season, including a 21-5 mark in GLIAC play, finishing second in the league standings and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the 13th time since 1996. The Eagles slot third in the GLIAC preseason poll and return a pair of First Team All-GLIAC and All-Midwest Region selections in Sarah Alley and Jen Moore.
 
The Eagles lurk just outside the Top 25 in the NFCA Division II preseason poll, one of 10 teams in the "others receiving votes" section.
 
About the Lakers: Grand Valley State (0-0) was picked to place fourth in the GLIAC Coaches' Poll after closing 2015 with a 32-17 record while making the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive season. The Lakers return their entire starting lineup including their top three pitchers from a year ago, including First Team All-GLIAC selections Jenna Lenza (.378 average with 36 RBIs) and Ellie Balbach (23 RBIs with 8-2 record and 2.04 earned run average).
 
About the Warriors: Wayne State (0-0) is the preseason favorite in the GLIAC according to the annual coaches' poll, after winning both the regular season and GLIAC Tournament crowns last season. The Warriors closed 2015 with a 42-20-1 overall record, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time in 10 years. 13 players return from the squad, headlined by GLIAC Pitcher of the Year Lyndsay Butler (23-10, 1.03 earned run average with 285 strikeouts) and All-Midwest Region selections Jade McGarr (.404 average with 18 doubles) and Kristen Lucas (.387 average).
 
Let's go streaking: Four Rangers head into the week riding a hitting streak of five or more games. Rachel Seefeldt leads the way with a seven-game hitting streak while Madison Manders and Raegan Fingerman both boast a six-game streak. Emily Bell is the fourth Ranger riding a hitting streak, stringing together five straight games with a hit. Outside of the season opener, Manders has additionally reached base safely in every game this season, a streak of eight consecutive.
 
Close Shave: Of UW-Parkside seven setbacks, five have been by two runs or less, including four one-run defeats. Of the four, three have been in walkoff fashion, including one in extra innings.
 
2x10: UW-Parkside has gone into extra innings on two occasions this season with both contests extended to the 10th inning. International tiebreaker rules went into effect in both games during the 10th with a runner placed on second to start the inning. The Rangers fell 7-6 to Rogers State University in the first 10-inning affair on Feb. 20 before taking down Northeastern State University 9-7 two days later.
 
9x12: The Rangers are in the midst of a grueling nine day stretch where the squad will play 12 games across three different states. The barnstorming tour started in Oklahoma with five games before heading indoors for a midweek doubleheader in Minnesota and will close out with five games inside the Rosemont Dome in Illinois.
 
Road Warriors: The Rangers will play 20 games prior to the home opener on Mar. 19 against GLVC rival Quincy University. UW-Parkside's road odyssey will involve game in four different states, logging indoor contests in both Minnesota and Illinois along with outdoor games in Missouri and Oklahoma.