SMSU Athletics

April 21, 2011 – Hoof Prints Article
 
Hello Mustang Fans!

We added a new member to the SMSU Athletic Department staff earlier this week with the announcement of TJ Buchholz taking over the leadership responsibilities for the Mustang Women’s Soccer program. TJ’s personality and ability to develop relationships will help him and the SMSU Women’s Soccer program to make great strides in building a strong foundation to our program.

With TJ experience at Northwestern College (IA) and Wartburg College (IA), TJ has successfully recruited the upper Midwest building winning soccer programs at both institutions. He will bring great energy to soccer at SMSU and in the Marshall community. TJ, his wife, Candace, and two children, Chloe and Season will be transitioning from California to Marshall sometime in late May. I would like to welcome TJ, Candace, Chloe and Season to the Mustang Family!

The Mustang Booster Club will be starting its Annual Membership Drive in May. We are always looking for passionate members of the Mustang Family to participate on one of our three membership drive teams. It is a fun event to take part in with lots of laughter, camaraderie and competitive spirit amongst the teams. If you are interested in finding out more about how to join a membership drive team, please contact Tim Steinbach at 507-537-7204.

In late June, the Mustang Booster Club will host the 2011 Mustang Golf Classic featuring a change in the format for this year’s event. The Golf Classic will become a two-day event this year with the traditional 18 hole, 5-person scramble golf tournament on Friday, June 24 at the Marshall Golf Club (MGC). On Friday night following the golf tournament, the Mustang Booster Club will host a social at MGC open to golfers and community members with entertainment, appetizers, beverages, a silent auction and concluding the programming with a live auction.

Saturday, June 25, the Mustang Booster Club will host a second 18 hole, 5-person scramble golf tournament at the Tyler Golf Club in Tyler, MN. Both tournaments are tentatively scheduled to have a shotgun start beginning at 11:00am. Please save the dates on your calendar and be looking for more information in my future Hoofprints articles as well as at SMSUMustangs.com.

Mustang Football “Spring Game” this Saturday. The Southwest Minnesota State football team will conclude spring drills this Saturday with its annual Spring Game at the Regional Event Center starting at 12:00 pm.  The game is free and open to the public.
 
Again this year, in conjunction with the Spring Game, the SMSU football program will host a free Youth Football Clinic starting at 10:45 a.m.  The event is open for all kids, kindergarten through 8th grade. SMSU players and coaches will conduct the camp and all individuals will receive a free t-shirt. Following the clinic all participants will receive free a hot dog, chips and beverage during the Mustang Spring Game.
 
SMSU will open the 2011 regular season on Thursday, September 1, at Northern State in a non-conference game.

Also on tap for SMSU Football this spring is the 7th Annual SMSU Football Alumni & Friends Golf Tournament which will be held on Saturday, May 14, at the Tyler Golf Club in Tyler, MN starting with a shotgun start at 11:00 am.

The cost is $100 per person and includes gift and team photo, box lunch, refreshments, hole prizes, silent auction, raffle and dinner. Registration and the driving range will open at 10:00 am, followed by a four-person scramble starting at 11 am  Social, dinner and awards will held following the tournament at 4:30 pm. All proceeds from the event will go toward upgrading SMSU uniforms, on-field practice equipment, travel expenses and operating budget.
For more information, please contact Christian Guenther at 507-537-7097.

The SMSU Baseball team (9-14 overall, 5-7 NSIC) has had several changes to this week’s NSIC baseball schedule.
The Mustang's baseball doubleheader with Northern State has been moved to Marshall and will now be played Thursday at Alumni Field starting at 1:00 pm.  The twinbill was originally to be played in Aberdeen, SD, on Wednesday, but NSU's field has been deemed unplayable.
 
Also announced on Wednesday, SMSU's scheduled four-game series at Minnesota, Crookston on Friday and Saturday has also been moved to Marshall.  Friday's doubleheader will start at 1:00 pm, while Saturday's doubleheader will start at noon. Per NSIC rules, NSU and UMC will serve as the home team on the scoreboard for all six games. Northern State enters the doubleheader on Thursday with a 8-16 overall record, 6-10 in the NSIC.

