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SB PRE 4.28

No. 23 Softball Set to Close Regular Season on a Six-Game Homestand

Waverly, Iowa --- No. 23 ranked softball is set for a six-game homestand to close the regular season, beginning with American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) matchups against Luther and Coe College before closing the regular season against Augustana College.
 
Wartburg's No. 23 national ranking from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) is the first time inside the top 25 this season.
 
With four conference games remaining, the Knights can clinch a share of the A-R-C regular season title with two A-R-C wins and will win the championship outright with three or more conference wins.
 
(DH) WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29 | 3 & 5 P.M.
Wartburg vs Luther
Lynes Field | Waverly, Iowa
WATCH | LIVE STATS
 
(DH) SATURDAY, MAY 2 | 1 & 3 P.M.
Wartburg vs Coe
Lynes Field | Waverly, Iowa
WATCH | LIVE STATS
 
(DH) MONDAY, MAY 4 | 5 & 7 P.M.
Wartburg vs Augustana (Ill.)
Lynes Field | Waverly, Iowa
WATCH | LIVE STATS
 
Series History
  • Luther
    • The Norse lead the all-time series 70-47, with the first matchup coming in 1970
      • Wednesday will mark the final A-R-C meeting between these programs in any head-to-head sport
    • Wartburg swept last season's matchup in Decorah
    • The Knights are 7-3 in their last 10 matchups against Luther
      • Three of those matchups went to extra innings (Wartburg won two out of three extra-inning games)
  • Coe
    • The Kohawks lead the all-time series 53-40
    • Wartburg swept last year's matchups in Waverly
      • Was the first time beating Coe in back-to-back games since 2008
    • These teams are 5-5 in their last 10 matchups
  • Augustana
    • The Knights are 9-5 all-time against Augustana
      • The first matchup between these teams came in 1984
    • Wartburg has won six-straight games in the series
    • Third-straight season matching up with the Vikings
 
In the Polls
  • Wartburg jumped into the NFCA Top 25 poll this week at No. 23 after spending multiple weeks receiving votes
    • The Knights have four wins against ranked opponents this season
  • The Knights are one of two A-R-C teams inside the top 25, as Simpson is ranked No. 10
    • Wartburg defeated Simpson twice this season in Waverly (10-9, 7-4)
  • The full NFCA poll can be found here (released Tuesday, Apr. 28)
 
A-R-C Standings
School A-R-C A-R-C PCT. ALL ALL PCT. Home Away Neutral Streak
WartburgWartburgQ 11-1 .917 26-8 .765 5-1 13-3 8-4 W9
SimpsonSimpsonQ 13-3 .812 30-5 .857 12-0 7-3 11-2 W7
LutherLuther 7-5 .583 19-13 .594 4-4 8-2 7-7 W1
CoeCoeQ 8-6 .571 23-13 .639 8-4 5-5 10-4 W6
CentralCentral 7-7 .500 24-10 .706 10-6 2-4 12-0 W2
LorasLoras 7-7 .500 24-12 .667 4-4 9-6 11-2 W2
Nebraska WesleyanNebraska Wesleyan 5-9 .357 14-21 .400 6-7 0-6 8-8 L5
Univ. of DubuqueUniv. of Dubuque 3-13 .188 17-21 .447 6-10 6-8 5-3 L7
Buena VistaBuena Vista 1-11 .083 7-29 .194 4-6 1-11 2-12 L4

C - A-R-C Champion
T - A-R-C Tournament Champion
(#) - A-R-C Tournament Seed
Q - Qualified for A-R-C Tournament


 
A-R-C Tournament Information
  • Friday and Saturday, May 8-9
  • Six teams qualify – Top two seeds get a bye
  • Single elimination
  • Top seed hosts all games
    • Wartburg will host with two or more A-R-C wins due to tiebreakers
  • The Knights have not hosted the conference tournament since 2021
  • Wartburg has won five conference tournament titles (last in 2023) and five regular season championships (last in 2025)
 
