University of St. Thomas Athletics
Friday, April 18
Grand Forks, N.D. / Albrecht Field
3:00 p.m. Central
at
North Dakota
Photo by: Kylie Macziewski
Tommies take on Fighting Hawks in final conference road series
4/17/2025 3:02:00 PM | Softball
Softball looks to win its fourth consecutive Summit League series for the first time
ST. PAUL, Minn. – St. Thomas Softball (23-16 overall, 6-3) is in the midst of its best season in DI program history, already five wins clear of its previous highwater mark 18 wins in 2023. The Tommies head to Grand Forks, N.D. for the first time for three games with conference foe, North Dakota (24-19 overall, 7-5). With frigid temperatures in the forecast the schedule may be in flux but for now they will play a doubleheader on Friday, April 17 at 2:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. The final game is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.
The Fighting Hawks have taken each of their last two conference series against Kansas City (3-0) and North Dakota State (2-1) after dropping their previous two to South Dakota (1-2) and Omaha (1-2). They are in fourth place in the league with a .583 conference win percentage. Their 24 wins this season are the most since 2018 (26-27 that year).
Senior, Callie Honig has carried the load for the Fighting Hawks this season with a team-leading 1.036 OPS, .370 avg., 13 doubles, 31 RBI, and 65 total bases. Makaela Carr has been their most productive pitcher this season. The senior is 8-5 with a 3.07 ERA in 75.1 innings with 85 strikeouts against 19 walks.
It's a Whole Staff Kinda Thing
The Tommie pitching staff of Christina Crawford, Ella Cook, Keira Murphy, and Ava Kleinfeldt have combined for a program-best 3.52 ERA in 254.2 innings pitched this season. That is down from 5.86 last season and is the lowest in program history by 1.87 runs.
Most notably, they have all recorded a complete game shutout during 2025. Ella Cook was the first to do it on 2/8 against Green Bay (10-0 in five innings) followed by Ava Kleinfeldt on 2/23 in a 3-0 win over Incarnate Word. Christina Crawford followed that up with a 6-0 win over Wagner on 2/28 and then Keira Murphy pitched the program's first no-hitter on 3/2 in a 14-0 five-inning win over Wagner. Cook and Crawford have each added a second complete game shutout. The freshman, Kleinfeldt, leads the team with a single-season program record three CGSO.
Smashin' Cass
Cassidy Carby came into the 2025 season as the all-time home run leader for the Tommies with 13 and she currently leads the team with six round trippers this season. The redshirt junior smashed a program-record eight home runs back in 2022.
Carby is having a career year with all-time bests in batting average, OBP, SLUG, OPS, runs, total bases, and doubles. Her .548 slugging percentage is second only to her teammate Laken Lienhard. She has set a new career high with 38 hits, there are 11 games remaining in the 2025 season.
Her strikeout rate has also dropped precipitously this season; 29.6% in 2022, 26.5% in 2024, 20.4% in 2025.
Hit it to the Lake
Laken Lienhard has truly found her power stroke this season. The senior shortstop was a tremendous asset in the lineup last season with a Summit League leading 30 walks.
In 2025, Lienhard has been just as useful with a higher on-base percentage but has also belted six home runs in the last 25 games (she did not have one in her first 64 games as a Tommie).
She has been the Tommies' best hitter this season with team leading marks in on-base percentage (.493), slugging percentage (.600), home runs (6), and walks (26). Her 1.093 OPS would be a single-season program record if the season ended today.
The Tommies' starting shortstop has played in every game this season and sits in the Summit League Top 10 in: AVG. (9th), SLUG (7th), OBP. (3rd), OPS (5th), hits (10th), and walks (T-2nd).
Taking Down the Gophers
On March 2nd, the Tommies took down their crosstown rival Minnesota Gophers for the first time. They came away with an 8-6 eight-inning victory in what was an instant classic.
Freshman, Ava Kleinfeldt got the win after coming into the game during the fourth inning. She went 4.2 innings and allowed just two hits, one run, and two walks, with two strikeouts. Avery Wukawitz and Ella Cook had the only two extra base hits (both doubles) as the Tommies slapped eight singles and drew three walks to manufacture a Power 4 victory.
