•UPDATE AS OF FEB. 3. - SMSU will now only play Northwest Missouri State on Friday with game time at 6:30 p.m. Maryville (Mo.) had to pull out of playing in the tournament due to inclement winter weather and hazardous travel conditions in the state of Missouri.

PREVIEWING THIS WEEKEND
•The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team will officially begin its 51st season this Friday, Feb. 4, with a pair of non-conference games at the Portolite & Field Turf MSU Invitational in the MSU Dome in Mankato.
•SMSU will open play at 4 p.m., facing off against Northwest Missouri State before going to battle against Maryville (Mo.) at 6:30. 
•SMSU is scheduled to play 55 regular season games, including a 30-game Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schedule starting on March 29.
 
GAME COVERAGE
•Live stats for both games will be available at SMSUmustangs.com.
 
TICKET POLICY
• Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children, and a ticket is good for the entire day.
• Fans will also be required to wear a mask while in the dome.
 
BOUMAN BALL
•Bailey Bouman begins her fourth season as head coach with an overall record of 55-53, including 30-30 in NSIC play.
•The Mustangs finished 27-20 last season, their best season since 2011, while winning their first NSIC tournament game since Bouman's first season in 2019
•The 11th head coach in program history, Bouman was named to the position on Aug. 8, 2019.
•SMSU finished 19-26 during her first season in 2019 and qualified for the NSIC Tournament.
•Bouman was an assistant coach with the SMSU women's basketball program from 2015-17 and was also an assistant women's basketball coach at Dordt College (Iowa) before returning to SMSU.
•Bouman is a 2014 graduate of the University of Sioux Falls where she played both basketball and softball for the Cougars.
 
2022 SMSU TEAM PREVIEW
•The 2022 Mustangs softball team mixes a strong group of veterans and newcomers, attempting build off a 2021 season that saw the programs first winning record in conference play since 2011, finishing 27-20 overall and 17-13 in NSIC action. 
•The team is one of the youngest in the conference, with just one senior and two juniors mixed in with nine sophomores and seven freshmen.  
•The SMSU offense returns four starters, including an all-NSIC second teamer in Bailey Johnson. Johnson hit .344 with a team-high .441 on-base percentage and 19 walks while adding 16 doubles, five home runs, 28 RBI and a 1.004 OPS. 
•Sophomore infielder Jillian Noel returns after a breakout first full season, hitting .311 with 14 doubles and 27 RBI. 
•Junior Lileya Kebos also returns after hitting .303 and leading the team with five triples and eight stolen bases a season ago. 
•Sophomore Molly Bull will lead the team behind the plate after starting 30 games and hitting .253 a season ago.  
•Shelby Bloemendaal and sophomore Allison Christians will lead the way for the Mustangs in the circle, bringing experience and prior success. 
•Bloemendaal has led the staff in innings pitched in each of the last two seasons, finishing with 124 2/3 last year while going 9-8 with a 3.87 ERA, adding 11 complete games and 69 strikeouts in 23 appearances. 
•Christians is back after appearing in 21 games last season, striking out 58 hitters in 58 1/3 innings of work and finishing with a 3.48 ERA. 
 
SMSU PICKED EIGHTH IN NSIC POLL
•Southwest Minnesota State University was picked to finish eighth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
•SMSU junior pitcher Shelby Bloemendaal and senior outfielder Bailey Johnson were both named "Players to Watch" in the conference this season. 
•Bloemendaal lead the way in the circle for the Mustang last season firing a team-high 124 2/3 innings and 11 complete games, finishing with a 9-8 record with a 3.87 ERA.
• Johnson was a 2021 All-NSIC Second Team member after batting .344 with a team-high .441 on-base percentage. She hit 16 doubles, five home runs, 28 RBI and a 1.004 
 

ABOUT NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE

•Northwest Missouri State, a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, went 18-22 a season ago and 12-14 in MIAA action. 

•NWMSU will open their weekend against SMSU before playing Minnesota State on Friday night, CSP and UMD on Saturday, and close their weekend with a Sunday matchup against UMD.

•NWC was picked to finish 11th in the 14-team MIAA.
 

ABOUT MARYVILLE

•Maryville (Mo.) is a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

•The Saints will open their season at 4 p.m., Friday against MSU before playing SMSU at 6:30 p.m. They will play Missouri Western and Washburn on Saturday, and CSP on Sunday.

•Maryville was picked to finish third in the 15-team GLVC.
 

 SERIES HISTORY VS. NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE
•SMSU and Northwest Missouri State meet for the fourth time with SMSU winning all three previous meetings
•The two teams last played in 2008, with SMSU winning 10-8 in Omaha, Neb., on March 29, 2008, and then winning 3-2 in Emporia, Kansas on May 8, 2008. 
 
SERIES HISTORY VS. MARYVILLE
•SMSU and Maryville will meet for the second time, with SMSU winning the only matchup between the teams. 
•The lone matchup came on Mar. 11, 2014, when the Mustangs went to Winter Haven, Fla., to defeat the Saints 3-2.  
 
 SEASON OPENERS
•SMSU is 30-20 all-time in season openers and is 9-3 in openers since the 2010 season.
 
MUSTANG HISTORY
•Southwest Minnesota State is in its 51st season of softball in 2022.
•SMSU has played 1,908 games compiling an all-time record of 987-920-1.
•SSMSU has won 10 NSIC regular season championships, two NSIC Tournament titles and has played in four NCAA Tournaments.