In the news: Southern Minnesotans have made Saint Mary's softball team a national power - Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Skip to Main Content


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May 5, 2026

Athletics In the News

Coach John Tschida was recently interviewed by the Rochester Post Bulletin along with softball players Peyton Berg and Makayla Steff about Saint Mary’s softball team’s rise in ranks after Coach Tschida’s return as head softball coach in 2022.

Coach Tschida spoke about building a team of strong, confident players, many of whom come from southern Minnesota. Student athletes Makayla Steffes and Peyton Berg, 2 of 9 players from southeastern Minnesota, described their recruiting experiences and what it is like playing alongside students they competed against in high school.

From the Story:

“[Tschida] wasted no time in tapping into the rich local mines of ballplayers, who, in turn, were quickly impressed with the hall-of-fame coach with more than 1,000 wins to his name.

‘After just talking to Tschida, he kind of just opened a new window for me,’ Steffes said. ‘He changed my perspective a little bit, and that’s when I kind of knew that this is actually a place that’d be a very good fit for me, because he’s a firm believer that you work hard for your successes. You’re going to learn along the way. You’re going to make mistakes, but that’s how you grow as a person, as an athlete.'”

 

Read more via Post Bulletin.