SERIES PREVIEW
• The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team (13-18, 4-4 NSIC) closes its six-game road trip at Augustana (22-13, 7-1 NSIC) this Wednesday, April 3, at Bowden Field.
• The first pitch of game one is scheduled for 2 p.m., with game two set for a 4 p.m. start time

GAME COVERAGE
• Live stats for both games will be available at SMSUmustangs.com
• The series will be live streamed on the NSIC Network.

NOEL NOTABLES
• Senior Jillian Noel leads the Mustangs in batting going 32 for 88 at the plate including six doubles, a triple, and a home run. Noel leads the team in RBIs (25) and has scored nine runs.
• Noel tied a career-high four hits and drove in a career-high five runs against Minnesota Crookston on March 25, including sealing the deal in the sixth inning with an RBI-single to right field.
• The senior third baseman is second all-time in program history in RBIs (132), third in doubles (43), and is seventh in total bases (285) and fifth in assists (323). 
• Noel also ranks in the top 10 in hits (195) and home runs (13).

QUICK HITS
• SMSU notched 13 hits and touted strong pitching to sweep the University of Mary by scores of 2-1 and 7-5 indoors at the Jamestown Dome this past Saturday afternoon. The series was moved to Jamestown from Bismarck due to expected wintry weather conditions.
• Junior Abby Russell has recorded 30 hits including tied for a team-high six doubles and has drawn a team-high 11 walks. Russell has scored 17 runs and tallied 11 RBIs.
• Sophomore Riley Kramolisch is third on the team with 29 hits and has drove in 11 runs, while Abby Boxrud has collected 22 hits.
• Freshman Brynn Webber leads the team in stolen bases (13) and is fourth on the squad with 15 runs scored.
• SMSU is averaging 3.3 runs per game and batting .261

PITCHING PIECES
• Karlie Miller (7-9) leads the team with 71 strikeouts in 103 2/3 innings pitched. Miller has collected seven wins, including one shutout, and recorded her first career save against Lake Erie (Pa.) on March 12. The junior has a team-low 3.04 ERA and has held opponents to .280 hitting.
• Morgyn Otte (6-7) is second on the team with 42 strikeouts--a single-season high--and has thrown 79 1/3 innings. Otte is 2-1 in her last three starts and earned her second career shutout on March 25 over Minnesota Crookston.
• SMSU has a team ERA of 3.68 in 197 2/3 innings with 124 strikeouts. Opponents are averaging 4.5 runs per game and batting .293

AUGUSTANA SERIES HISTORY
• SMSU and Augustana will meet for the 85th time with the Vikings leading 69-15 in a series that began in 1974.
• The Mustangs squeaked out a 2-1 win in the first game of the doubleheader series last season, but the Vikings have won nine of the last ten meetings.
• SMSU is 3-34 all-time versus AU in Sioux Falls.

MUSTANG HISTORY
• Southwest Minnesota State is in its 53rd season of softball in 2024.
• SMSU has played in 2,040 games compiling an all-time record of 1,038-1,001-1.
• The Mustangs have won 10 NSIC regular season championships, two NSIC Tournament titles and has played in four NCAA Tournaments.