North Dakota State (25-28) will close out the 2006 season with a pair of doubleheaders this week. The Bison are scheduled to play the University of Minnesota (14-31, 1-17 Big Ten) at 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 3, at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. The Gophers won a pair of one-run games last season (3-2, 2-1) in Minneapolis and lead the all-time series 10-0.

North Dakota State will host the University of Mary (27-20) at noon Saturday, May 6, at the Ellig Sports Complex. The Bison defeated Mary twice last season (2-1, 5-2) in Fargo and lead the all-time series 7-6. The Marauders are coached by former Bison standout Gerice Olson, a member of the 2000 NCAA Division II national championship team. It will be Senior Day as NDSU will honor Ashley Leier, Courtney Lacock, Meghan Norris and Amber Garrett.

NDSU CLAIMS 2006 DIVISION I INDEPENDENT TOURNEY TITLE WITH 9-0 WIN OVER NORTHERN COLORADO: Tournament MVP Amber Garrett tossed a four-hitter and went 3-for-3 at the plate as North Dakota State defeated host Northern Colorado 9-0 in the Division I Independent Softball Tournament championship game April 30, at Butler-Hancock Softball Field.

Joining Garrett on the all-tournament team were junior left fielder Lynnae Foshag, freshman catcher Kelly Cantrell and junior center fielder Grete Peterson. NDSU head coach Darren Mueller was named Division I Independent Coach of the Year.

Garrett worked out of jams in the second and fifth innings to preserve her first shutout of the tournament and fifth this season. She struck out four and issued no walks. Garrett, 15-11 overall, finished the tourney with a 2-1 record and struck out 21 and walked only two in 18.2 innings pitched.

The Bison jumped out of the gate with three runs in the bottom of the first. Foshag was hit by pitch and Peterson reached on a bunt single. Cantrell singled through the left side to chase home Foshag, Jackie Currie lifted a sacrifice fly to score Peterson and Garrett delivered an RBI single up the middle.

North Dakota State tacked on one run in the third on a Meghan Norris triple to right center and exploded with five runs in the fourth to blow the game open.

NDSU sent 10 batters to the plate in the fourth, taking advantage of five hits and a pair of Northern Colorado errors. Foshag capped off the big inning with a two-run single.

The Bison matched season-highs with 13 hits and nine runs against UNC (12-34), hitting .344 in five tournament games and outscoring the opposition 29-8. Joining Garrett in the multi-hit parade were Foshag, Peterson, Cantrell and Norris with two hits apiece.

TOURNAMENT NOTEBOOK: North Dakota State had seven players hit over .300 during the five-game Divsion I Independent Softball Tournament. Lynnae Foshag hit .467 with six runs scored, five RBI, a double and home run; Kelly Cantrell hit .438 with four runs scored, four RBI, a double and home run; Amber Garrett hit .438 with six RBI and a double; Grete Peterson raced to a .400 batting average with seven runs scored and two stolen bases; Jennifer Morse hit .364 with a run scored and RBI; Jackie Currie hit .357 with six RBI, a pair of triples, two runs scored and a double, and Courtney Lacock hit .300 with an RBI ... The pitching was solid with Garrett and Allison Bakke (2-0) ... The pair combined for a 1.60 earned run average, struck out 35 and walked only five batters in 30.2 innings of work ... Foshag was hit by pitch twice during the weekend and has seven HBP this season to tie her school single-season mark ... Cantrell threw out all three opposing baserunners attempting to steal and has gunned down 16 of 56 this season ... After dropping the tournament opener to South Dakota State, the Bison reeled off four straight wins to match a season-high win streak.

BISON WIN 12-INNING MARATHON WITH COLORADO STATE TO GAIN DOUBLEHEADER SPLIT: Amber Garrett went the distance and Jackie Currie ripped an RBI single with two outs in the 12th inning to lift North Dakota State to an exhausting 3-2 win over Colorado State in the second game of a doubleheader played April 26, before a crowd of 124 at Ram Field. CSU drilled the Bison 15-0 in the opener.

Garrett struck out a career-high 12 batters and walked one to gain the win. The 12-inning marathon tied the Bison softball program's record for the longest game. NDSU played 12 innings against Southern Indiana (2-26-99) and Bemidji State (4-19-83).

North Dakota State took advantage of a pair of hit batters in Grete Peterson and Kelly Cantrell with two outs in the top of the 12 inning. Peterson stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error and scored on Currie's hard-hit ball off of a Colorado State infielder and into right field.

