LEADING OFF
•The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team (15-26 overall, 10-12 NSIC) go on a South Dakota stretch, taking on Augustana (32-11, 19-3) for a doubleheader on Wednesday, Apr. 26 before a morning match-up against Sioux Falls (20-23, 11-13) on Thursday, Apr. 27.
•The Mustangs will take on the Vikings on Bowden Field starting at 2 p.m., before playing the Cougars at the Sanford Sports Complex starting at 10 a.m. 
•SMSU enters the game as winners of four of its last five games and nine of its last 12 games, including a split over UMD on Monday. 
•Augustana comes into play leading the NSIC and have won 10 in a row. 
•Sioux Falls ended a six game losing streak on Tuesday afternoon, sweeping Wayne State.  
 
 
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 91-110, including 52-56 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. AUGUSTANA
•SMSU and Augustana have met 82 times since the 1974 season with Augustana holding a 68-14 advantage. 
•Augustana have won the last 16 matchups, and 29 of the last 30.  
•The Mustangs are 2-33 on the road in the series, last winning in Sioux Falls in 2007. 
 
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. 
 
 
MUSTANGS BY THE NUMBERS          
•Jillian Noel leads the Mustangs offense, batting .301 (37 for 123) with eight doubles, a triple, three home runs, 19 RBI and 26 runs scored with an .815OPS. 
•Shelby Bloemendaal has done a little of everything for SMSU, batting .288 (36 for 125) and ranking 33rd in the country with .24 sacrifice bunts per game offensively, all while spinning a 3.53 ERA and ranking third in the country with .53 BB/7 in the circle. 
•In conference play, Abby Russell has been one of the best, batting .379 (25 for 66), with eight doubles, a pair of home runs, and a 1.053 OPS
•Also finding their stride is Paige Ahrendt, who owns a .349 (22 for 63) batting average in conference play. 
•Another player that has thrived in conference play is Molly Bull, who ranks third on the team with a .324 (22 for 68) average and nine RBI.
•Karlie Miller has been tremendous in her last eight games in the circle, allowing 12 earned runs on 36 hits while striking out 41 in 51 innings of play, good for a microscopic 1.65 ERA.
•On the season, Makenna Waldow is batting .264 (23 for 87) while recording 16 sacrifice bunts. Her .40 sac bunts per game is good for sixth in the nation. 
•Freshman Riley Kramolisch has had a strong start to her first season, ranking fourth on the team with 34 hits while batting .246. 
•She has been one of the stingiest hitters in the nation, ranking 63rd in the country in lowest strikeout rate, averaging 23.0 at bats per strikeout.
•Sophomore transfer Katie Palmer has made an impact in the early going, hitting .267 (16 for 60) and holding a team-high .384 on base percentage in 26 games. 
•Allison Christians has been a weapon in relief for the Mustangs, holding a 6-3 record with a  2.78 ERA in 40 1/3 innings.