PREVIEWING THE WEEK
•The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team (8-13) travel East to Mankato for a non-conference doubleheader against the Mavericks of Minnesota State (15-6). 
•The doubleheader is set to begin at 11 a.m., and will be the final non-conference games before starting the NSIC slate. 
 
GAME COVERAGE
•Live stats and video for both games will be available at SMSUmustangs.com.
  
BOUMAN BALL
•Bailey Bouman is in her fourth season as head coach with an overall record of 63-66, 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.
 
CHASING HISTORY
•After nine hits during the Florida trip, Bailey Johnson moved into a tie for eighth in program history with 195 career hits. 
•Johnson is currently five hits away from moving into the top five, and 28 hits away from tying the program record, held by Erin Dickhausen.
•Johnson is extremely familiar with the career record books, where she is first in doubles, second in batting average and on base percentage, third in slugging percentage, fourth in runs scored, total bases, times hit by pitch, walks and sacrifice flies, and fifth in RBI's.  
•She also ranks second among active players in Division II in career doubles, and is 25^th in career hits. 
 
MUSTANG STATISTICS
•The Mustangs find themselves in the top 75 in many statistical categories in the nation. 
•One of the biggest strengths of the team has been their defense, and it shows as SMSU ranks 26^th in the nation in double plays per game, 32^nd in double plays, and 75^th in fielding percentage. 
•Speaking of doubles, the Mustang offense has also delivered the 61^st most doubles per game.   
•SMSU has also executed the little things, ranking 38^th, and first in the NSIC, in sacrifice bunts. 
•The Mustangs also find multiple players in the individual leaderboards. 
•Abby Russell has had a tremendous start to her freshman campaign, and it reflects in the statistics, as she ranks 33^rdin the country in doubles per game and 44^th in doubles, both good for second in the conference.  
•Makenna Waldow ranks 31^st in the country, and first in the NSIC, in sacrifice bunts per game, with Lileya Kebos ranking 88^th.  
•Shelby Bloemendaal has been a steady presence in the circle for the Mustangs, and is 75^th in the nation in complete games. 
 
 
YOUTH MOVEMENT
•The Mustangs have seen the debut of six freshmen and two transfers in non-conference play. 
•Freshman Abby Russell has played all 21 games at shortstop, hitting .352 (25 for 71) with two home runs, nine doubles, 12 runs scored, a team-high 18 RBIs, and an OPS of .978, all while leading the team with four stolen bases. 
•Sophomore transfer Paige Shwaluk has also played in all 21 games, going .310 (18 for 58) with a team-high 13 runs scored with three stolen bases. 
•Emily Tatur has started each game in centerfield, batting .254 (17 for 67) with 10 runs scored and a pair of multi-hit games. 
•Karlie Miller has started eight games in the circle for SMSU, notching a 7.14 ERA and 2-7 record in 50 innings while also hitting 4 for 9 at the plate with a double and a triple. 
 
LAST TIME OUT
•SMSU went 3-6 in trip to Florida from Mar. 5-11. 
•The Mustangs dealt with three cancellations while in Florida, with two due to weather and one due to an umpire shortage. 
• After opening the trip with a loss, the Mustangs won three consecutive games, starting with a 10-0, five inning game against West Virginia Wesleyan on Mar. 5. 
• Shelby Bloemendaal would shine on the mound, throwing all five innings in just 40 pitches, giving up just two hits and forcing nine groundouts, and the offense would produce 11 hits, with Paige Shwaluk leading the way going 3-3 with a pair of RBIs, and Abby Russell going 2-3 with a pair of her own.
• The Mustangs would win their lone game on Mar. 6, defeating USciences 5-2. 
• Bloemendaal was a steady presence on the mound, finishing a complete game giving up two runs (both earned) on four hits and two walks while striking out a career-high seven batters
•Patia Wolfe would pick up a career-high three RBIs, going 2 for 3 to lead a Mustang offense that would pick up 11 hits on the day. Bailey Johnson would also have a multi-hit day, going 2 for 3 with a walk and a pair of RBIs, as would Jillian Noel, who went 2 for 3 with a run scored.
• SMSU would keep their streak going to open play on Mar. 7, defeating Bloomfield 6-1. 
• With the score tied 1-1 in the sixth inning, Russell would deliver a to-out inside the park home run, scoring herself and Wolfe to take a 3-1 lead, and Noel would add insurance with a two run blast to score Johnson and separate themselves from the Bears. 
• SMSU closed the trip with five consecutive losses, including three losses against nationally ranked opponents (No. 7 Grand Valley State, No. 14 Tampa twice)
 
ABOUT MINNESOTA STATE
•Minnesota State has opened the season 15-6, and are 6-4 against common opponents. 
•The Mavericks were picked to finish second in the NSIC, and have ranked as high as sixth in the nation this season.
•MSU is led offensively by Madi Newman and Kylie Sullivan. Newman leads the team with a .354 average, 1.106 OPS, six doubles, five home runs, and 24 RBI, while Sullivan ranks second with a .344 average, 1.075 OPS, and three home runs, leads the team with 16 runs scored and seven steals, and is tied with Newman with six doubles.
•Mackenzie Ward has won NSIC pitcher of the week three consecutive weeks, and is 10-2 with a save in 80 1/3 innings, holding a microscopic 0.78 ERA and 0.81 WHIP while striking out 122 and walking just 17 batters.  
 
 SERIES HISTORY
•SMSU is 24-70 all-time against Minnesota State in a series that started in 1975. 
•The Mustangs are 10-31 in Mankato against MSU, with their last road victory coming on Apr. 2, 2010, 11-7. 
•MSU has won 22 of the last 24 meetings, including a 6-0 win in last season's NSIC tournament. 
 
 
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 led 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 
 
 SEASON OPENERS
•SMSU is 31-20 all-time in season openers and is 10-3 in openers since the 2010 season after a dominant 8-0 win over Northwest Missouri State on Friday.
 
MUSTANG HISTORY
•Southwest Minnesota State is in its 51st season of softball in 2022.
•SMSU has played 1,929 games compiling an all-time record of 995-933-1.
•SMSU has won 10 NSIC regular season championships, two NSIC Tournament titles and has played in four NCAA Tournaments.