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ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Griffon Softball will take their 5-4 record north for the first time this season as they face five regional opponents in three days at the Kelly Laas Memorial Invite in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
 
Missouri Western will open the crossover style event on Thursday, Feb. 19 with games against Concordia-St. Paul and Minnesota State-Mankato. On Feb. 20 the Griffons
play one game against Augustana before wrapping up the event on the 21^st with Wayne State and host, St. Cloud State. All games will be played at the Husky Dome on the campus of St. Cloud State.
 
THE GRIFFONS
Head Coach Jen Bagley Trotter has seen the best and worst from her squad so far on the young season. She's looking for consistency as the team heads into this week's action. Last weekend the team went 2-2 at the University of Arkansas-Monticello 8-State Classic. After wins on day one against Truman State and Qunicy, pitching and defensive miscues hurt the squad on the way to losses against Minnesota-Duluth and Southern Arkansas on the last day of the tournament.
 
Tiffany Gillaspy's .393 average leads the team. The player of the year candidate also leads the Griffons with three home runs, 11 runs scored and is tied for the lead with two doubles and eight RBIs. Glillaspy is part of a trio at the top of the Griffon order that has shown some consistency at the plate. Morgan Rathmann is batting .360 with 10 runs and four RBIs. Sydney Washington's .357 average is third on the team. Washington has driven in six, recorded 10 hits and scored seven runs. MWSU's home run production has slowed since the opening weekend but they have still sent 10 softballs over the fence through their first nine games.
 
After being named the MIAA Pitcher of the Week after the first weekend, Shyanne Saladino went 1-1 at the 8-State Classic. The junior college transfer is 3-1 in five starts with a 3.43 ERA. Saladino has pitched three complete games with two shutouts, while striking out 13 in 21 innings. Janie Smith enters this week 2-3 with a 6.00 ERA. Smith has struck out 27 in 33 innings, while allowing a .333 opponents' batting average.
 
CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL
The Golden Bears will see their first action of the season this week in St. Paul. The team was picked to finish ninth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Teona Zepeda hit .339 a season ago with a .421 batting average, while scoring a team-high 40 runs. Stephanie Kappes enters her senior season with 333 career strikeouts in the circle. Kappes won 11 games in 2014 with 159 strikeouts.
 
MINNESOTA STATE-MANKATO
The Mavericks enter this week 0-4 after competing last weekend in the 8-State Classic. Minnesota State dropped games to Pittsburg State, Northeastern State, Missouri-St. Louis and Arkansas Tech. Pitcher Coley Ries joins the Griffons' Tiffany Gillaspy on a watch list for national player of the year. She was 23-8 last season with a 1.92 ERA and 242 strikeouts. This year, Ries is 0-3 with an 8.71 ERA. Ashley Thell hit .331 with 32 runs scored and 30 RBI last season for Minnesota State. Through her first four games, she leads the team with a .417 average, five hits and four RBIs.
 
AUGUSTANA
The Vikings come into the week with a 3-2 record after competing in the Desert Stinger last week. Augustana returns 11 players from a team that went 46-15 and hosted the Central Super Regional last season. Also on the national player of the year watch list, Jenelle Trautmann is the NSIC Preseason Player of the Year and a three-time All-American. Last year, she hit .337 with 10 doubles, 19 home runs and 58 RBI. Trautmann was also 27-7 in the circle in 2014 with a 2.82 ERA and 172 strikeouts.
 
WAYNE STATE COLLEGE
Yet to play this season, Wayne State was picked fourth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Sara Scheffert was a first team All-NSIC selection in 2014 with an 18-13 record and a 2.74 ERA. Kaiti Williams earned first team All-NSIC honors as well, batting .440 with 10 home runs and 45 RBIs. Williams led the Northern Sun in batting average. The team was 35-18 a season ago, going 20-8 in the NSIC.
 
ST. CLOUD STATE
The Huskies are 2-3 after playing in the Desert Stinger last week. Jessica Goerger had an impressive opening weekend. Through five games, she's batting .538 with two doubles. Alyssa Coletto leads the team with five RBIs and two home runs. Megan Hedstrom enters the week with a 2-0 record and a 2.10 ERA after two starts last week.