WAVERLY, Iowa --- Softball will open American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) over the next week with a home doubleheader on Wednesday, Apr. 1 against No. 12 Simpson College before hitting the road on Saturday, Apr. 4 and Tuesday, Apr. 7 for doubleheaders against Nebraska Wesleyan University and Loras College.
Â
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1
Wartburg vs #12 Simpson | 3 & 5 PM
Lynes Field | Waverly, Iowa
WATCHÂ |Â
LIVE STATS (both games)
Â
SATURDAY, APRIL 4
Wartburg @ Nebraska Wesleyan |1 & 3 PM
Sandhills Global Youth Complex | Lincoln, Neb.
WATCHÂ |Â
LIVE STATS (both games)
Â
TUESDAY, APRIL 7
Wartburg @ Loras | 3 & 5 PM
Faber-Clark Field | Dubuque, Iowa
WATCHÂ |Â
LIVE STATS (both games)
Â
Series History
- Simpson
- Wednesday will mark the 91st and 92nd matchup between these programs
- Simpson leads the all-time series 47-43
- Wartburg is 9-1 in its last 10 matchups against the Storm
- Split last season's DH in Indianola (snapped Wartburg's 10-game winning streak in the series)
- The Knights are 36-36 at home against Simpson
- Nebraska Wesleyan
- Saturday will mark the 21st and 22nd all-time matchups between these two teams
- Wartburg leads the series 14-6
- NWU joined A-R-C during the 2017 season
- NWU won two out of three meetings against the Knights last season
- The Knights are 2-3 on the road in the series
- Loras
- Tuesday will mark the 81st and 82nd matchups between these programs
- Wartburg holds the series lead 53-27
- The Knights swept Loras last season and have won three-straight games over the Duhawks
- Wartburg is 7-3 over its last 10 matchups against Loras
- Three out of Loras's last four wins against the Knights have come in Dubuque
Â
Â
A-R-C Standings
| School |
A-R-C |
A-R-C PCT. |
ALL |
ALL PCT. |
Home |
Away |
Neutral |
Streak |
 Simpson |
0-0 |
.000 |
17-2 |
.895 |
4-0 |
2-0 |
11-2 |
W5 |
 Central |
0-0 |
.000 |
16-2 |
.889 |
4-2 |
0-0 |
12-0 |
L1 |
 Loras |
0-0 |
.000 |
16-4 |
.800 |
0-0 |
5-2 |
11-2 |
W1 |
 Coe |
0-0 |
.000 |
14-6 |
.700 |
2-0 |
2-2 |
10-4 |
W9 |
 Wartburg |
0-0 |
.000 |
15-7 |
.682 |
1-1 |
6-2 |
8-4 |
L1 |
 Univ. of Dubuque |
0-0 |
.000 |
13-7 |
.650 |
4-2 |
4-2 |
5-3 |
L2 |
 Luther |
0-0 |
.000 |
9-7 |
.562 |
0-0 |
2-0 |
7-7 |
W1 |
 Nebraska Wesleyan |
0-0 |
.000 |
8-12 |
.400 |
0-4 |
0-0 |
8-8 |
L5 |
 Buena Vista |
0-0 |
.000 |
6-17 |
.261 |
3-3 |
1-3 |
2-11 |
L3 |
Â
In the Rankings
- Simpson enters the week ranked No. 12 in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA)
- Central College also represents the A-R-C in the poll at No. 21
- The Knights have already faced two top-25 opponents this season
- Full NFCA Top 25 poll (released 3/31/26)
Â
Wartburg
- The Knights enter the opening week of conference play with an overall record of 13-5
- Wartburg has won 11 of its last 14 games
- Wartburg is averaging 8.0 runs per game this season
- Leads the A-R-C
- 11-1 record this season when scoring nine or more runs in game
- In the circle, four Knights have recorded two or more wins in pitching decisions this season:
- Six Knights have recorded 10+ RBI this season:
- Wartburg is 108/114 in stolen base attempts through 22 games played
- The Knights are second overall in Division III in total stolen bases
- Ally Happ (22), Hassel (18), Carley Bredar (16) and Liz Kruckenberg (16)
- The single-season team record for steals is 162 (set in 2022)
- Seven different Knights enter A-R-C play with a batting average over .300 and four players over .400
- Kruckenberg leads the team individually (.426)
- Wartburg has recorded at least one extra-base hit in 20/22 games this season
- As a team, Wartburg has recorded 65 extra-base hits so far this season (A-R-C leaders)
- Wartburg ranks tied for third in all of Division III in triples hit (14)
- Leaders: 2B – Wiebenga (eight), 3B – Hassel, Larson, Klever and Kruckenberg (two), HR – Mulder (four)
- Panther leads the Wartburg pitching staff with an ERA of 1.80 through 23.1 innings pitched
