FIRST PITCH
The Southwest Minnesota State softball opens the 2013 season with a non-conference doubleheader versus Minnesota Duluth after SMSU's five game Central Oklahoma Classic was canceled last weekend. The game will be played at the West St. Paul Dome in St. Paul, Minn., first pitch for game one is scheduled for 12 p.m. SMSU finished the 2012 season with an overall record of 21-21, including 12-14 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. SMSU ended the season in ninth place in the final league standings, missing the cut for the NSIC tournament for the first time in school history. SMSU had qualified for 16 straight NSIC tournaments since it began during the 1996 season.

THE COACH
Missy Bruggeman enters her second season as head coach of the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs. Bruggeman completed her first season as a collegiate head coach at SMSU in 2012. Bruggeman led the Mustangs to a 21-21 record in her innagural season just missing the postseason. The first-year skipper led the Mustangs to two victories over ranked opponents early in the season. Before coming to SMSU, Bruggeman spent two seasons as an assistant head coach at St. Thomas University after a four-year standout career with the Tommies.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE
The 2012 season proved to be one of hills and valleys for the SMSU softball team. The Mustangs opened the season going 8-4 at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla. During the trip, SMSU picked up wins over 10th-ranked Indiana (Pa.) and 14th-ranked Saginaw Valley State. Besides a lopsided 10-1 loss to Ferris State, SMSU's other three losses during the trip were by a combined three runs. After returning home, SMSU went 1-3 in non-conference games with Northern State and Wayne State. The Wildcats had SMSU's number in 2012, picking up five wins over the Mustangs during the season. A tough stretch of road games started with the Wildcats in Wayne, Neb. in eary April. SMSU went 1-5 during the six-game road trip dropping two one-run contests to Winona State and a heartbreaking split with Upper Iowa. SMSU went into the final week of the conference season 6-0 in games played at home and was in position to make another playoff run. After starting the season 6-0 at Mustang Field, SMSU went 2-4 in its final six games at home splitting series' with Concordia-St. Paul and Northern State before dropping a twinbill to the University of Mary to close-out the season.

GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS