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The Cougar softball team begins the second season today, and UMMCougars.org caught up with a few of the players just before they made the trip north to get their thoughts on the weekend.

Heidi Miller (Eden Valley, Minn.), Heather Briese (Fergus Falls, Minn.), Kelli Hamilton (Delano, Minn.) and Diane Blommel (Grey Eagle, Minn.) all took a moment to talk about the current run the team has been on, the experience from previous tournaments, and what it will take to be successful this weekend.



Second-seeded Morris opens the tournament at 10:00 a.m. today (May 6) against No. 3 seed Northwestern (18-20, 13-8), with the winner moving on in the winner's bracket to face either No. 4 seed Bethany Lutheran or No. 1 St. Scholastica at 4:00 p.m.

Fans that aren't able to make the trip can still follow along with all the action through Live Stats and Video on the Tournament site.

The Cougars closed the season with an 18-16 record, which included a 15-6 mark in UMAC action. The 18 overall wins and 15 conference wins are each program records, and with a win today they could secure the first winning season in program history.

The Cougars have been on a 14-4 tear throughout the final stretch, due in large part to the dynamic play of awards candidate Diane Blommel, but also to a pitching staff that has been home to the last three UMAC Pitcher of the Week honors.

Blommel leads the UMAC in batting average (.495), slugging percentage (.729), on-base percentage (.549) and stolen bases (21), while tying for the league lead in runs (44) and ranking second in hits (53). She's hit safely in 21 of the last 22 games, and has been held without a hit just five times all season.

Hamiltion and fellow starter Kaiytlyn Randall have teamed up to win three straight UMAC Pitcher of the Week awards, with Hamilton winning it on Apr. 19, and Randall taking in on Apr. 26 and May 3.

Two of the top pitchers in the UMAC, Randall ranks second in appearances with 26 while Hamilton is fifth with 19. Randall also leads the league with 11 wins and 174 strikeouts with sitting second in innings pitched with 122.0.

Last season in the UMAC Tourney, the Cougars had to face off with No. 1 St. Scholastica in their opening game, falling 4-2.  After the tough loss, they fell to Northland 9-1 in the consolation bracket, ending their season.