Lauren Dixon named NSIC Pitcher of the Year as UMD softball enters postseason

The University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) softball team wrapped up their regular season going two-for-four over the weekend to now sit 36-11 entering the postseason.

While they didn’t take the conference crown, finishing second after suffering a sweep to number one Augustana University Sunday, junior Lauren Dixon did snag a well deserved honor. Tuesday she was named 2023 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Pitcher of the Year.

“I was obviously super excited and honored to get the award. Especially in the beginning of the year getting the Preseason Pitcher of the Year, and then being able to come through and make good on that preseason award really meant a lot.”

Dixon is the first Bulldog to earn the honor since Michelle Simmonds in 2003. She is also now just one strikeout away from tying the school’s all-time career strikeout record of 547 set by Kristin Danielson in 2010.

UMD will now trek to Rochester to open NSIC tournament play Wednesday.

“We play the highest of the seven, eight, nine and ten seeds. So for sure it won’t be Bemidji because they’re 10 so if they win then they will automatically play Augustana. We’l play either Concordia, Sioux Falls, and Minot,” explained head coach Lynn Anderson.

Awaiting those final seedings the Bulldogs won’t know their first opponent until Wednesday morning. Their first pitch at the Rochester Youth Fastpitch Softball Complex is set for 2 p.m.

For the NSIC tournament bracket, Click Here.