Softball returns solid core of players for '15 season

Written by: Jeremy Williamson, Sports Information Assistant

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – In her fourth year at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, head softball coach Lee Negrelli heads into the 2015 season with a solid core of returning players and a handful of fresh new faces.

2014 Full Time Pioneers

Of the 16-woman roster, four are returning from a 2014 season having played all 41 games on the schedule. Haley Salazar, Carley Rote, Chelsey Walker and Katie Huss played and started in every single game last season.

Salazar, the senior first basemen from Sycamore, tied for second on the team in runs-batted-in with 30. She also accumulated a batting average of .353 going 47-133 from the plate.

Rote will enter the 2015 season coming off a year in which she contributed 30 runs, led the team with nine homeruns, racked up 30 RBIs and earned a .400 on-base percentage.

The sophomore third basemen and outfielder from Eugene, Ore., Chelsey Walker, had an excellent second year adding 14 runs, 21 RBIs while batting a respectable .258.

Katie Huss was the final 41-game starter, in her first year at UW-Platteville. She played second base for the Pioneers hitting 19-96, posted a .378 on-base percentage and ranked third in the nation in hits-by-pitches with 20. 

Big Batters

Seniors Lisa Karau and MJ Patten combined for 95 hits off of 256 appearances at the plate.

Karau is a senior infielder from Mosinee who led last year's squad in batting average with a WIAC fifth-best .425. She garnered first team all-region and first team all-WIAC. Karau led the team in runs and RBIs with 35 apiece. She hit seven homeruns and earned an on-base percentage of .493.

Patten will begin her second year in a Pioneer uniform after transferring from Rock Valley College. Patten is a senior outfielder from Loves Park who was the lead off hitter for the women. Patten led the team and tied third in the WIAC with 54 hits, which combined with 29 runs and a batting average of .397, earned her honorable mention all-WIAC.

Pitching

The Pioneers return two of their three pitchers from last season in sophomore Jess Butzen and junior Keri Treml, while adding two freshman pitchers to the roster.

Butzen led the Pioneers with an ERA of 3.47 and finished the year with an 8-13 record. She earned honorable mention all-WIAC and made 28 appearances, while completing a team-high 15 games. Butzen also tossed 90 strikeouts, which is fifth most in school history.

Treml, the Sycamore native, earned a 5-8 record with an ERA of 7.68 last season. She started 12 games, threw 75.2 innings and racked up 19 strikeouts.

The Pioneer softball team kicks off their season with an 8 a.m. contest against Dominican University on March 14 at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Meyers, Fla. They return home on April 1 to take on Beloit College and begin WIAC play one week later at UW-Oshkosh with a matchup against the Titans.