Location: River Falls, WI 54022
Enrollment: 5,800
Interim chancellor: Virgil Nylander
WIAC faculty representatives: Rik Seefeldt, Barbara Rebhuhn
Athletic director: Rick Bowen (phone: 715/425-3246)
Assistant athletic director: Patti Ford (phone: 715/425-3244)
Head coach: Faye Perkins (16th season, 313-270-1 career record) 715/425-3966
Assistant coaches: Jody Gabriel, Brian Dwyer, Anna Poulter
National affiliation: National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Div. III
Conference: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference members: Eau Claire, La Crosse, Oshkosh, Platteville, River Falls, Stevens Point, Stout, Superior, Whitewater
Nickname: Falcons
Colors: Red and White
WIAC championships: (3) 1987, 1993, 1994
2004 overall record: 20-22
2004 conference record, finish: 3-13, tie 8th
2004 letter winners lost: (6) Molly Arends (P), Devanie Bigalk (P), Abby Keene (OF), Anna Poulter (C), Melissa Turbak (2B), Erin Wood (SS)
2004 letter winners returning: (12) Megan Blakeley (3B), Emily Evans (3B), Jamie Falck (OF), Carolyn Guisinger (1B), Michelle Heuser (OF), Michelle Kelley (OF), Emily Rodgers (OF), Jessamy Schwartz (SS), Emily Stahl (U), Breamber Syverson (2B), Margo Taylor (C), Leah Vanderploeg (P)
Home field: Ramer Field
Trainer: Gary Eloranta, Crystal Lanning 715/425-3130
Sports information director: Jim Thies 715/425-3846 (e-mail: james.g.thies@uwrf.edu)
Web site: http://www.uwrf.edu/sports/sports0405
Sports information fax: 715/425-4486

2005 Falcon Preview
The 2005 Falcon softball team will look to get back on the winning track with a solid group of returning players.

Coach Faye Perkins, the winningest coach in the WIAC with 313, has 12 returning letter winners to build the 2005 team around.

Returning on the mound for the Falcons is senior Leah Vanderploeg. She earned honorable mention to the 2004 All-WIAC team. She led the 2004 Falcons with a 2.44 ERA and finished with a 10-8 record. She threw six shutouts and led the Falcons with 140 1/3 innings pitched. She finished third in the WIAC in innings pitched and in strikeouts with 113. "We will be relying on Leah Vanderploeg and two freshmen - Ashley Bertrand and Brittany Rathbun - to help on the mound," said Perkins.

Returning in the infield will be senior Emily Evans at third, junior Jessamy Schwartz at short and junior Carolyn Guisinger at first. Evans led the Falcons with three home runs and had 17 RBIs. She had a .409 slugging percentage, the best for returning players. She earned honorable mention to the 2004 All-WIAC team. Schwartz finished with a .302 batting average. She led the team with 24 RBIs and scored 18 runs. Guisinger finished the 2004 season with a .225 batting average and a .970 fielding average. She had four doubles and eight RBIs. Designated player Breamber Syverson finished tied for second in hitting in 2004 with a .321 average. She stole 11 bases.

All three starting outfielders from 2004 also return - Emily Rodgers in right, Jamie Falck in center and Michelle Heuser in left. Rodgers finished tied for second on the team in 2004 with a .321 batting average. She scored 19 runs and had 17 RBIs. She was second in hits with 42 and stole 10 bases. Falck appeared in 35 games and had a .150 batting average. Heuser played in 37 games last year and finished with a .255 batting average. She had one double and seven RBIs. She stole three bases and had a .947 fielding percentage.

"Hitting wise, we have strength coming back with Breamber Syverson, Emily Rodgers, Jessamy Schwartz and Emily Evans," said Perkins.

The 2004 Falcons finished fifth in hitting in the WIAC with a .282 average. But they were last in the conference with a 3.33 ERA.

Key losses for the Falcons include All-WIAC catcher Anna Poulter along with pitcher Devanie Bigalk and second baseman Melissa Turbak, who earned honorable mention to the 2004 All-WIAC team. Poulter set a WIAC record for stolen bases last year (53) and she holds the career WIAC record also (121). Her speed will be missed. Bigalk was a two-year letter winner and Turbak was a starter at second for four straight seasons.

2005 Falcon Schedule
March 11 St. Scholastica (at Rosemount Dome), 4 p.m.
March 19-26 at Rebel Spring Games (Orlando, Fla.)
March 20
vs. Westminister, 8:50 a.m.
vs. Fontbonne, 2:20 p.m.
March 21
vs. Augsburg, 2:20 p.m.
vs. Western Connecticut, 6 p.m.
March 23
vs. Carthage, 4:10 p.m.
vs. Millikin, 6 p.m.
March 24
vs. Eastern Connecticut State, 12:30 p.m.
vs. Millikin, 4:10 p.m.
March 25
vs. Ramapo, 8:50 a.m.
vs. Allegheny, 10:40 a.m.
March 30 at St. Mary’s, 3 p.m.