Garrett retired the side in order in CSU's half of the 12th inning. Garrett tied Julie Fromm's single-game innings pitched mark set against Southern Indiana.

NDSU PLACES FIVE ON 2006 DIVISION I INDEPENDENT SOFTBALL ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM: Twenty-three softball student-athletes, including nine repeat honorees, make up the 2006 Division I Independent Softball All-Academic Team. North Dakota State and Northern Colorado led the list of honorees with five selections each. NDSU featured three repeat selections in senior Meghan Norris and juniors Grete Peterson and Erin Troup. Norris, a senior second baseman from Duluth, Minn., maintains a 3.81 grade point average in social science education; Peterson, a junior center fielder from Granite Falls, Minn, holds a 3.66 GPA in dietetics, and Troup, a junior right fielder from Placentia, Calif., has 3.23 GPA in mass communication.

Joining Norris, Peterson and Troup on the all-academic team were senior pitcher Amber Garrett (Pueblo, Colo.) with a 3.69 GPA in recreation management and sophomore outfielder Kelly Vivant (Lakeville, Minn.) with a 3.29 GPA in university studies.

GARRETT, CANTRELL, BAKKE, CURRIE RECEIVE DIVISION I INDEPENDENT WEEKLY HONORS: North Dakota State senior Amber Garrett earned Division I Independent Pitcher of the Week honors April 26. Garrett earned the honor for the fifth time this season (March 8, March 22, April 5, April 19) and sixth time in her career.

Garrett compiled a 3-1 record with a 0.64 earned run average in four appearances and three starts. She allowed 17 hits and two earned runs, struck out 27 and walked two in 22 innings pitched. Highlighting the week was a two-hit shutout versus South Dakota State on April 21. She struck out 10 to match a season-high and recorded her first of two complete games.

NDSU freshman third baseman Jackie Currie was named the Division I Independent Newcomer of the Week on April 19.

NDSU sophomore Allison Bakke earned Division I Independent Softball Pitcher of the Week Honors on April 12 for her performance April 3-9.

NDSU freshman catcher Kelly Cantrell earned D-I Independent Newcomer of the Week honors March 22.

The Bison are well represented in the Division I independent softball statistics through games played April 18. Offensively, Lynnae Foshag was No. 3 in runs scored, No. 5 in hits, No. 7 in doubles, No. 10 in home runs and No. 12 in batting; Grete Peterson was No. 2 in stolen bases and No. 9 in runs scored; Kelly Cantrell was No. 5 in doubles; Jackie Currie was No. 5 in doubles; Amber Garrett was No. 1 in ERA and saves, No. 2 in shutouts and strikeouts, No. 3 in wins and innings pitched and No. 5 in appearances; Andi Padilla was No. 9 in wins; Allison Bakke was No. 2 in shutouts and No. 5 in ERA, and Bekki Rasmussen was No. 10 in strikeouts. In the team stats, NDSU was No. 2 in doubles and ERA; No. 3 in won-loss record and fielding percentage; No. 5 in home runs and No. 6 in stolen bases.

QUICKLY AROUND THE HORN: North Dakota State junior Lynnae Foshag moved into a tie for No. 6 on the all-time home run list with 12, while senior first baseman Courtney Lacock is tied for No. 7 with 11 ... Senior second baseman Meghan Norris is tied for No. 7 all-time in sacrifices (23) ... On the NDSU career charts, senior pitcher Amber Garrett is tied at No. 5 in saves (3) ... The Bison finished the month of April with a 14-9 record ... Twenty-two of NDSU's 53 games have been decided by two runs or less ... The Bison are 9-6 in one-run games, 3-4 in two-run ... North Dakota State is 2-2 in extra inning games this season ... NDSU is 5-0 against lefthanded pitchers ... Former NCAA Division II All-American pitcher Julie Fromm (1998-01) is on the front of the Official 2006 NCAA Softball Records Book ... The Bison can be found often in the collegiate record book (all divisions), single-season and career ... Career-wise, Nikki Flynn-Gregg (1997-00) is No. 1 in runs scored (304) and hits (442), No. 2 in stolen bases (250), No. 3 in at-bats (952), and tied at No. 11 in games played (285) ... Shelly Rhein (1998-01) is No. 3 in doubles (82), No. 6 in RBI (247), No. 13 in at-bats (882), tied at No. 14 in games played (282), No. 16 in hits (344), tied at No. 22 in home runs (52), and tied at No. 30 in runs scored (216) ... Mary Gramenz (1996-99) is tied at No. 19 in doubles (66) ... Fromm is No. 19 in winning percentage (.867, 103-16).

