Jurek, Floro headline all-NSAA squad as 7 Bruins named to 1st team

DICKINSON, N.D. -- Senior pitcher/outfielder Lauren Jurek and sophomore first baseman Reese Floro headlined the 2023 All-North Star Athletic Association Softball teams as announced today in conjunction with the 2023 NSAA Softball Post-Season Tournament. Jurek was named the NSAA Pitcher of the Year, while Floro was named the NSAA Player of the Year. Seven Bruins were named to the first team and another four were named to the NSAA Gold Glove Team. 

Bruins named to the all-NSAA first team included: Jurek, Floro, pitcher Savannah Gunn, second baseman Liana McMurtry, outfielder Sami Reding, designated player Ashley Young, and pitcher Katie Cunningham. 

Gold Glove honorees included Floro, Reding, Gunn, and third baseman Madison Machacek. 

Bellevue's Champion of Character representative was junior catcher Lexi Blankenfeld. 

Jurek leads the Bruins and the NSAA with a 1.77 ERA and was second with 12 wins, finishing the regular season at 12-2. She recorded 74 strikeouts in 75 innings pitched this season. In league play, Jurek went 9-1 with a 1.17 ERA and 54 strikeouts. At the plate, Jurek was second on the team with a .386 batting average and 18 doubles. She has four home runs on the year and a .622 slugging percentage. Jurek earned NSAA Pitcher of the Week honors twice this season. 

Floro leads the Bruins and finished second in the league with a .455 batting average. She is currently tied for the school single-season record with 22 doubles while also producing three home runs and a team-leading .653 slugging percentage. Floro is second on the team and ranks fourth in the NSAA with 47 RBIs. Floro had a 10-game hitting streak earlier in the season and is currently on a seven-game streak. 

Gunn finished the regular season with a 10-2 record, a 2.56 ERA, and 54 strikeouts. She was especially effective in conference games where she finished with an 8-1 record, compiling a league second-best 2.19 ERA and 38 strikeouts over 54 innings pitched.  

McMurtry is currently tied for third on the team with a .366 batting average. She is also third on the team with four home runs and two triples while recording a .612 slugging percentage. She is currently riding a six-game hitting streak and has had 15 games with multiple hits.  

Reding has emerged as the team's lead-off batter and has launched a team-leading seven home runs along with a team-best three triples on the season. Her .649 slugging percentage ranks second on the squad. Reding leads the Bruins with 34 stolen bases and has been walked a team-leading  26 times while playing errorless defense in centerfield in 2023.  

Despite missing 17 games due to injury, Young has emerged as the team's starting designated player. She is batting .349 with eight doubles, two triples, one home run, and 22 RBIs. She currently ranks second in school history with 57 career doubles and sixth with 225 career hits.  

Cunningham (13-5) led the Bruins with 13 wins, two saves, and 99 strikeouts. She generated a 3.39 ERA with 10 complete games and 113.2 innings pitched. Cunningham was named the NSAA Pitcher of the Week on April 24. Offensively, Cunningham batted .320 with five doubles, two home runs, and 15 RBIs, while only striking out four times on the season.  

Machacek locked down the hot corner, committing just three errors in 112 chances at third base while helping turn two double plays.  

The Bruins, who earned the No. 1 seed in the NSAA Tournament, received a first-round bye and will play the winner of the Dakota State vs. Viterbo matchup at noon on Saturday (May 6). Bellevue finished the regular season with a 39-10 overall record and a 26-2 mark in league play. BU is currently receiving votes in the latest NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll.