ON DECK
The Southwest Minnesota State softball team (20-18, 9-7 NSIC) will continue Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play as it hosts No. 12 Augustana College (37-5, 18-0 NSIC) on Tuesday at 2 p.m. and Sioux Falls (20-16, 6-0 NSIC) on Thursday at 2 p.m. The Mustangs will then welcome Minnesota Crookston (4-32, 0-18 NSIC) on Saturday for an Strike Out Cancer doubleheader at 1 p.m. before concluding the weekend facing Bemidji State (15-19, 6-12 NSIC) on Sunday for Senior Day with the first pitch slated for noon.

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 No. 12 AUGUSTANA
The Vikings, picked to finish second in the NSIC, finished 46-15 overall and 23-7 in the NSIC a season ago. Augustana is ranked No. 12 this week in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association with its 37-5 overall record and 18-0 in the league play while on a 20-game winning streak entering Tuesday's doubleheader. Sarah Kennedy leads the Vikings batting .529 which also leads the NSIC. Kennedy ranks in the top-5 in batting average, slugging percentage, on base percentage, runs scored, hits, runs batted in and doubles, along with more categories. Jenelle Trautmann—NSIC Preseason Player of the Year—is hitting .495 and leads the squad in RBIs and home runs. She is also four home runs short of tying the NCAA DII career home run record. Trautmann also powers the Vikings defense with a 22-1 record from the circle and carries a 2.03 ERA—third in NSIC—in her 30 appearances. She has struck out 204 batters—second in the NSIC—in 141 1/3 innings pitched. Gretta Melsted is in her ninth season as head coach at Augustana College.

AUGUSTANA SERIES HISTORY
Southwest Minnesota State and Augustana will meet for the 63rd and 64th time on Tuesday with Augustana holding a 49-13 advantage in a series that started back in 1974. The Vikings hold a 9-7 record in games played at Mustang Field. SMSU was swept in the doubleheader a season ago in Sioux Falls, S.D., and have lost the last nine games in the series with its last win coming in 2009. SMSU head coach Jamie Dunn is 0-2 all-time versus Augustana.

SCOUTING SIOUX FALLS
The Cougars, picked to finish sixth in the NSIC, finished 30-17 overall and 20-8 in the NSIC a season ago. USF will enter this week with a 20-16 overall record and 6-10 in the NCIS and will face Wayne State on Tuesday before Thursday's doubleheader. Danielle Walker leads the Cougars batting .361 and with 39 hits. Betsy Thomas has a team-high 35 RBIs so far this season. Alyson Netty is powering the Cougar defense with a 10-8 record from the circle as she has struck out 109 batters in 109.0 innings pitched and holds a 4.30 ERA. Kelsey Thompson is in her second season as head coach at the University of Sioux Falls.

SIOUX FALLS SERIES HISTORY
Southwest Minnesota State and Sioux Falls will meet for just the fifth and sixth time on Tuesday with USF holding a 3-1 advantage in the new series that started in the 2013 season. The doubleheader will be the first games played at Mustang Field in the series. The Mustangs were swept a season ago in Sioux Falls, S.D., but split in the first games of the series in 2013. SMSU head coach Jamie Dunn is 0-2 all-time versus Sioux Falls.

SCOUTING MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
The Golden Eagles, picked to finish 15th in the NSIC, finished 3-34 overall and 1-23 in the NSIC a season ago. UMC is 4-32 overall and 0-18 in league play so far this season. Minnesota Crookston will play Minnesota Duluth before facing SMSU on Saturday. Victoria Bayliss leads the squad batting .389 with 49 hits­, nine doubles and two triples, while Allison Foley is batting .342 with 40 hits. Bailey Braatz powers the Golden Eagles defense with a 2-14 record from the circle and carries a 6.82 ERA and has struck out 39 batters in 93 1/3 innings pitched. Don Stopa is in his first season as head coach at Minnesota Crookston.

MINNESOTA CROOKSTON SERIES HISTORY
Southwest Minnesota State and Minnesota Crookston will meet for the 31st and 32nd time on Saturday with SMSU holding a commanding 29-1 advantage in a series that started back in 2000. The single loss for the Mustangs happened back in 2010 in Marshall. SMSU head coach Jamie Dunn is 2-0 all-time versus Minnesota Crookston.

SCOUTING BEMIDJI STATE
The Beavers, picked to finish 16th in the NSIC, finished 11-31 overall and 0-26 in the NSIC a season ago. BSU is 15-19 overall and 6-12 in loop play so far this season. Bemidji State will play St. Cloud State and Sioux Falls before facing SMSU on Sunday. Victoria Bayliss leads the squad batting .389 with 49 hits­, nine doubles and two triples, while Allison Foley is batting .342 with 40 hits. Bailey Braatz powers the Golden Eagles defense with a 2-14 record from the circle and carries a 6.82 ERA and has struck out 39 batters in 93 1/3 innings pitched. Don Stopa is in his first season as head coach at Minnesota Crookston.

BEMIDJI SERIES HISTORY
Southwest Minnesota State and Bemidji State will meet for the 73rd and 74th time on Sunday with SMSU holding a 56-16 advantage in a series that started back in 1981. The Mustangs hold a 19-6 in games played at Mustang Field with the last home loss coming in the 2009 season.

THE COACH
Jamie Dunn is in her second season as head coach at Southwest Minnesota State University and has compiled a record of 35-48-1, including 21-24-1 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.