Laura Heise

Scholastica pitcher Laura Heise has experienced pain and joy in an illustrious four-year career with the Saints.

Scholastica pitcher Laura Heise has experienced pain and joy in an illustrious four-year career with the Saints.
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St. Scholastica senior softball player Laura Heise worked in the Saints' athletic department last summer, and one her jobs was maintenance.

Heise admits she gave the garden a little added attention.She couldn't help it.That garden has become part of her.It's dedicated to her mother, Nancy Jensvold, who died of pancreatic cancer a week before Heise was to begin her sophomore year.
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Heise endured the loss of her mother to become arguably the best player in team history.Today, she and her six senior teammates will play their last home games when St. Scholastica (27-7) plays host to Wisconsin-Stout in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m.

"It's going to be so sad, but it's exciting, too.I can't believe it," said Heise, a pitcher and first baseman."I knew this day would come, but you don't really want it to come too soon.It's your last year.In a short time it will be over, so you just want to make the most of it."

Heise has done just that.She is gifted on the mound and at the plate.

With a fastball and riseball near 60 mph, Heise is fourth on the NCAA Division III career strikeout list with 1,042.She is second all-time with a ratio of 10.7 strikeouts per game, and is third with a career ERA of 0.65.She boasts a 19-4 record this season.

Offensively, her school-record 26 home runs rank 30th on the NCAA career list.

"Laura has done everything for us," Saints coach Jen Walter said.
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Heise was largely overlooked coming out of Richfield (Minn.) High School.The Spartans had a fine softball program, but didn't make the state tournament when Heise was in school, which would have given her added exposure.

Heise, who graduated from Richfield in 2002, received little Division II recruiting interest.

St. Scholastica, meanwhile, had the program Heise was looking for and recruited her hard.
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I almost felt spited," Heise said."If a school wasn't interested in me in the first place, then I had no interest in going there.St. Scholastica was a great fit for me."

Heise, who has about a 3.0 grade-point average, will graduate in three weeks with a degree in exercise physiology.She has no regrets with her decision.

"My priority was always school first, softball second," Heise said.
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Heise quickly established herself at St. Scholastica, winning the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference player of the year honor her freshman season.But two weeks before the end of the season, Heise learned the tragic news: her mother had pancreatic cancer in the fourth and final stage.

"Laura's mother was great.She really was," Walter said."She loved coming up to watch our games, and she just didn't enjoy watching Laura play.She enjoyed watching the entire team.She enjoyed the game."

Added Heise: "She loved cheering everybody on, and it didn't matter who, so long as her team was winning."

Heise returned to Richfield that summer to be with her, along with her father, Rich Heise, stepfather Jim Jensvold, and sister, Carly Heise.
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"Laura is a great teammate, and I admire her a great deal.I know I couldn't handle it as well as she did."

Heise backed up her freshman season by winning UMAC player of the year honors again as a sophomore and junior.She is a favorite to win the award again this year, with the Saints poised to make the NCAA Division III playoffs.