LEADING OFF
•The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team (6-19 overall, 1-5 NSIC) hits the road for Friday and Saturday doubleheaders versus MSU Moorhead (17-7, 5-1) and Northern State (7-19, 1-5).
•The four games, originally scheduled to be played at MSUM and NSU, will be played in Sioux City, Iowa, and Sioux Center, Iowa, respectively
•SMSU will take on the Dragons for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m., on Friday at Hubbard Park in Sioux City.  
•The Mustangs will then close their weekend in Sioux Center, Iowa, facing off against the Wolves starting at 12 p.m. on Saturday on the campus of Dordt University. 
•The Mustangs come in on a four-game losing streak, while MSUM has won six of its last seven, and NSU has dropped 13 of their last 14. 
 
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 82-103, including 43-49 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. MSU MOORHEAD
•SMSU and MSUM have met 116 times since the 1976 season with SMSU holding an 83-33 all-time advantage.
•SMSU has won three straight, with their last loss in the series coming in Moorhead in 2019, and 35 of the last 36. 
•The Mustangs are 35-20 at neutral sites in the series, and have won 13 consecutive, last losing at a neutral location in 2006.
 
SERIES HISTORY VS. NORTHERN STATE
•SMSU and NSU have meet 93 times since the 1986 season with SMSU holding an 69-24 all-time advantage.
•SMSU has won the last three matchups, and five of the last six. 
•The Mustangs are 22-4 at neutral sites in the series, with their last win coming in the 2021 conference tournament, and their last loss coming in non-conference action the same year. 
 
MUSTANGS BY THE NUMBERS          
•Makenna Waldow leads the Mustangs' offense, batting .308 (16 for 52) with three runs scored, seven RBI, six walks, and a team-high 10 sacrifice bunts while ranking second in the nation with .42 sacrifice bunts per game to round out the SMSU batting order. 
•Right behind Waldow is freshman Riley Kramolisch, who leads the team with 26 hits while batting .306. She recorded hits in 18 of 25 games.
•She has been one of the stingiest hitters in the nation, ranking 47th in the country in toughest to strike out with just three strikeouts in 85 at bats. 
•Jillian Noel is batting .289 (22 for 76) with five doubles, a pair of home runs, and a team-high 11 RBI while batting in the clean-up spot.
•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 while primarily serving as the designated player.  
•Shelby Bloemendaal has done a little of everything for SMSU, batting .269 (21 for 78) and ranking seventh in the country with .37 sacrifice bunts per game offensively and spinning a 6.11 ERA while ranking eighth in the country with .59 BB/7 in the circle. 
•Allison Christians has a 4.33 ERA to lead the pitching staff, while Karlie Miller has struck out 36 in 54 1/3 innings, and Morgyn Otte has 34 strikeouts in 49 innings.