Out in Leftfield

Tennis

Taylor Thulson (Niwot 2018) helped Carleton College to a return trip the NCAA Championships in women's tennis. Carleton College, located in Northfield, Minn., a Div. I program, qualified for the NCAA tournament for the eighth time, and the first time since 2019.

Carleton (15-1) entered the MIAC Playoffs seeded No. 2, but defeated the top seeded and 37th-ranked Gustavus Adolphus College 5-1 in the conference finals. Carleton's only loss this season had come against Gustavus.

Thulson, a senior majoring in political science and international relations, was the only senior on the Carleton squad. She helped the Knights get off to a great start by sweeping the doubles matches, 3-0.

Thulson and her partner, Amanda Black, a freshman from Libertyville, Ill., won a hard-fought battle at No. 3 doubles, winning 8-6.

Golf

Kelsey Webster (Fairview 2018), a Gunbarrel resident, helped lead Oregon State to a tie for second place in the Pac-12 Conference championship, the team's highest finish ever. Webster, a senior who transferred to Oregon State for her senior year, shot a one-under 71 in the final round on a wet course to finish with a 2-over 73-74-71, good for a fifth-place tie, the highest finish in her collegiate career.

Webster had 12 birdies through the three rounds, the most of any golfer in the field. Her 1-under score of 71 in the final round was her fourth sub-par score of the season. Her season stroke average was 74, second-lowest on the team.

Oregon State, which was ranked 28th in the nation by Golfstat.com, will play in Regionals at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin, Tenn., beginning May 9. The Beavers are seeded fifth in the 12-team field. The top four teams will advance to Nationals, which will be held for the second straight year at Grayhawk Golf Club (Raptor Course) in Scottsdale, Ariz., from May 20-25.

Baseball

Skyler Messinger (Niwot 2017) is hitting .350 for the University of Texas this season, third-highest on the team, which has been ranked in the top 25 nationally in Division I for most of the season.

Messenger has scored 32 runs, with 8 homers and 40 RBI in 49 games. As the starting third baseman in 47 of the team's 51 games, Messenger has compiled an OPS (On Base Percentage Plus Slugging Percentage) of .969, also third-best on the team. His infield coach is former Colorado Rockies star shortstop, Troy Tulowitzki.