UPDATE: SMSU's doubleheader against UMary will be relocated to the Sanford Sports Complex in Sioux Falls, S.D. The doubleheader against Sioux Falls has also been postponed, as the Mustangs will now play against Concordia-St. Paul on Tuesday, Apr. 18 at 2 p.m.

LEADING OFF
•The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team (8-23 overall, 3-9 NSIC) returns to Mustang Field, hosting UMary (5-26, 0-12) on Sunday afternoon before welcoming Minot State (20-14, 7-5) on Monday, with both doubleheaders slated to start at noon. 
•Following that stretch, the Mustangs will hit the road, traveling to play at Sioux Falls for a doubleheader on Tuesday, starting at 2 p.m., before dueling Concordia-St. Paul for a doubleheader in the Twin Cities on Wednesday for a 2 p.m. first pitch. 
•The Mustangs come in after sweeping the Wayne State Wildcats, UMary enters the weekend on a 13-game losing streak, and the Beavers enter as winners of four of their last five.
•USF has dropped three of its last four games entering the weekend, while CSP has dropped its last seven.
 
GAME COVERAGE
•Live stats and video for both games will be available at SMSUmustangs.com.
 
 BOUMAN BALL
•Bailey Bouman is in her fifth season as head coach with an overall record of 84-107, including 45-53 in NSIC play.
•The Mustangs finished 21-31 last season while winning their second NSIC tournament game in as many seasons.
•The 11th head coach in program history, Bouman was named to the position on Aug. 8, 2018.
•The Mustangs finished 27-20 in 2021, their best season since 2011, while winning their first NSIC tournament game since Bouman's first season in 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.
 
 SERIES HISTORY VS. UMARY
•SMSU and UMary have met 34 times since the 1990 season with SMSU holding an 20-14 all-time advantage.
•The teams have not played since the 2021 season, when the Mustangs swept at home, and in non-conference play. 
•The Mustangs are 10-6 at home in the series, and have won five of the last six meetings in Marshall, last losing in 2016. 
 
SERIES HISTORY VS. MINOT STATE
•SMSU and MiSU have met 17 times since the 2013 season with SMSU holding a 9-8 all-time advantage.
•The teams split a pair in their last meeting, and SMSU has won three of the last four. 
•The Mustangs are 4-2 at home in the series, including four of the last five. 
 
SERIES HISTORY VS. SIOUX FALLS
•SMSU and USF have met 22 times since the 2013 season with each team winning 11.
•The teams split each of their last two conference doubleheaders, and SMSU won the last meeting in the first round of the 2022 NSIC Tournament. 
•The Mustangs are 2-6 on the road in the series and have lost three of the last four in Sioux Falls. 
 
SERIES HISTORY VS. CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL
•SMSU and CSP have met 70 times since the 1977 season with SMSU holding a 39-31 all-time advantage.
•The teams split doubleheaders in 2021 and 2022. The Mustangs earned a 5-4 win in extra innings in game one last season and lost 6-1 in game two.  
•The Mustangs are 17-11 on the road in the series, and have split the last four doubleheaders in St. Paul. 
 
 
MUSTANGS BY THE NUMBERS          
•Jillian Noel leads the Mustangs offense, batting .328 (30 for 93) with seven doubles, a triple, a pair of home runs, 15 RBI and 21 runs scored with an .878 OPS. 
•In conference play, Paige Ahrendt has been one of the best hitters in the conference, ranking fourth in the NSIC with a .444 (16 for 36) batting average. She is now hitting .281 (25 for 89) on the season, smacking four doubles and driving in 14 runs while being one of five players to play in all 31 games. 
•Another player that has thrived in conference play is Makenna Waldow, who ranks second on the team, behind Ahrendt, with a .360 (9 for 25) average, leads the conference with 5 sacrifice bunts in NSIC play, and is ninth in the conference with three steals.
•On the season, Waldow is batting .288 (19 for 66) while recording 11 sacrifice bunts. Her .37 sac bunts per game is good for fifth in the nation. 
•Freshman Riley Kramolisch has had a strong start to her first season, ranking third on the team with 27 hits while batting .257. 
•Abby Russell is starting to put things together at the right time, batting .316 (12 for 38) in conference play and is coming off a 3-3 game against WSC on Tuesday. 
•She has been one of the stingiest hitters in the nation, ranking 43rd in the country in lowest strikeout rate, averaging 26.2 at bats per strikeout.
•Sophomore transfer Katie Palmer has made an impact in the early going, hitting .289 (13 for 45) and holding a team-high .400 on base percentage win 21 games. 
•Shelby Bloemendaal has done a little of everything for SMSU, batting .298 (28 for 94) and ranking 16th in the country with .29 sacrifice bunts per game offensively and spinning a 5.08 ERA while ranking third in the country with .55 BB/7 in the circle. 
•Allison Christians has a 4.55 ERA to lead the pitching staff, while Karlie Miller has struck out 50 in 74 innings, and Morgyn Otte has 35 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings.
•Miller is coming off one of her best outings as a Mustang, throwing a complete game, two-hit shutout while striking out 10 against WSC.