Mistake Free Softball
The Purple are 13-2 this season when they do not commit an error in a game. They are 33-33 all-time when they do not commit an error.
Before this season, the Tommies played 49 mistake-free games of softball out of 153 games or 32%. This season, they have 15 games without errors, 38% of their 39 games, a considerable defensive improvement.
Their team .968 fielding percentage is a single-season program record and currently second in the Summit League.
They have also limited the number of two-plus error games with just 10 this season as opposed to the 19 averaged across the last three seasons. The Tommies were 0-19 last season when committing two or more errors, they are 2-8 this season.
Fresh(man) Arm
The play of freshman Ava Kleinfeldt has been a revelation for the pitching staff and the Tommies as a whole. She has an 8-3 record and a 3.06 ERA in 80 innings pitched. That earned run average would be a program record if not for Ella Cook's tremendous 2.79 this season.
Kleinfeldt began the season 5-0 before losing her first career decision in a tight 3-1 ballgame against the University of Iowa. She has allowed more than three runs in an appearance only once and already has three career complete game shutouts.
Her nine strikeouts against New Mexico are a career high and the most by a true Tommie freshman since Christina Crawford's 19 strikeouts against Evansville in 2022. She struck out eight in her appearance against the Wisconsin Badgers.
Kleinfeldt had yet another successful weekend in the circle for the Tommies as they competed against the former Summit League Champion Jackrabbits. She pitched a pair of complete games, including her third complete game shutout, spearheading the Toms' first series win over SDSU in program history.
First time in Grand Forks, four years in
The St. Thomas softball team is heading into week five of Summit League play. The Tommies are 6-3 ready to take on North Dakota, currently standing at 7-5. The Fighting Hawks are 3-0 at home this season at the brand-new Albrecht Field complex.
This will be the first time the Tommies play in Grand Forks, N.D. for the away series against UND. Previously, due to weather conditions, the games were held in Fargo, N.D. where the Purple went 1-2 in 2023.
Since the beginning of the D1 era the Tommies have scored 52 runs against North Dakota, the most runs scored against any other Summit League team for the Tommies. They have won the conference series two of the three previous seasons but never away from South Field.
Christina Crawford pitched a complete game shutout in a game two, 1-0-win, last season. She struck out seven of the 27 batters faced.
Follow Along
For more information on St. Thomas Softball follow along on Instagram and Twitter at @TommieSoftball.
The Fighting Hawks have taken each of their last two conference series against Kansas City (3-0) and North Dakota State (2-1) after dropping their previous two to South Dakota (1-2) and Omaha (1-2). They are in fourth place in the league with a .583 conference win percentage. Their 24 wins this season are the most since 2018 (26-27 that year).
Senior, Callie Honig has carried the load for the Fighting Hawks this season with a team-leading 1.036 OPS, .370 avg., 13 doubles, 31 RBI, and 65 total bases. Makaela Carr has been their most productive pitcher this season. The senior is 8-5 with a 3.07 ERA in 75.1 innings with 85 strikeouts against 19 walks.
It's a Whole Staff Kinda Thing
The Tommie pitching staff of Christina Crawford, Ella Cook, Keira Murphy, and Ava Kleinfeldt have combined for a program-best 3.52 ERA in 254.2 innings pitched this season. That is down from 5.86 last season and is the lowest in program history by 1.87 runs.
Most notably, they have all recorded a complete game shutout during 2025. Ella Cook was the first to do it on 2/8 against Green Bay (10-0 in five innings) followed by Ava Kleinfeldt on 2/23 in a 3-0 win over Incarnate Word. Christina Crawford followed that up with a 6-0 win over Wagner on 2/28 and then Keira Murphy pitched the program's first no-hitter on 3/2 in a 14-0 five-inning win over Wagner. Cook and Crawford have each added a second complete game shutout. The freshman, Kleinfeldt, leads the team with a single-season program record three CGSO.
Smashin' Cass
Cassidy Carby came into the 2025 season as the all-time home run leader for the Tommies with 13 and she currently leads the team with six round trippers this season. The redshirt junior smashed a program-record eight home runs back in 2022.
