Complete Release (PDF)

St. PAUL, MINN.: The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference released the 2008 NSIC All-Conference Softball Team today, Friday, May 2.  Southwest Minnesota State, the NSIC regular season champions, took home three of the four specialty awards and had six players named first team all-conference and one honorable mention all-conference selection.

Erin Dickhausen was named NSIC Player of the Year, Amanda Johnson was named NSIC Pitcher of the Year and Shawn Semler was named NSIC Coach of the Year.  For Johnson and Semler it is the third consecutive year they have won their awards while Dickhausen repeated at NSIC Player of the Year for the second straight year.

The six SMSU members of the all-conference first team include: Amanda Burkhart, Erin Dickhausen, Andrea Fennern, Amanda Johnson, Amanda Opatz and Jessica Paczosa, while the honorable mention selection from the Mustang squad was Amanda Tucci.

Johnson, a junior pitcher from Fremont, Neb., was named NSIC Pitcher of the Year and first team All-NSIC.  She has been named NSIC Pitcher of the Week two times this season and eight times in her career.  Johnson has a 25-3 overall record and a 1.16 ERA. She holds the school record for career strikeouts (798), wins (74), saves (11), appearances (113), games started (83), complete games (72), shutouts (23) and innings pitched (641.0).  After pitching 21 complete games this season she has achieved eight shutout performances and 236 strikeouts.  Last season, Johnson was named second team NFCA All-Region, All-North Central Region first team, All NSIC first tteam, NSIC Pitcher of the Year while also being was named to the North Central Regional All-Tournament team and the NSIC All-Tournament Team.

Dickhausen, a senior catcher from Watertown, Minn., was named NSIC Player of the Year and first tteam All-NSIC.  This marks the fourth consecutive season she has received first-team accolades.  She leads SMSU with a .361 batting average while having 23 RBI, two home runs, five triples, 10 doubles and 53 hits.  She is 13-of-15 on stolen bases this season. Dickhausen holds the career school record for runs scored (151), hits (215), triples (22), RBI (125), total bases (366), and stolen bases(71).  Last season, Dickhausen earned first team NFCA All-Region, All-North Central Region first team, and NSIC Player of the Year honors.  She was named NSIC Player of the Week once this season.

Burkhart, a junior right fielder from Omaha, Neb., was named first team All-NSIC. Burkhart was a honorable mention All-NSIC selection in 2006.  This season Burkhart leads the team with 35 RBI while having a .333 batting average with 44 hits, 10 doubles, one triple and six home runs. She also has not committed an error in the field in the 2008 season.

Fennern, a sophomore third baseman from Wabasso, Minn., was named first team All-NSIC.  This marks the first time in her career to receive the honor.  Fennern started in 35-of-45 games last season as a true freshman, while this season she has started all 43 games.  She has a .328 batting average with 38 hits, seven doubles, one triple, one home run and 12 RBI.

Opatz, a senior shortstop from Annandale, Minn. was named first team All-NSIC for the third consecutive season. Last season, Opatz was a second team All-North Cental Region honoree and was also named to the 2007 NSIC All-Tournament team.  This season Opatz has a .299 batting average with 35 hits, seven doubles, one triple, one home run and 18 RBI.

Paczosa, a junior second baseman from Inner Grove Height, Minn. was named first team All-NSIC for the second consecutive year after earning honorable mention All-NSIC honors in 2006.  Paczosa has a .946 fielding percentage and a .331 batting average.  She has had 46 hits this season with 7 doubles and one triple. Paczosa was named NSIC Player of the Week once this season.

Tucci, a junior designated player from Oakdale, Minn. was named honorable mention All-NSIC.  She earned first team All-NSIC honors last season.  Tucci leads the team with eight home runs, while having a .266 batting average.  She has 29 hits and two doubles and a .352 slugging percentage.

The No. 8 ranked Mustangs currently have a 35-8 overall record and finished 17-1 in conference play.


2008 All-Conference Team


First Team    Pos.    Yr.    School    Hometown

Anna Bjorlin    2B    So.    Concordia-St. Paul    Hermantown, Minn.
Abby Brundidge    DP    So.    Concordia-St. Paul    Nekoosa, Wis.
Natalie Mast    OF    Jr.    Concordia-St. Paul    Oakdale, Minn.
Sami Mattson    SS    Fr.    Concordia-St. Paul    Esko, Minn.
Meghan Ward    2B    Sr.    University of Mary    Escondido, Calif.
Amanda Burkhart    OF    Jr.    Southwest Minnesota State    Omaha, Neb.
Erin Dickhausen    C    Sr.    Southwest Minnesota State    Watertown, Minn.
Andrea Fennern    3B    So.    Southwest Minnesota State    Wabasso, Minn.
Amanda Johnson    P    Jr.    Southwest Minnesota State    Fremont, Neb.
Amanda Opatz    SS    Sr.    Southwest Minnesota State    Annandale, Minn.
Jessica Paczosa    2B    Jr.    Southwest Minnesota State    Inver Grove Hts., Minn.
Nikki Davis    DP    Sr.    Upper Iowa    Lovington, Ill.
Samatha Earleywine    C    Fr.    Wayne State    Sergeant Bluff, Iowa
Katie Goetzinger    P    Fr.    Wayne State    Harlan, Iowa
Jennifer Radley    1B    Fr.    Wayne State    Des Moines, Iowa
Amy Sandstrom    OF    Jr.    Wayne State    Omaha, Neb.
Mollie Bjelland    OF    Fr.    Winona State    Grantsburg, Wis.
Kristen Fossell    P    Sr.    Winona State    Oak Creek, Wis.
Chelsea Rosenow    OF    Sr.    Winona State    Chippewa Falls, Wis.
Amanda Wilhelm    2B    Jr.     Winona State    LaCrosse, Wis.

Honorable Mention    Pos.    Yr.    School    Hometown
Mara Johnson    2B    Jr.    Bemidji State    Bemidji, Minn.
Stephanie Schmikia    P    Fr.    Concordia-St. Paul    Madison, Wis.
Maegan Lunn    SS    Jr.    University of Mary    Murrieta, Calif.
Mandy Adolph    OF    Jr.    MSU Moorhead    St. Paul, Minn.
Kari Sagehorn    DP    Jr.     MSU Moorhead    Maple Grove, Minn.
Amanda Tucci    DP     Jr.    Southwest Minnesota State    Oakdale, Minn.
Kami Appelt    3B    Jr.    Upper Iowa    Marysville, Calif.
Blaire Kuhl     2B    Fr.     Wayne State    Logan, Iowa
Terra Holron    OF    Jr.     Winona State    Green Bay, Wis.
Stacey Struzynski    P    Fr.    Winona State    Homewood, Ill.

2008 NSIC Player of the Year
Erin Dickhausen, Sr., C, Southwest Minnesota State

2008 NSIC Pitcher of the Year
Amanda Johnson, Jr., P, Southwest Minnesota State

2008 NSIC Coach of the Year
Shawn Semler, Southwest Minnesota State