ON DECK
The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team will make its first appearance in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference / US Bank Tournament since 2011 after finishing the 2015 season with a 25-27 overall record and 14-16 in the NSIC. SMSU received the No. 10 seed and will face No. 7 seed Minnesota Duluth on Thursday at 10 a.m. at Sherman Park in Sioux Falls, S.D.

MEDIA COVERAGE
Live statistics will be available at smsumustangs.com/watchnow during the tournament, while updates can also be found by following @smsusoftball on Twitter. For all other information on the NSIC / US Bank Tournament, visit northernsun.org for more information.The Bulldogs, finished seventh in the NSIC, enter the tournament with a 33-20 overall record and 17-13 in the NSIC. Hannah Schmoll leads the Bulldogs batting .412 which is  eventh in the NSIC with 77 hits and ranks seventh in the NSIC in runs scored with 47. Becky Smith is hitting .361 and leads the squad and is third in the NSIC in RBIs with 56, in doubles with 22 and has blasted 11 home runs this season. Cayli Sadler powers the Bulldogs defense with a 18-10 record from the circle while holding a 2.98 ERA and has struck out 153 batters which ranks eighth in the NSIC while holding opposing batting averages to .258.
Jen Banford is in her ninth season as head coach at Minnesota Duluth.

UMD SERIES HISTORY
Southwest Minnesota State and Minnesota Duluth will meet for the 97st time on Thursday with Minnesota Duluth holding a 64-32 advantage in a series that started back in 1977. The Bulldogs hold a 30-17 record in games played at a neutral site and a 6-5 record while playing the Mustangs in the NSIC Tournament. SMSU was swept in a non-conference doubleheader earlier this season in February before splitting the doubleheader in conference play. SMSU head coach Jamie Dunn is 1-5 all-time versus Minnesota Duluth. Full series on page 11.

THE COACH
Jamie Dunn is in her second season as head coach at Southwest Minnesota State University and has compiled a record of 40-57-1, including 26-33-1 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.

SCOUTING SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE
The Mustangs, finished 10th  in the NSIC, will enter the NSIC / US Bank Tournament with a 25-27 overall record and 14-16 in the NSIC. Katelyn Kalkman leads the Mustangs batting .360 with 59 hits and two doubles so far this season, while currently on a 13-game hitting streak. Alysse Luttmann follows with a .331 average while recording 42 hits, while Jazmyne Neely is also hitting .325 with 51 hits. Madisson Chadwick leads the squad with 30 RBIs this season. Alex O'Connor powers the Mustang offense with her 17-16 record from the circle while carrying a 3.61 ERA.

NSIC TOURNAMENT
Southwest Minnesota State is 36-28 since 1996 in its last 16 NSIC Tournament appearances. SMSU's last tournament appearance was in 2011 but was eliminated in the third round by Minnesota State, who was ranked 13th in the nation. The Mustangs have won two NSIC championships with its first coming back in 1998 and the last championship back in the 2007 season.