MARSHALL, Minn.- The Southwest Minnesota State University softball will open its 2017 season this weekend as they compete in the Presentation College Dome Tournament in Aberdeen, S.D., on the campus of Presentation College. The Mustangs will open the tournament against Northern State on Saturday at 4 p.m., followed by a game against Valley City State (N.D.) that night at 6 p.m. SMSU will begin day two of the tournament on Sunday by taking on Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) at 10 a.m., and will conclude the weekend when they face Jamestown (N.D.) Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m.

SEASON OPENERS- The Mustangs won their season opener last year, 2-1 over Fort Hays State in St. Cloud, Minn., and went 2-3 in their first five games in St. Cloud before making their annual Spring trip to Clermont, Fla. SMSU is 5-2 in season opening games since the 2010 season. 

ABOUT SMSU - The Mustangs top returner is junior infielder, Sam Flack, who led SMSU in batting average (.315), runs scored (27), hits (47), slugging percentage (.477), and on-base percentage (.407) last season. Flack finished last year with 22 rbi, five home runs, and 13 total extra base hits.

Other returners include the Mustangs' group of four seniors, Taylor Koloc, Karmann Carroll, Alex O'Connor, and Victoria Brooks. Koloc finished last season batting .258 and led the team in home runs (8), RBI (23), and stolen bases (20) while playing left field on defense for the Mustangs. Carroll, a shortstop, batted .268 with 44 hits, 68 total bases, and 26 runs scored. Brooks added 14 hits in 66 at bats with seven stolen bases last season.

Pitcher, Alex O'Connor, went 11-15 with a 2.81 earned run average. O'Connor pitched 184.2 innings last season with 172 strikeouts and two shutouts last year. 

SMSU finished the 2016 season with an overall record of 19-33 with a 12-18 NSIC record.

ABOUT NORTHERN STATE - Northern State finished 9^th overall in the NSIC in 2016, advancing to the Conference Tournament where they defeated Winona State 5-3, but were eliminated by Minnesota Duluth 4-0. The Wolves return seven seniors and six starters, including; Missy Elkins, Jamie Fisher, Katie Dawson, Katelynn Dilts, Lauren Kunz and Rachel Albright. At the plate, NSU held a team batting average of .251 and recorded 173 RBIs, 19 HRs and 50 doubles as a team. Defensively, the Wolves tallied a fielding percentage of .962, while holding opponents to a batting average of .278. The Northern State pitching staff recorded six shutouts and 45 total strikeouts. Returning in her senior season, Missy Elkins is coming off a team-high 13 wins from the mound, while offensive threats, Rachel Albright, Katie Dawson and Jamie Fisher each return to the lineup after batting .250 in the previous season. Head coach Kristi Villar enters her seventh season with the Wolves, compiling an overall record of 131-162.

NORTHERN STATE SERIES HISTORY - Southwest Minnesota State leads the all-time series with the Wolves, 63-16. SMSU is 47-15 against Northern State in conference games and holds a 20-1 record in neutral sites. Northern State has won five of the last six games including a 2-0 sweep in the lone doubleheader last season.

ABOUT VALLEY CITY STATE - Valley City State is coming off a record-setting season in 2016. VCSU won a school-record 40 games as the Vikings went 40-13 overall and advanced to the championship of the NSAA conference tournament. VCSU lost to Dickinson State in the third game of the best-of-three championship series. VCSU was one of just 21 NAIA teams to win 40 or more games during the 2016 season.

VCSU was picked to finish second in the NSAA Coaches' Preseason Poll released in January. Overall, VCSU is carrying a small roster of 15 players. Eleven are returning from last year while four are incoming freshmen.

VALLEY CITY STATE SERIES HISTORY - SMSU has won the only two meetings against Valley City State. The Mustangs won the first ever game against the Vikings, 4-3 back in 1990. SMSU won the last game against VCSU, 8-0 in St. Cloud, Minn., back in March of 2009. 

ABOUT DAKOTA WESLEYAN (S.D.) - The Tigers were picked to finish fourth in the Great Plains Athletic Conference Preseason Poll, but after setting eight new team records in 2016, Kieff believes his team is on the brink of another successful season. DWU set the all-time record for wins (33), hits (485), runs (273), doubles (101), home runs (37), slugging percentage (.468), batting average (.319) and fielding percentage (.954).

Despite losing three-time All-GPAC, NAIA All-American and CoSIDA Academic All-American performer Hailey Unger, who also holds five records at DWU,  the Tigers welcome back a plethora of second-year players who saw quality innings last season. Paige Kinley (Worthington, Minn.), Andriana Sprakel (Yankton, S.D.), Katelyne Dougherty (Maui, Hawaii), Claudia Nixon (Shaunavon, Saskatchewan, Canada) and Karly Severance (Las Vegas, Nev.) are all second-year members that are expected to contribute when the Tigers take the field this weekend.

DAKOTA WESLEYAN (S.D) SERIES HISTORY - SMSU and Dakota Wesleyan are tied 3-3 in an all-time series that dates back just two years to the 2015 season. SMSU won three of the first four contests which were all played during the 2015 season. Dakota Wesleyan then swept a double-header last season in Mitchell, S.D.

ABOUT JAMESTOWN (N.D.) - The Jimmies were selected to finish fourth in the North Star Athletic Association's (NSAA) preseason coaches' poll after a 3rd place finish last year. Jamestown finished last season with a 34-15 overall record and a 16-7 NSAA record.

JAMESTOWN SERIES HISTORY - Southwest Minnesota State has never lost to Jamestown with a 6-0 overall record. SMSU is 4-0 all time against the Jimmies in neutral site games and swept a doubleheader with Jamestown during the 2015 season.

HEAD COACH - Jamie Dunn is in her fourth season as head coach at Southwest Minnesota State University and has complied a record of 61-92-1, including 35-46-1 in NSIC play. Dunn also spent the 2013 season as assistant coach at NCAA Division II Colorado Christain University in Lakewood, Colo., and three seasons as head coach at Fruita Monument High School.

LOOKING AHEAD
Following the Presentation College Dome Tournament, SMSU will have a few weeks to prepare for its annual spring trip to Florida where they will play four games at "The Spring Games" in Clermont, Fla., in addition to two road doubleheaders at the University of Tampa and Florida Southern College.