Wartburg
  • The Knights enter the week of conference play with an overall record of 26-8
    • Wartburg has won nine-straight games
  • Six Knights have recorded 20+ RBI this season:
  • Wartburg is averaging 8.41 runs per game this season and 9.91 hits per game
    • Leads the A-R-C in total runs (286) and in runs per game
    • 25-3 record this season when scoring five or more runs in a game this season
      • 1-5 when scoring four or less goals
  • In the circle, two first-year Knights lead the team in wins with Hannah Hoefer at 11-3 and Katelyn Klever at 10-3
    • Tied for fourth and sixth individually for wins in the A-R-C
    • Jillian Panther (3-1) and Lauren Dyer (2-1) each have added multiple wins
  • Wartburg is 149/160 in stolen base attempts through 34 games played
    • The Knights are sixth overall in Division III in total stolen bases and seventh in stolen bases per game
    • Carley Bredar (26), Hassel (26), Ally Happ (24), and Liz Kruckenberg (19) lead the team
    • The single-season team record for steals is 162 (set in 2022)
  • Leaders by category: Total hits – Hassel (48), 2B – Mulder (10), 3B – Larson and Kruckenberg (three), HR – Mulder (seven)
    • Wartburg ranks 23rd in all of Division III and third overall in the A-R-C in triples hit (16)
  • Seven different Knights enter A-R-C play with a batting average over .300 and two players over .400
    • Bredar leads the team individually (.434) and ranks third in the A-R-C
  • Seven different players have recorded four or more RBI in a game this season (Stephanie Kiefer, Hassel, Wiebenga, Larson, Mulder, Wells and Klever) 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
    • Hassel has two four-hit games this season
  • Hoefer (55) and Klever (46) lead the team in batters struck out
    • Have seven complete games between them
    • Hoefer, Klever and Dyer have recorded the only saves on the season for the Knights
  • Panther leads the Wartburg pitching staff with an ERA of 1.80 through 23.1 innings pitched
    • Hoefer leads starting pitchers with an ERA of 3.91 over 93 innings pitched
  • The Knights have recorded eight or more hits 24 total times this season
    • 19-5 record in those games
    • Wartburg recorded 22 hits in its last doubleheader played (vs UD)
  • Wartburg has recorded at least one extra-base hit in 32/34 games this season
    • Second in the A-R-C in total extra-base hits
 
Luther
  • The Norse enter the week with an overall record of 19-13 and a conference mark of 7-5
    • Luther has split each of its last three doubleheaders played (vs Central, Loras and Cornell)
    • The Norse are 8-2 in road games this season
  • Alexa Stevermer and Isabelle Stanton lead the Luther pitching staff in innings pitched this season with 109.2 and 82.2 respectively
    • Stevermer is tied for fifth in the A-R-C with 62 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.61
  • The Norse have two hitters above .400 this season and six total over .300
  • Raven Allen is the top Luther hitter and one of the top hitters in the A-R-C
    • Hitting .455 (second in A-R-C) with 41 RBI (second in A-R-C), 13 doubles (tied for third in A-R-C) and five triples (third in A-R-C)
  • Luther is averaging 6.59 runs per game (third in A-R-C) and 8.75 hits per game (fifth in A-R-C)
  • The Norse are 53/60 in stolen base attempts this season
    • Allen leads the team at 14/15
 
Coe
  • The Kohawks enter the week at 23-13 overall and 8-6 in conference play
    • Will face Cornell in a doubleheader today before facing the Knights on Saturday
    • Have won six-straight games (swept Dubuque, Nebraska Wesleyan and Buena Vista)
  • Coe has four hitters who are hitting .300 or above this season with Maddie Harris leading the team at .424
    • Harris has recorded 50 hits, which ranks second in the A-R-C
  • Natalie Hitt is the top pitcher for the Kohawks this season with a 12-5 record and 107 innings pitched
    • Hitt leads the team in ERA (2.22), strikeouts (64) and complete games (14)
    • Morgan Hewitt has pitched 76 innings and has a record of 7-4
  • Coe is 67/78 in stolen base attempts this season
    • Taylor Drayfahl leads Coe at 14/15
  • The Kohawks are third in the conference in home runs with 16 this season
    • Hadyn Shoots leads the team with six
  • As a team, Coe is averaging 5.97 runs per game (fourth in A-R-C) and 8.36 hits per game (sixth in A-R-C)
 
Augustana
  • Enters the week with an overall record of 16-15 and a CCIW record of 8-4
    • 3-3 against A-R-C opponents this season (split against BVU, Coe and UD)
      • Hosts Simpson the day before traveling to Waverly
    • 1-3 vs top 25 opponents this season
  • Eight total hitters are above .300 for Augustana with Lindsay LaVine leading the team at .397
    • Three hitters have recorded 30+ hits this season
  • Both Mya Brown and Addie Garr lead the Augustana pitching staff with 84.1 and 65.1 innings pitched respectively
    • Brown leads the team in strikeouts (63), complete games (six) and ERA (3.49)
    • Garr leads the team in wins (six) and walks (35)
  • Aubrey Gradin and Madi Bickell lead the team with eight home runs each this season
    • Bickell has a team high 34 RBI
  • Augustana is 49/51 in stolen base attempts this season
    • LaVine is the only player with 10+ steals (15/15)
  • The Vikings average 5.61 runs per game and 9.29 hits per game in 2026
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