SCOUTING THE COUGARS    
Minn.-Morris ended their 2015 season with a 19-19 record, 15-6 in conference play. The Cougars were voted to finish fourth in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) this year according to a preseason coaches' poll. The team returns two All-UMAC selections in Alex Anderson and Meghan Pomeroy. As an infielder, Pomeroy finished last year with a .977 fielding percentage and 207 putouts. Anderson led the outfield with a .923 fielding percentage. These returners bring a strong defensive presence for the Cougars.

SCOUTING THE STORM    
Crown enters 2016 after finishing last season with a 13-25 overall record and 11-10 in conference. Despite falling early in the postseason tournament last year, the Storm surpasses several program records including hits (288), doubles (46), home runs (9) and total bases (365). Crown returns three All-Conference players in Sofia Palacios, Kate McLaughlin and Cassidy Valenzuela as well as an All-Defensive selection in Janelle Williams. Williams earned the honor for her impressive performance at third base. She tallied 60 assists on the season and made 14 errors on 118 chances.

STROMERT FIRST STATISTICAL CHAMP SINCE 2007    
Heading into her junior season, Dani Stromert will look to continue her success, including an NCAA Statistical Champion title. Stromert was awarded the achievement this past August after leading the 2015 NCAA Division III for Bases on Ball per game. Stromert was walked 44 times in 2015. This is the first Loras Student-athlete since Nate DuBois (Men's Soccer) to be named a statistical champion. The All-Iowa Conference Second Team Selection led the Duhawks in batting average (.347), runs (42) and RBIs (23).

DEEP ROSTER FOR THE DUHAWKS    
The Duhawks enter the 2016 season with a deep roster due to a large recruiting class of 14 freshman and one transfer. The extended roster allows head coach Ashley Winter the luxury of depth at each position on the diamond. This depth will allow the Duhawks to utilize variation in their lineups throughout the season.

MAKAILA HAASE APPROACHING MILESTONES     
Senior Makaila Haase has been a four-year starter for the Duhawks and is a key piece to the team's success. Being one of the top pitchers and top hitters, Haase is approaching milestones on both the mound and at the plate. As a pitcher, she has tallied 96 2/3 innings in her first three seasons, leaving her 3 1/3 IP away from 100 in her career. The Des Moines, Iowa native is also approaching 100 career hits as she has recorded 80 in her first three seasons.

TRANSFORMING NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS    
The Duhawks finished last season with a 19-19 record, including a 4-10 record in the IIAC. While they have struggled at times in conference, they have done well against their non-conference opponents. In fact, over the past three seasons, Loras holds a 37-26 record against opponents outside of the IIAC. The task for the Duhawks this season will be to transform their non-conference succes to success in the IIAC. There's no secret that the Iowa Conference is considered one of the strongest in the nation, so the hope for Loras this season is to carry over its success and make a run into the postseason.

DUAL-SPORT ATHLETES TO MISS SEASON OPENER    
Sophomores Miranda Chapman and Kate Moriarty will miss the season opener in Minnesota as they will be playing across the border in Wisconsin. Chapman and Moriarty are dual-sport athletes; members of both the softball and women's basketball teams. After winning the Iowa Conference Tournament last Saturday, Loras advanced to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament for the third time in program history and first time since the 2013-14 season.