The Wayne State College softball team faces Upper Iowa Thursday morning at 10 a.m. in the opening round of the 2022 NSIC Softball Tournament in Rochester, Minnesota.  The Wildcats are the #10 seed (12-18 NSIC, 15-36 overall) while the Peacocks are the #7 seed with records of 14-15 in the league and 23-26 overall.  WSC and UIU met earlier this season in Wayne (April 6) with the teams splitting a doubleheader (UIU 8-5, WSC 7-3). 
            The Wildcats are in the NSIC Tournament for the first time since the 2016 season.  Senior catcher Kim Vidlak leads the Wildcat offense with a .388 average and has hit a sizzling .453 in NSIC games this season.  She has 15 doubles, four homers and 40 RBI and ranks third in the NSIC with teammate Kortney Buresh in stolen bases with 23.  Vidlak has reached base safely in 25 consecutive games, the longest streak for a Wildcat since Lexie Loos Lenihan reached base safely in 48 straight games during the 2016 season.  Junior outfielder Riley Holmberg follows with a .375 average, leading the Wildcats with 38 runs scored while going a perfect 13 for 13 on stolen bases.  Senior outfielder Kortney Buresh leads the Wildcats in hits (58) and at bats (172) and has a .337 average while sophomore second baseman Jenna Etmans hits .317 with a team-high six home runs and 41 RBI.
            Wayne State's pitching staff is led by sophomore Callie Carraher, who is 4-5 on the season in 14 starts with a 6.81 ERA in 74 innings pitched.  Freshman Samantha Felt is 8-10 in 12 starts with five complete games, three saves and a 6.90 ERA.  She has thrown a team-high 105.2 innings.  Junior Hadley Chvatal has made 22 starts this season and has three complete games in 90 innings of work with 79 strikeouts.