The 2019 softball season was a historic one for Valley City State University as the Vikings set a school record with 54 wins and finished the season with a 54-5 record. VCSU started the season 15-0 and later had a 20-game winning streak heading into the NAIA World Series.
The Vikings achieved the school's highest national ranking ever in softball, climbing all the way to No. 6 in the nation on May 6.
The Vikings clinched the North Star Athletic Association regular season championship with a doubleheader sweep at Presentation College on April 26. The Vikings finished the season with a stunning 26-2 conference record.
Valley City State's postseason run began with another conference championship in the NSAA Tournament. The Vikings outscored their opponents 28-3 as they went 5-0 at the tournament, defeating Bellevue University in the championship series.
The Vikings earned the top seed for the NAIA Softball Championship Opening Round in Columbia, Mo. VCSU rolled to the opening round championship, going 3-0 and outscoring their opponents 14-6 in the tournament. The title advanced VCSU to the NAIA World Series for just the third time in school history.
The historic season concluded at the NAIA World Series in Springfield, Mo. The Vikings drew perennial national power Oklahoma City University in the first round and fell by a score of 4-0. The Vikings were eliminated from the World Series with a 7-1 loss to Oregon Tech, finishing the season with a 54-5 overall record and a No. 10 national ranking in the final Top 25 poll.
Three Vikings earned All-American honors at the conclusion of the season, including 2nd Team honors for pitcher Emily Smith and honorable mention for infielder Voni Culp and pitcher Emilee Wilson.
VCSU softball swept the female awards in all three categories of the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association college awards. The Vikings were named the North Dakota Female Team of the Year; pitcher Emily Smith was named the Female Athlete of the Year; and coach Michael Mook was named the Coach of the Year.
The 2019 softball team broke more than a dozen individual and team records, including wins (54), runs scored (399), hits (574), RBIs (344), doubles (112) and triples (20). Pitcher Emily Smith also set a new school record with 33 wins in the circle.
In the summer, VCSU softball underwent a coaching change as Michael Mook and Jenelle Trautmann moved on to coach at NCAA Division II school West Texas A&M. Valley City State University hired Mark Mattson and Barbi Mattson (pictured) to take over the softball program in 2020 and lead the Vikings into a new decade of Viking Softball.
The Vikings are ranked No. 10 in the 2020 Preseason Top 25 Poll released on Jan. 15. VCSU will open the 2020 season with four games at the Presentation College Dome Tournament on Feb. 14-15.
Credits:
Mark Potts, Brenna Winter, Cindy Potter