University of St. Thomas Athletics
Saturday, March 26
Macomb, Ill.
1:00 p.m.
at
Western Illinois
Photo by: Murray State Athletics
Game Notes - Summit League play begins for Softball at Western Illinois
3/23/2022 2:21:00 PM | Softball
St. Paul, Minn. - St. Thomas softball (4-20) begins its Summit League-era of competition at Western Illinois (4-19) on March 26-27 in Macomb, Ill. The two teams will play a doubleheader Saturday, beginning at 12:20 p.m., before ending the series on Sunday with a single game at 11:00 a.m.
Chasing No. 700
Coach Trotter is now 20 wins away from 700 career victories. 676 of Trotter's wins came with Missouri Western at the Division II level. Trotter earned her first Division I win in a 6-5 victory against Ball State on Feb. 11.
Crawford Enters the Record Books
Freshman pitcher Christina Crawford struck out 19 hitters in the team's win against Evansville on March 13. Prior to that performance by the frosh righty the Tommies previous team high for strikeouts in a game was seven, against Bradley (March 6). While St. Thomas is ineligible for NCAA rankings, in the team's first year at the Division I level, Crawford's 19 Ks would be tied for second in the nation.
Leading Off
St. Thomas travels to Macomb, Ill. for a three-game Summit League series at Western Illinois. It marks the first conference series in program history for the Tommies after making the transition to Division I.
Key Notes
Freshman outfielder Kaitlyn Raymond leads the squad with the longest reached base streak this season (8). Freshman shortstop Brooke Ellestad leads St. Thomas with 10 multi-hit games this season. Raymond and Ellestad both have tallied a four-hit game in 2022, the only Tommie hitters to achieve the feat thus far. Senior third baseman Sarah Hudson has five multi-RBI games this season, including a three-RBI game, leading the squad. Ellestad leads St. Thomas in three-RBI games this season (2). Outfielder Coryn Jacobson is currently riding a four-game hitting streak, the longest of the season for the junior.
Upset on a Sunday
The Tommies picked up the first win over a ranked opponent in program Division I history. In a 10-4 effort, St. Thomas took down No. 22 South Florida on the road. The Toms are one of two Summit League schools to win against a ranked opponent this season (South Dakota beat No. 25 Wichita State on Feb. 13). Prior to the win over USF, St. Thomas was 0-3 against top-ranked programs.
Talking About the Summit League
St. Thomas plays its first Summit League game this weekend at Western Illinois. With two saves, St. Thomas is tied for second in the conference. The Tommies are fourth in the league in RBI (65). Raymond, the typical St. Thomas leadoff hitter, is 10th in the conference in OBP (.408). Freshman pitcher Christina Crawford ranks eighth in strikeouts in the Summit League. Catcher Maddie Grad has thrown out seven baserunners, third in the league.
Ellestad Shines at the Plate
Freshman shortstop Brooke Ellestad enjoyed a strong weekend in Tampa, Fla., batting .600 over a five-game span for the Tommies. The infielder tallied 12 hits and seven runs in a powerful offensive showing. The left-handed hitter also launched three home runs and drove in eight runs. This season, Ellestad is top three in the Summit League in batting average (.397), slugging percentage (.667), OPS (1.082), and hits (31), all as a newcomer. Ellestad is the team's leader in batting average, slugging percentage, runs (18), hits, RBI (16), and steals (4).
Looking at the Leathernecks
Western Illinois shares a similar win total as St. Thomas (4) this season. The Leathernecks allow the second-most runs per seven innings (6.27) in the league. As a team, WIU is batting below .200, at a .197 clip. Western Illinois has lost seven straight games. The team's last win came against Evansville, 2-0, on March 13.
Up Next
St. Thomas heads to Green Bay, Wis. for a Tuesday doubleheader at Green Bay on March 29 beginning at 12:00 p.m. The Tommies will face Kansas City for a three-game series in Kansas City, Mo. on April 2-3.