FOSHAG TIES NDSU SINGLE-GAME HOME RUN MARK: NDSU left fielder Lynnae Foshag (Missoula, Mont.) tied a NDSU single-game record with two home runs in the first game against Division II Minnesota-Duluth on April 19. The feat has been achieved eight times previously, the last time by current assistant coach Lindsey Graham vs. South Dakota (4-4-04).

OUCH! THAT HAS TO HURT: North Dakota State left fielder Lynnae Foshag set the school career hit by pitch record was she was plunked against North Carolina on March 4. She has been hit by pitch seven times this season to match her single-season HBP mark set in 2005. Foshag has been hit 17 times overall in her career. Foshag tied the school's single-game hit by pitch mark twice in 2005, getting hit two times vs. East Tennessee State (3-19-05) and Northern Illinois (3-6-05). Former All-American Shelly Rhein shares the single-game, previously held the NDSU season (5, 1998) and career (11, 1998-01) records.

GARRETT PERFECT GAME HIGHLIGHTS LADY 'BACK: Amber Garrett threw a perfect game as North Dakota State defeated Drake University 1-0 as the Bison gained a split on Feb. 26, during the final day of the Lady 'Back Invitational. The injury-riddled Bison lost to Penn State 7-0 in the first game to conclude the tournament with a 2-3 record. Garrett's perfect game was the seventh recorded by a NDSU softball pitcher and the first since Lindsey Graham's seven-inning diamond gem in 2004. It was the 19th no-hitter in Bison history and first since Courtney Lacock's five-inning effort against Minnesota-Crookston. Garrett struck out four hitters

MUELLER CLAIMS UNIQUE CAREER MILESTONE; BISON FINISH 2-3 AT WOLFPACK INVITATIONAL: With North Dakota State's 6-1 win over Utah Valley State on March 31, NDSU head coach Darren Mueller recorded his 500th win with the Bison softball program. Mueller has a 176-87 record in five seasons as head coach. He was an assistant for seven years prior to taking over when NDSU compiled a 339-125 record from 1995 to 2001. His overall record is 515-212.

FORMER NDSU ALL-AMERICAN FROMM NOMINATED FOR NCAA DIVISION II 25-YEAR ANNIVERSARY TEAM: NCAA Division II Softball held its first championship in 1982 and will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary at the 2006 championship. To commemorate this milestone, a 25th Anniversary Team consisting of 10 student-athletes and one coach will be named and former North Dakota State All-American pitcher Julie Fromm was among the nominees.

Fromm helped to lead North Dakota State to the 2000 NCAA Division II national championship and was the winning pitcher in the Bison 3-1 win over Kennesaw State in the title game. She compiled a 45-6 record in 2000. Fromm earned NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) All-America first team honors in 2000, and was second team in 1999 and 2001.

Fromm, who played at NDSU from 1999-01, compiled a 103-16 career record with 49 shutouts, six saves and a 1.14 earned run average. She struck out 779 batters in 794.1 innings pitched.

MAKING THE GRADE: SCHOOL RECORD EIGHT BISON EARN NFCA SCHOLAR-ATHLETE HONORS: A school record eight North Dakota State softball players earned 2005 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Scholar Athlete honors. The list included first baseman Aimee Enzler, pitcher Amber Garrett, infielder/outfielder Heather Hyatt, catcher Ashley Leier, third baseman Meghan Norris, center fielder Grete Peterson, catcher Jen Shollenberger and outfielder Megan Slater.

THE HEAD COACH: Darren Mueller is in his fifth season as the head fastpitch softball coach at North Dakota State. He has compiled an 176-87 record (.669). Mueller was named the 2002 NCC Co-Coach of the Year, while the coaching staff earned Speedline/Division II North Central Region Coaching Staff of the Year honors in both 2002 and 2003. Mueller is assisted by Jamie Trachsel and Lindsey Graham. Volunteer assistant is Darcy Bryne.

THE RECLASSIFICATION: North Dakota State is in its third year of a five-year NCAA reclassification from Division II to Division I. The Bison will not be eligible for NCAA playoffs until the 2008-09 season in any sport except wrestling and women’s volleyball, which become tournament eligible in 2006-07. Three Bison teams have gained conference affiliation. NDSU’s football program competes at the Division I-AA level and is a charter member of the Great West Football Conference (formed in 2004). Women’s soccer was accepted into the United Soccer Conference for the 2006 season. Wrestling became a charter member of the Western Wrestling Conference formed in April.