SERIES PREVIEW
• The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team (15-22, 6-8 NSIC) continues play at home this Wednesday, hosting Wayne State (23-10, 4-4 NSIC) in a doubleheader at Mustang Field.
• Game one of the doubleheader is scheduled for 2 p.m., with start time of game two set for 4 p.m.

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

NOEL NOTABLES
• Senior Jillian Noel leads the Mustangs in batting going .346 (37 for 107) at the plate including six doubles, a triple, and a pair of home runs. Noel leads the team in RBIs (27) and has scored 12 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.
• She also tallied her 200th career hit in the 2-1 win over St. Cloud State on April 6. Noel is just the sixth Mustang softball player to reach the mark.
• The senior third baseman is second all-time in program history in RBIs (134), third in doubles (43), and is sixth in total bases (294) and fifth in assists (344). 
• Noel also ranks in the top 10 in hits (201) and home runs (14).

QUICK HITS
• SMSU bounced back into the win column with a resilient 2-1 win in game one and strong 8-0 win in six innings in game two over the St. Cloud State Huskies on Saturday.
• Junior Abby Russell has recorded 34 hits including a team-high seven doubles and three triples and has drawn a team-high 14 walks. Russell has scored 19 runs and tallied 13 RBIs.
• Sophomore Riley Kramolisch is tied for second on the team with 34 hits and has drove in 12 runs, while Abby Boxrud has collected 23 hits.
• Freshman Brynn Webber has knocked 24 hits, leads the team in stolen bases (14), and is third on the squad with 16 runs scored.
• SMSU is averaging 3.2 runs per game and batting .253

PITCHING PIECES
• Karlie Miller (8-11) leads the team with a single-season high 91 strikeouts in 123 2/3 innings pitched. Miller has collected eight wins, including two shutouts, and has recorded two saves this season. The junior has a team-low 3.45 ERA and has held opponents to .284 hitting.
• Morgyn Otte (7-9) is second on the team with 47 strikeouts--a single-season high--and has thrown 96 1/3 innings. Otte earned her second career shutout on March 25 over Minnesota Crookston.
• SMSU has a team ERA of 4.04 in 235 2/3 innings with 149 strikeouts. Opponents are averaging 4.6 runs per game and batting .298

HEAD COACH BAILEY BOUMAN
• Bailey Bouman is in her sixth season as head coach at SMSU with an overall record of 108-138, including 60-70 in NSIC play.
• The 11th head coach in program history, Bouman was named to the position on Aug. 8, 2018.
• The Mustangs finished the 2023 season 17-32 and missed the NSIC Tournament for the first time in three seasons. 
• SMSU finished 21-31 in 2022, and won its second NSIC Tournament game in consecutive seasons.
• 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.

WAYNE STATE SERIES HISTORY
• SMSU and WSC will meet for the 66th time with the Mustangs leading 36-29 in a series that began in 1986.
• Wayne State sits at 6-28 overall and 2-8 in NSIC play after earning a split against Northern State on Saturday.
• SMSU won both games last season and has won eight of the previous 10 matchups.
• The Mustangs are 20-9 at home in the series, including winning eight of the last 10. 

MUSTANG HISTORY
• Southwest Minnesota State is in its 53rd season of softball in 2024.
• SMSU has played in 2,046 games compiling an all-time record of 1,040-1,005-1.
• The Mustangs have won 10 NSIC regular season championships, two NSIC Tournament titles and has played in four NCAA Tournaments.