Carby is having a career year with all-time bests in batting average, OBP, SLUG, OPS, runs, total bases, and doubles. Her .548 slugging percentage is second only to her teammate Laken Lienhard. She has set a new career high with 38 hits, there are 11 games remaining in the 2025 season.
Her strikeout rate has also dropped precipitously this season; 29.6% in 2022, 26.5% in 2024, 20.4% in 2025.
Hit it to the Lake
Laken Lienhard has truly found her power stroke this season. The senior shortstop was a tremendous asset in the lineup last season with a Summit League leading 30 walks.
In 2025, Lienhard has been just as useful with a higher on-base percentage but has also belted six home runs in the last 25 games (she did not have one in her first 64 games as a Tommie).
She has been the Tommies' best hitter this season with team leading marks in on-base percentage (.493), slugging percentage (.600), home runs (6), and walks (26). Her 1.093 OPS would be a single-season program record if the season ended today.
The Tommies' starting shortstop has played in every game this season and sits in the Summit League Top 10 in: AVG. (9th), SLUG (7th), OBP. (3rd), OPS (5th), hits (10th), and walks (T-2nd).
Taking Down the Gophers
On March 2nd, the Tommies took down their crosstown rival Minnesota Gophers for the first time. They came away with an 8-6 eight-inning victory in what was an instant classic.
Freshman, Ava Kleinfeldt got the win after coming into the game during the fourth inning. She went 4.2 innings and allowed just two hits, one run, and two walks, with two strikeouts. Avery Wukawitz and Ella Cook had the only two extra base hits (both doubles) as the Tommies slapped eight singles and drew three walks to manufacture a Power 4 victory.
Mistake Free Softball
The Purple are 13-2 this season when they do not commit an error in a game. They are 33-33 all-time when they do not commit an error.
Before this season, the Tommies played 49 mistake-free games of softball out of 153 games or 32%. This season, they have 15 games without errors, 38% of their 39 games, a considerable defensive improvement.
Their team .968 fielding percentage is a single-season program record and currently second in the Summit League.
They have also limited the number of two-plus error games with just 10 this season as opposed to the 19 averaged across the last three seasons. The Tommies were 0-19 last season when committing two or more errors, they are 2-8 this season.
Fresh(man) Arm
The play of freshman Ava Kleinfeldt has been a revelation for the pitching staff and the Tommies as a whole. She has an 8-3 record and a 3.06 ERA in 80 innings pitched. That earned run average would be a program record if not for Ella Cook's tremendous 2.79 this season.
Kleinfeldt began the season 5-0 before losing her first career decision in a tight 3-1 ballgame against the University of Iowa. She has allowed more than three runs in an appearance only once and already has three career complete game shutouts.
Her nine strikeouts against New Mexico are a career high and the most by a true Tommie freshman since Christina Crawford's 19 strikeouts against Evansville in 2022. She struck out eight in her appearance against the Wisconsin Badgers.
Kleinfeldt had yet another successful weekend in the circle for the Tommies as they competed against the former Summit League Champion Jackrabbits. She pitched a pair of complete games, including her third complete game shutout, spearheading the Toms' first series win over SDSU in program history.
First time in Grand Forks, four years in
The St. Thomas softball team is heading into week five of Summit League play. The Tommies are 6-3 ready to take on North Dakota, currently standing at 7-5. The Fighting Hawks are 3-0 at home this season at the brand-new Albrecht Field complex.
This will be the first time the Tommies play in Grand Forks, N.D. for the away series against UND. Previously, due to weather conditions, the games were held in Fargo, N.D. where the Purple went 1-2 in 2023.
Since the beginning of the D1 era the Tommies have scored 52 runs against North Dakota, the most runs scored against any other Summit League team for the Tommies. They have won the conference series two of the three previous seasons but never away from South Field.
Christina Crawford pitched a complete game shutout in a game two, 1-0-win, last season. She struck out seven of the 27 batters faced.
Follow Along
For more information on St. Thomas Softball follow along on Instagram and Twitter at @TommieSoftball.
Players Mentioned
C/UT
/ Softball
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/ Softball
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/ SoftballOF/SS
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