April 1 at Calvin, 3 p.m.
vs. Case Western Reserve, 5 p.m. (at Grand Rapids, Mich.)
April 2 vs. Case Western Reserve, 1 p.m. (at Holland, Mich.)
at Hope, 3 p.m.
April 6 Eau Claire*, 3 p.m.
April 9 at Eau Claire Invitational
vs. Elmhurst, 2 p.m.
vs. St. Scholastica, 4 p.m.
April 10 at Eau Claire Invitational
vs. UM-Morris, 1:30 p.m.
vs. Northland, 3:30 p.m.
April 12 La Crosse*, 3 p.m.
April 16 at WIAC Cluster Tournament* (at Oshkosh)
vs. Oshkosh, 3 p.m.
vs. Whitewater, 5 p.m.
April 17 at WIAC Cluster Tournament* (at Oshkosh)
vs. Platteville 10:30 a.m.
vs. Stevens Point, noon
April 18 Conference/Cluster Tournament Raindate
April 20 at Superior*, 4 p.m.
April 27 at Stout*, 5 p.m.
April 30 WIAC Cluster Tournament* (at River Falls)
vs. Platteville, 9 a.m.
vs. Whitewater, 3 p.m.

May 1 WIAC Cluster Tournament* (at River Falls)
vs. Oshkosh, 10:30 a.m.
vs. Stevens Point, 4:30 p.m.
May 2 Conference/Cluster Tournament Raindate
May 6 at WIAC Tournament (at Whitewater), TBD
May 7 at WIAC Tournament (at Whitewater), TBD
May 13 NCAA Div. III Regional Tournament, TBD
May 14 NCAA Div. III Regional Tournament, TBD
May 19-23 NCAA Div. III National Tournament, TBD


2004 Falcon Results
20-22 overall, 3-13 WIAC
3-7 Home, 4-4 Away, 13-11 Neutral Site

Date	Opponent	W-L	Score	Winning-Losing Pitcher
March 6	Alverno@	W	5-0	Bigalk, W, 1-0
March 6	UM-Duluth@	L	7-3	Bigalk, L, 1-1
March 7	Concordia	W	9-1	Bigalk, W, 2-1
March 7	Finlandia	W	9-0	Vanderploeg, W, 1-0
March 14	Rowan^	L	11-5	Bigalk, L, 2-2
March 14	Westminster^	W	4-0	Vanderploeg, W, 2-0
March 15	Augsburg^	W	11-3	Bigalk, W, 3-2
March 15	Fairleigh-Dickinson^	W	4-0	Vanderploeg, W, 3-0
March 18	Macalester^	W	2-1	Vanderploeg W, 4-0
March 18	Otterbein^	L	4-2	Bigalk, L, 3-3
March 19	Mt. Vernon^	W	2-1	Bigalk, W, 4-3
March 19	Marian^	L	8-7	Arends, L, 0-1
March 27	Augsburg#	W	2-0	Vanderploeg, W, 5-0
March 27	UM-Morris#	W	6-2	Bigalk, W, 5-3
March 28	UM-Morris#	W	9-1	Arends, W, 1-1
March 28	Augsburg#	W	8-0	Bigalk, W, 6-3
March 31	at Eau Claire*	L	8-5	Bigalk, L, 6-4
March 31	at Eau Claire*	L	9-1	Bigalk, L, 6-5
April 5	St. Mary's	W	3-0	Vanderploeg W, 6-0
April 5	St. Mary's	L	1-0	Bigalk, L, 6-6
April 8	Stout*	L	7-1	Vanderploeg, L, 6-1
April 8	Stout*	L	3-1	Bigalk, L, 6-7
April 9	Hamline$	W	7-6	Bigalk, W, 7-7
April 9	St. Scholastica$	L	5-2	Biglak, L, 7-8
April 10	Northland$	W	1-0	Bigalk, W, 8-8
April 10	St. Scholasttica$	L	4-2	Vanderploeg, L, 6-2
April 13	at La Crosse*	L	3-0	Vanderploeg, L, 6-3
April 13	at La Crosse*	L	4-3	Bigalk, L, 8-9
April 17	Stevens Point*+	W	2-1	Bigalk, W, 9-9
April 17	Platteville*+	W	8-5	Vanderploeg, W, 7-3
April 18	Oshkosh*+	L	11-6	Bigalk, L, 9-10
April 18	Whitewater*+	L	8-3	Bigalk, L, 9-11
April 23	Superior*	L	17-4	Vanderploeg, L, 7-4
April 23	Superior*	L	11-4	Bigalk, L, 9-12
April 24	Whitewater*%	L	2-1	Vanderploeg, L, 7-5
April 24	Platteville*&	L	6-0	Vanderploeg, L, 7-6
April 26	Stevens Point*&	L	2-1	Vanderploeg, L, 7-7
April 26	Oshkosh*&	W	7-6	Vanderploeg, W, 8-7
April 30	Platteville%	W	7-1	Vanderploeg, W, 9-7
April 30	Eau Claire%	W	1-0	Vanderploeg, W, 10-7
April 30	Whitewater%	L	4-2	Bigalk, L, 9-13
May 1	La Crosse%	L	4-1	Vanderploeg, L, 10-8

2004 Returning Letter Winners

Falcon 2004 Statistics Page

WIAC Softball Page

Faye Perkins
Head Coach