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MARSHALL, Minn. - The Southwest Minnesota State softball team will host a pair of NSIC subscribers this weekend when Bemidji State and Minnesota Duluth arrive in Marshall for a pair of doubleheaders.  Friday's match-up with BSU will start at 2 p.m., while Saturday's contest with  UMD is scheduled for 12 p.m.

First-place frenzy:  SMSU's flawless 6-0 mark in NSIC play puts the Mustangs in sole possession of first place in the conference.  Those six victories make up the six-game winning streak that SMSU has been riding the past week.

Feels like home:  The Mustangs will look to improve on their perfect 4-0 home campaign this weekend.  Mustang Field has been a somewhat challenging place for opponents to play regular season games since it was built in 2008; SMSU has never lost a regular season game at the field, owning a 6-0 record at the venue.

Closing in:  Another long ball by Amanda Tucci (Oakdale, Minn.) against St. Cloud State on Wednesday puts the senior just one homerun away from tying Erin Dickhausen's record of 26 career homeruns.  Tucci has sent four over the fence this season, and there's a good chance the record could be tied and broken at some point this weekend.  Fittingly, if the record does lend itself to a different name this weekend, or anytime this season, Dickhausen will be there to see her predecessor do it as she is currently serving as a student assistant coach for SMSU.

Clutch performance:  Nicole Kelley's (Oakdale, Minn.) go-ahead homerun in the top of the seventh inning in the second game of the twinbill against SCSU on Wednesday proved to be the spark the Mustangs needed to break a 2-2 tie.  After her homer, SMSU proceeded to score three more runs en route to the 6-3 win.

Going, going, gone!:  A three-home run performance from Amanda Burkhart (Omaha, Neb.) last week earned the senior NSIC Offensive Player of the Week honors.  She was stellar at the plate in four games, batting .750 as the Mustangs opened the NSIC season 4-0.  Week totals for the right fielder included a 6 for 8 performance at the plate, eight runs, seven RBIs and a 1.875 slugging percentage. With her three-homerun performance, Burkhart now has a team-best six bombs on the season.

Senior momentum:  Four seniors will guide the Mustangs through their 2009 campaign, and all are seasoned veterans.  Burkhart, Tucci, Amanda Johnson (Fremont, Neb.) and Jessica Paczosa (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) have earned 10 all-conference nods between the four of them.

Batter up:  Christine Borowiak (Omaha, Neb.) is SMSU's top player at the plate.  Borowiak is currently hitting .337 with two homeruns and 16 RBIs.  The freshman has also posted five doubles and a triple.

Preseason Honors:  Amanda Johnson was selected as the NSIC 2009 Preseason Pitcher of the Year for the third consecutive season. She enters her senior season ranked third in career saves in NCAA Division II history with 13. Johnson ranks first in SMSU history in lowest opponents' batting average, fewest walks per seven innings, strikeouts per seven innings, wins, saves, appearances, games started, complete games, games finished, shutouts, innings pitched and strikeouts.

Rank 'em:  SMSU was picked to finish third in the NSIC Preseason Poll as voted on by the league's 14 head coaches.  The Mustangs received 164 points in the poll, just one point behind the No. 2 team, Minnesota State, Mankato.  SMSU also received three first-place votes.

He's back:  Shawn Semler returns for his sixth season as the head coach of the Mustangs.  He's led SMSU to four conference championships and three NCAA Regional Tournament appearances.  Semler has also coached 24 all-conference performers  and been named the NSIC's top coach three times.

BEAVER NOTES...
Bemidji State owns a 7-13 record and 2-6 mark in the NSIC ... Jeremy Popp is in his inaugural season as the head coach of the Beavers ... Senior second baseman Mara Johnson leads the BSU effort at the plate, batting .426 with six homeruns and a .820 slugging percentage ... Freshman Courtney Anderson is the Beavers' ace in the circle, holding a 4-6 record; she has struck out 46, held opponents to a .274 batting average and claims a 2.67 ERA.

BULLDOG NOTES...
Minnesota Duluth is 13-15 overall and 4-4 in the NSIC ... Jen Bandord is in her fourth season at the helms of the Bulldogs ... Junior Kirstin Danielson is UMD's top offensive player and ace pitcher; she is batting .369 with five homeruns and 29 RBIs and is 9-6 as the Bulldogs top hurler, holding a 2.61 ERA with 81 strikeouts.

EARLIER THIS WEEK...
SMSU took a pair of games from St. Cloud State on Wednesday, defeating the Huskies 6-2 and 6-3 ... Amanda Tucci and Nicole Kelley each homered in the twinbill ... Amanda Johnson and Ali Honken were credited with wins ... Tucci posted five RBIs on the day.

RECORD WATCH '09...
A few Mustangs are close to moving into the No. 1 spot in several catergores in the SMSU career record book:
•  Amanda Burkhart needs just one more double to tie the career  record in the category.  Leslie Oberainger leads with 39.
•  Burkart will likey move into the No. 1 spot for career RBIs this week. Her 124 in the category is just three shy of Erin Dickhausen's 127.
•  Amanda Tucci is one homeruns away from tying Dickhausen's record 26 career homeruns.