WEEKEND PREVIEW
• The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team opens the season with four non-conference games against NSIC schools this weekend at the Kelly Laas Memorial Tournament.
• The tournament will be played inside the Husky Dome on the campus of St. Cloud State University.
• SMSU begins play on Saturday taking on Minnesota Duluth at 11 a.m., before playing Bemidji State at 3 p.m.
• The Mustangs conclude the tournament on Sunday with a second match-up against Minnesota Duluth at 10 a.m., followed by a game against host St. Cloud State at 2 p.m.
• SMSU is scheduled to play 54 regular season games, including its 28-game Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference slate starting on March 22.

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

SMSU PICKED 10TH IN NSIC PRESEASON POLL
• SMSU was chosen 10th in the 2025 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll as voted on by the leagues 15 head coaches.
• Augustana, the four-time defending NSIC regular season champions and preseason No. 7 in the Division II National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Poll, were chosen as the preseason favorite in earning 196 points with all 14 first place votes (coaches cannot rank their own team).
• SMSU senior shortstop Abby Russell and senior pitcher Karlie Miller were both named "Players to Watch" in the conference this season.
 
2025 SEASON OUTLOOK
• The 2025 Mustang roster features 16 players including 10 returning letter winners from last season's squad that finished 11th in the NSIC. SMSU welcomes five true freshmen to this season's squad.
• Abby Russell batted a team-best .342 (52 for 152) with nine doubles, four triples, a home run, and 18 RBIs while scoring 27 runs and tallying 11 steals. Additionally, Russell finished in the top 10 of the NSIC in triples (4) and closed the season with a 1.000 stolen base pct. Defensively, Russell finished fifth in the NSIC in assists with 110.
• Senior pitcher Karlie Miller led the way in the circle for the Mustangs last season firing a team-high 173 2/3 innings, finishing with a 11-17 record with a 3.43 ERA. She limited opposing hitters to a team-best .283 batting average last season, while recording 118 strikeouts, including an eight-strikeout shutout against American International (Mass.) (3/11).
• Several starters from the 2024 squad join Russell and Miller as returners in 2025.
• Senior outfielder Abby Boxrud started every game in right field last season, earning All-NSIC defensive honors after leading the NSIC with a 1.000 field pct. on 68 putouts. She batted .256 (31 for 121) with a pair of doubles, six RBIs, 20 runs scored, and 12 walks.
• Senior pitcher Morgyn Otte returns to the circle after recording a career-high 69 strikeouts last season. Otte threw 133 innings in 33 appearances with 24 starts, finishing with an 8-13 record.
• Junior outfielder Riley Kramolisch returns after a successful sophomore campaign that saw her bat .320 and lead the team with 54 hits while logging 19 RBIs and 22 runs scored.
• Sophomore outfielder Brynn Webber is back after hitting .263 (35 for 133) with four doubles, a triple, six RBI, and 21 runs scored, while leading the team with 17 stolen bases.
• Sophomores Paris Van Dyke and Emma Humpal are also back after playing in 48 and 38 games, respectively. 
• Van Dyke made 43 starts at first base, earning All-NSIC defensive team accolades after finishing second in the league in fielding pct. (.997), fourth in fielding double plays (13), and ninth in putouts (305). Offensively, Van Dyke logged a double, triple and home run, with nine RBIs. 
• Humpal started 27 games at second base last season batting .243 (17 of 70) with a double, a pair of home runs, nine RBIs, and eight runs scored. Defensively, she logged 47 putouts and 49 assists with four double plays.

HEAD COACH BAILEY BOUMAN
• Bailey Bouman is in her seventh season as head coach at SMSU with an overall record of 112-148, including 64-80 in NSIC play.
• The 11th head coach in program history, Bouman was named to the position on Aug. 8, 2018.
• SMSU finished with a 19-32 overall mark in 2024. Abby Boxrud and Paris Van Dyke became the first Mustangs to earn All-NSIC Defensive honors in the Bouman era.
• 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.

MINNESOTA DULUTH SERIES HISTORY
• SMSU and UMD will meet for the 121st time with the Bulldogs leading 79-41 in a series that began in 1977.
• The Bulldogs were picked to finish fourth in the NSIC preseason poll.
• SMSU has won three of the previous 10 meetings, but UMD has won four of the last five.
• The Mustangs are 17-38 all-time in non-conference contests against the Bulldogs.

BEMIDJI STATE SERIES HISTORY
• SMSU and BSU will meet for the 97th time with the Mustangs leading 70-26 in a series that began in 1981.
• The Beavers were picked to finish 12th in the NSIC preseason poll.
• SMSU has won eight of the previous 12 meetings dating back to the 2019 season.
• The Mustangs are 16-9 all-time in non-conference contests against the Beavers.

ST. CLOUD STATE SERIES HISTORY
• SMSU and SCSU will meet for the 112th time with the Huskies leading 59-51-1 in a series that began in 1973.
• The Huskies were picked to finish seventh in the NSIC preseason poll.
• SMSU has won five of the last eight meetings, including the last four.
• The Mustangs are 21-24 all-time on the road against the Huskies.

SEASON OPENERS
• SMSU is 32-21 all-time in season openers and is 11-4 in openers since the 2010 season.

MUSTANG HISTORY
• Southwest Minnesota State is in its 54th season of softball in 2025.
• SMSU has played in 2,060 games compiling an all-time record of 1,044-1,015-1.
• The Mustangs have won 10 NSIC regular season championships, two NSIC Tournament titles and has played in four NCAA Tournaments.