The SMSU Softball team (22-13, 10-5 NSIC) dropped one spot in this week's edition of the Central Region Rankings. The Mustangs are now ranked No. 8 in the region after being ranked No. 7 for two consecutive weeks. SMSU is one of six Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference teams ranked in the Central Region.

Augustana (S.D.) took over the top spot in this week's poll. The Vikings were ranked third in last weeks' poll. Minnesota State fell from the No. 1 spot and are now ranked second while Winona State earned the No. 3 spot.

Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) member Metro State (Colo.) was the only team to stay put earning the No. 4 spot. Wayne State holds sits in fifth and is followed by Colorado School of Mines and Mesa State (Colo.).

SMSU is ranked eighth and is followed by Minnesota Duluth and Concordia-St. Paul.

Southwest Minnesota State continues NSIC play on Thursday traveling to St. Cloud State for a doubleheader beginning at 3:00 pm.  On Friday, SMSU will host No. 12 Minnesota State in a conference twinbill beginning at 2:00 pm in Marshall.

The SMSU Women's Golf team continues action this weekend in the third and fourth rounds of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championship this Friday and Saturday at Brandon G.C. in Brandon, S.D.

The first two rounds were played at Hillcrest Golf Club in St. Paul on Oct. 9-10. The Mustangs currently in fourth place in the championship with a two-round score of 91-over-par 667.  Augustana leads the championship with a 39-over 615.  Concordia is in second place at 77-over 661, followed by Minnesota State at 88-over 664.
SMSU’s KC Kane is tied for eighth at 18-over 162. SMSU will begin the third round at 9:00 am on Friday, while Saturday’s final round also begins at 9:00 am.

Good luck to our Mustang Women’s Golf team as they look to solidify their spot in the NCAA Super Regional Three Tournament beginning May 1 is St. Paul, MN.

Congratulations to Mustang Women’s Tennis players, Cailey Grupe and Trisha Baldwin, who earned All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Honorable Mention honors for the 2011 season in an announcement made by the league office on Wednesday. Grupe was named honorable mention in singles and doubles play while Baldwin earned honorable mention honors in doubles play.

Grupe, a native of Trimont, MN, finished the 2011 season 5-11 as the Mustangs’ No. 1 singles player and 7-7 at No. 1 doubles play. Grupe finishes her career at SMSU with an overall record of 44-43 in singles play. She compiled a doubles record of 51-37 in four seasons.

Baldwin, a native of Montevideo, MN, finished her senior season 7-7 in doubles play alongside Grupe at No. 1 doubles. She compiled a career record of 47-32 in doubles play. Baldwin finished the 2011 season 5-11 in No. 2 singles play while compiling a career record of 39-37.

Grupe and Baldwin earned NSIC honorable mention honors as a doubles tandem in 2010 as well. In 2008, Baldwin earned honorable mention honors in doubles while Grupe was named All-NSIC in singles and honorable mention in doubles. The Mustangs finished the 2010-11 season 3-11 overall and 3-7 in conference play finishing ninth in the 12-team Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference standings.

Good luck to all of our Mustang Teams this week.

Go Mustangs!

Congratulations to Rick Haberman, who provided the correct answer to last week’s Mustang Hoofprints Trivia Question: How many SMSU Baseball players have been named NSIC Pitcher’s of the Year? Chris Pack (1995) and Patrick O’Brien (2002) both have both won the honor of NSIC Pitcher of the Year for the SMSU Baseball team.

Hoofprints Trivia Question (please put this in a box with the title on top)

This week, TJ Buchholz became the fourth Head Coach for the SMSU Women’s Soccer team. Who was the first Head Coach for the Mustang Women’s Soccer team?

The first person to email me at MustangHoofPrints@SMSU.edu with the correct answer to this question will receive an SMSU t-shirt.