Gophers softball pitcher Amber Fiser a finalist for national Senior CLASS Award

Gophers standout pitcher Amber Fiser is one of 10 finalists for the 2021 Senior CLASS Award for softball.

To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must be classified as NCAA Division I seniors and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. The Senior CLASS Award — an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School — encourages students to use their athletic platforms to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

Fiser ranks third in school history in career victories (94) and fifth in strikeouts (917). The 2019 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and a first-team All-America selection that season, s­he is also a three-time Academic All-Big Ten pick and completed her undergraduate degree last spring in business and marketing education. She is working toward a master's degree in sport management.

The finalists were chosen by a selection committee from the list of 30 candidates announced earlier this season. Nationwide fan voting will run through May 24 to help select the winner, along with votes from media and Division I coaches.

After 21 seasons at St. Thomas, Hall of Fame softball coach John Tschida is returning to St. Mary's., his alma mater.

Tschida, the coach with the highest winning percentage of all NCAA Division III softball coaches, coached the Cardinals from 1995 to 2000, winning a national championship his final season.

He then joined the Tommies, in 2004 becoming the first softball coach to win NCAA championships at two schools. St. Thomas repeated as champion in 2005.

Tschida, whose career coaching record is 999-193 (.838), said he returned to St. Mary's in Winona for a number of reasons, including St. Thomas' move to Division I.

"I love the Division III atmosphere; it's the culture I grew up with, and I appreciate the relationships you develop with student-athletes in this division," he said.

Wild goalie Cam Talbot was named the NHL's second star of the week, after he went 3-0 with a 1.67 goals-against average and .953 save percentage last week.

Overall, the 33-year-old is 17-6-3 with a 2.33 goals-against average, .926 save percentage and two shutouts since signing a three-year, $11 million contact in the offseason to join the Wild.