Lauryn Franta

NEW ULM — New Ulm Cathedral 2019 graduate Lauryn Franta will take her talents to the North Iowa Area Community College softball team next spring, but she’ll first take a trip to Madison, Wisconsin, for the 10th annual Border Battle between Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The Border Battle is a softball doubleheader that puts 16 of the top graduated seniors from Wisconsin against 16 of Minnesota’s top graduated seniors. The players were chosen from each state’s 2019 all-star teams.

This coming Monday, the Minnesota team has practice for the game and will also attend a Milwaukee Brewers game later that night. Franta and her Minnesota teammates will then be taking on the Wisconsin team in the Border Battle at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Tuesday.

After being named a Minnesota Fastpitch Coaches’ Association all-star and finishing up that all-star series at Caswell Park on June 9, Franta was told by her all-star team coach Andrew Fleischman, head coach of the Edgerton softball team, that she was chosen to represent Minnesota in this summer’s Border Battle. Considering the honor, Franta found out more information about the two-game series and decided to accept the invite.

Franta said that she’s excited for the Border Battle and that she’s honored to have been selected.

“Definitely more excited, not really nervous,” she said. “It’s quite an honor. I’m just ready to go have fun and play for fun. No pressure or anything.”

As for her teammates, Franta said that it will be an all-new experience, but she’s looking forward to it.

“I do not know a single girl,” Franta said. “But it’ll be fun, though. I get to meet new people.”

Franta was one of the top senior leaders for the Greyhounds’ softball team this past spring, a team that took fifth at state after an 8-2 win over Waterville-Elysian-Morristown. She hit .310 in her final year with Cathedral, slugging a team high-six homers and driving in 25 RBIs.

Franta said that she hasn’t really set any personal goals for the series besides having fun and taking in the experience.

“I just want to play my best and have fun, meet new people, make good memories,” she said.