Follow Along
For more information on St. Thomas softball, follow along on Twitter at @USTSoftball, on Instagram at @tommiesoftball, and on Facebook at St. Thomas Softball.
Chasing No. 700
Coach Trotter is now 20 wins away from 700 career victories. 676 of Trotter's wins came with Missouri Western at the Division II level. Trotter earned her first Division I win in a 6-5 victory against Ball State on Feb. 11.
Crawford Enters the Record Books
Freshman pitcher Christina Crawford struck out 19 hitters in the team's win against Evansville on March 13. Prior to that performance by the frosh righty the Tommies previous team high for strikeouts in a game was seven, against Bradley (March 6). While St. Thomas is ineligible for NCAA rankings, in the team's first year at the Division I level, Crawford's 19 Ks would be tied for second in the nation.
Leading Off
St. Thomas travels to Macomb, Ill. for a three-game Summit League series at Western Illinois. It marks the first conference series in program history for the Tommies after making the transition to Division I.
Key Notes
Freshman outfielder Kaitlyn Raymond leads the squad with the longest reached base streak this season (8). Freshman shortstop Brooke Ellestad leads St. Thomas with 10 multi-hit games this season. Raymond and Ellestad both have tallied a four-hit game in 2022, the only Tommie hitters to achieve the feat thus far. Senior third baseman Sarah Hudson has five multi-RBI games this season, including a three-RBI game, leading the squad. Ellestad leads St. Thomas in three-RBI games this season (2). Outfielder Coryn Jacobson is currently riding a four-game hitting streak, the longest of the season for the junior.
Upset on a Sunday
The Tommies picked up the first win over a ranked opponent in program Division I history. In a 10-4 effort, St. Thomas took down No. 22 South Florida on the road. The Toms are one of two Summit League schools to win against a ranked opponent this season (South Dakota beat No. 25 Wichita State on Feb. 13). Prior to the win over USF, St. Thomas was 0-3 against top-ranked programs.
Talking About the Summit League
St. Thomas plays its first Summit League game this weekend at Western Illinois. With two saves, St. Thomas is tied for second in the conference. The Tommies are fourth in the league in RBI (65). Raymond, the typical St. Thomas leadoff hitter, is 10th in the conference in OBP (.408). Freshman pitcher Christina Crawford ranks eighth in strikeouts in the Summit League. Catcher Maddie Grad has thrown out seven baserunners, third in the league.
Ellestad Shines at the Plate
Freshman shortstop Brooke Ellestad enjoyed a strong weekend in Tampa, Fla., batting .600 over a five-game span for the Tommies. The infielder tallied 12 hits and seven runs in a powerful offensive showing. The left-handed hitter also launched three home runs and drove in eight runs. This season, Ellestad is top three in the Summit League in batting average (.397), slugging percentage (.667), OPS (1.082), and hits (31), all as a newcomer. Ellestad is the team's leader in batting average, slugging percentage, runs (18), hits, RBI (16), and steals (4).
Looking at the Leathernecks
Western Illinois shares a similar win total as St. Thomas (4) this season. The Leathernecks allow the second-most runs per seven innings (6.27) in the league. As a team, WIU is batting below .200, at a .197 clip. Western Illinois has lost seven straight games. The team's last win came against Evansville, 2-0, on March 13.
Up Next
St. Thomas heads to Green Bay, Wis. for a Tuesday doubleheader at Green Bay on March 29 beginning at 12:00 p.m. The Tommies will face Kansas City for a three-game series in Kansas City, Mo. on April 2-3.
Follow Along
For more information on St. Thomas softball, follow along on Twitter at @USTSoftball, on Instagram at @tommiesoftball, and on Facebook at St. Thomas Softball.
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
SS
/ Softball
C/UT
/ Softball
3B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballPress Conference: Tommie Football Postgame v Lindenwood 08/28/25
Friday, August 29
Tommie Football Intro Video 2025
Thursday, August 28
Beyond The Buzzer: Schoenecker Arena Setup
Wednesday, July 23
Beyond The Buzzer: Sports Medicine
Wednesday, July 23
