ON DECK
The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team will continue Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action this week as it opens its home schedule against Minot State and U-Mary. The Mustangs will face the Beavers on Saturday starting at 1 p.m., before playing the Marauders on Sunday beginning at noon.

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

STAY CONNECTED 
Stay connected with the SMSU softball all season long at www.smsumustangs.com. The Mustangs are also on Facebook at SMSUmustangs, Twitter at @SMSUmustangs and Instagram @SMSUmustangs.

SCOUTING MINOT STATE
The Beavers are 12-12 overall and 1-5 in the NSIC after recording its first conference win against Minnesota Crookston last Tuesday. Minot State, who was picked to finish 11th in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll, postponed its NSIC opener against U-Mary and since have suffered five straight losses to start the NSIC schedule dropping games to Augustana, Wayne State and Minnesota Crookston. Junior Rachel Burdette leads the Beavers batting .400 with 18 runs scored, four doubles, three triples, four home runs and 18 RBIs. Junior Jordan Grant adds to the offense hitting .305 with 17 runs scored, 25 hits and five RBIs. Junior Alyssa Cornejo leads the defense in the circle with a 6-3 record in eight starts, while carrying a 3.97 ERA and has struck out 43 batters. Minot State's head coach Bill Triplett is in his ninth season with a 268-132 overall record.

MINOT STATE  SERIES HISTORY
Southwest Minnesota State and Minot State will meet for the seventh and eighth times on Saturday with Minot holding a 2-4 advantage in a series that started in 2013. SMSU started the series dropping the inaugural doubleheader and since have split each matchup. SMSU's first doubleheader in Marshall comes back in the 2014 season. See full series on page 5 of the game notes.

SCOUTING U-MARY
Entering the weekend, the Marauders are 6-18 overall, 0-5 in the NSIC and will face Sioux Falls on Saturday before facing SMSU on Sunday. The Marauders, who were picked to finish 13th in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll, postponed its NSIC opener against Minot State and since have been swept by Wayne State, Augustana and Bemidji State. Junior Taylor Mendez leads U-Mary batting .405 with 18 runs scored, 32 hits, four doubles, five home runs and 15 RBIs. Senior Alana Norman contributes hitting .375 with 15 runs scored, leading the team with 33 hits, three doubles and a pair of RBIs. Junior MeLanie Rodrigues leads the defense with a 6.03 ERA in 11 starts and is 3-9. U-Mary's head coach Kerry Shaw is in his first season with a 6-18 record.

U-MARY  SERIES HISTORY
Southwest Minnesota State and U-Mary will meet for the 15th and 16th times on Sunday with SMSU holding a 13-11 advantage in a series that started back in 1990. SMSU holds a 10-8 advantage in NSIC games and a 7-5 lead in games in Marshall. SMSU split the doubleheader a season ago in Bismarck, N.D., and has not lost in Marshall since the 2012 season. See full series on page 5 of the game notes.

THE COACH
Jamie Dunn is in her third season as head coach at Southwest Minnesota State University and has compiled a 49-77-1 overall record and a 26-33-1 in the NSIC. 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. Dunn's complete bio is found on page 3 of the game notes.

SCOUTING SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE
The Mustangs continued NSIC action earlier this week recording a split at Concordia-St. Paul. The Mustangs used three home runs and Alex O'Connor hurled a complete game shutout in route to a 11-0 victory in game one. SMSU dropped the final game 5-2 to recorded the split. SMSU is 7-18 overall and 3-5 in the NSIC entering this weekend. Sophomore second baseman Sam Flack leads the Mustangs with a .368 batting average, while tallying 25 hits, three doubles and 10 RBIs. Junior shortstop Karmann Carroll adds to the offense hitting .329 with 27 hits, four doubles, five RBI and 15 runs scored. Junior outfielder Taylor Koloc powers the Mustangs offense with the long ball as she has hit five homers this season and leads the team with 13 RBIs. Junior pitcher Alex O'Connor leads the Mustangs defense in the circle with a 4-8 record in 11 starts, while carrying a 3.04 ERA and striking out 87 batters.

ROSTER OVERVIEW
Southwest Minnesota State has 17 players on the 2016 roster, including two seniors, five juniors, three sophomores and seven freshmen.

HOME OPENER
Southwest Minnesota State holds a 12-4 record since the 2000 season in home openers. SMSU suffered a 5-0 loss last season to Northern State, which snapped an 11-game home opener winning streak.