ON DECK
The Southwest Minnesota State softball team (9-9) will open up its home season with a non-conference doubleheader on Thursday against Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.).
SMSU returns home after earning a 6-6 record in the Spring Games in Clermont, Fla., last week where the Mustangs faced 12 different teams.

MEDIA COVERAGE
Live statistics will be available for all home games at livestats.smsu.edu/softball, while updates can also be found by following @smsusoftball on Twitter. For all other games, visit smsumustangs.com for more information.

SCOUTING DAKOTA WESLEYAN
The Tigers, picked to finish seventh in the Great Plains Athletic Conference, finished 22-18 a season ago. DWU is 5-11 so far this season after earning a 4-8 record at the Tucson Invitational last week. Vanessa Mendez leads the Tigers in home runs with five homers and RBI's with 18 so far this season. Bailey Gummer is leading the team with her .370 batting average while Hailey Unger is hitting .333 with 10 RBI's. Lorissa Loeppy is powering the Tiger defense with a 5-3 record from the circle. She has struck out 17 batters in 61.2 innings pitched and holds a 4.77 ERA.  Ed Kieff is in his 4th season as head coach at Dakota Wesleyan University.

DAKOTA WESLEYAN SERIES HISTORY
Southwest Minnesota State and Dakota Wesleyan University will meet for the third time on Thursday. The Mustangs faced the Tigers earlier this season for the first time in the series and split the doubleheader.  SMSU head coach Jamie Dunn is 1-1 all-time versus Dakota Wesleyan University.

THE COACH
Jamie Dunn is in her second season as head coach at Southwest Minnesota State University and has compiled a record of 24-39-1, including 12-17-1 in NSIC play. Prior to SMSU, Dunn spent the 2013 season as assistant coach at NCAA Division II Colorado Christian University in Lakewood, Colo., and three seasons as head coach at Fruita Monument High School.