- Five different players have recorded four or more RBI in a game this season (Hassel, Wiebenga, Larson, Mulder and Wells) and three different players have recorded four hits in a game this season (Hassel, Klever and Wiebenga)
- Both Mulder and Wiebenga have recorded five or more RBI in a game this season
- Wartburg has won five games by mercy rule and have shutout two opponents so far this season
- Hoefer (37) and Klever (26) lead the team in batters struck out
- The Knights have recorded eight or more hits 16 total times this season
- 12-4 record in those games
Â
Simpson
- The Storm enter Wednesday's contests with an A-R-C leading record of 17-2
- Currently on a five-game winning streak after starting the season 10-0
- Only losses this season are to Geneseo 6-7 and to No. 14 UW-Whitewater 4-7
- Simpson is the A-R-C's top hitting team by batting average with a league-best .349
- Six everyday starters for the Storm are batting above .300
- Ashlyn Steen leads the team and the A-R-C in batting average with a mark of .508 (only player above .500 in the conference)
- Marina Cronin (45.1) and Emma LaFave (52.2) lead the Simpson pitching staff in innings pitched this season
- Cronin has the top ERA on the team at 0.93
- LaFave leads the team in strikeouts with 46 and Cronin trails slightly at 45
- Cronin is 7-0 this season and LaFave is 7-2
- The Storm rank second in extra-base hits among A-R-C teams with 64 (trails Wartburg by one)
- Division III leaders in doubles and triples
- Megan Heidelbauer leads the team in extra-base hits with 14
- Steen is the A-R-C leader in triples this season with six
- Seven Storm batters have recorded 10 or more RBI through 19 games
- Heidelbauer leads the A-R-C in RBI with 29
- Simpson is 59/63 in stolen base attempts this season, while allowing just 10 (10/15)
- Steen leads the team in stolen bases with 22 (tied for A-R-C lead)
Â
Nebraska Wesleyan
- The Prairie Wolves enter Saturday's matchup against Wartburg with an overall record of 8-12
- NWU opens A-R-C play against Wartburg after its original A-R-C opener against Loras has been postponed
- Has lost five-straight games entering Saturday
- Five Prairie Wolves have a batting average above .300 entering the weekend
- Addyson Maxwell leads the team at .371
- NWU's team average of .280 ranks eighth in the A-R-C
- Eva Fahrnbruch has the most time in the circle for NWU this season with 13 appearances and 76.1 innings pitched
- Leads the pitching staff in complete games (nine), wins (five) and shutouts (two)
- Both Jenna Kimberling (21) and Fahrnbruch (13) account for 34 of the teams 92 RBI this season
- Kimberling leads the team in doubles (six), triples (two) and home runs (two)
- The Prairie Wolves are 26/33 in stolen base attempts this season and have allowed opponents to steal 32 bases (32/38)
- NWU is scoring an average of 5.2 runs per game this season and are allowing opponents to score 4.85 runs per game
- 7.85 hits per game (8.35 per game allowed)
- The Prairie Wolves rank second in fielding percentage among A-R-C teams with a mark of .970
- Trails Central by .001 (.971)
Â
Loras
- Loras enters A-R-C play with an overall record of 16-4
- The Duhawks will face UW-Platteville on the road today before opening conference play against the Knights (4/7)
- Through 20 games, Loras is averaging 6.45 runs and 9.7 hits per game while allowing just 2.35 runs per game and 6.25 hits per game
- Dana Skorich (.414) and Ellie Baker (.413) lead the Duhawks in batting average this season
- Loras has a team average of .343, which currently ranks third among A-R-C teams
- The Loras pitching staff has a combined ERA of 1.89, led by Kaili Henning (1.51 ERA)
- Henning also leads the staff in strikeouts with 65 (Leads A-R-C)
- Kiya Steger leads the Duhawks with three home runs this season
- Loras has 38 total extra-base hits this season
- The Duhawks are 31/37 in stolen base attempts this season
- Baker leads the team with 10 stolen bases (10/12)
- Steger, Rachel Peat and Abigail Cortez are a combined 13-0 in pitching decisions this season
