LOOKING AHEAD
• The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team (18-8) begins its NSIC schedule at home with a pair of doubleheaders against Minnesota Crookston (12-15) and Bemidji State (13-11). Both series will be played on Mattke Field at the Schwan Regional Event Center.
• The three teams were initially scheduled to meet at UMC/BSU campus sites on Saturday and Sunday, but both series were moved due to expected poor weather conditions in Crookston and Bemidji.
• SMSU kicks off the weekend with a pair of games against the Golden Eagles with the first pitch of game one set for 1 p.m.
• The Mustangs close out the week on Saturday versus the Beavers starting at noon.

GAME COVERAGE
• Links for live stats and streams for all games will be available at SMSUmustangs.com

MILLER NAMED NSIC PITCHER OF THE WEEK
• Karlie Miller was named the NSIC Pitcher of the Week on March 10 following a stellar week in Florida. It is the first time Miller has earned the honor in her career.
• Miller, a senior right-hander from Prior Lake, Minn., shined over the week going 4-0 with a 0.75 ERA in five appearances recording 32 strikeouts in 28 innings and allowing just three earned runs at THE Spring Games.
• In her first appearance of the trip on March 3, Miller tossed a four-hit complete game shutout against Pittsburgh Johnstown to help SMSU win its first game of the trip.
• She followed that up with a shutout the next day, racking up a career-high 12 strikeouts in the 7-0 win over Staten Island (N.Y.).
• Miller picked up another win on March 5, striking out five batters in 5 2/3 innings against West Virginia Wesleyan before ending the week with a six-strikeout performance in six innings versus Queens (N.Y.).

HEAD COACH BAILEY BOUMAN
• Bailey Bouman is in her seventh season as head coach at SMSU with an overall record of 130-156, 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, missing the NSIC tournament by one game. 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.

LAST TIME OUT
• SMSU concluded its spring trip with two victories over Shepherd (Pa.), 4-0, and Northwood (Mich.), 7-0, last Wednesday to finish its time in Florida with a 15-1 record.
• Karlie Miller (7-4) earned the win against Shepherd after limiting Shepherd to six hits while striking out one en route to tossing a perfect four-inning shutout. Jordyn Marsh secured her fourth save of the season after entering in the fifth inning, holding the Rams scoreless with just two hits.
• SMSU gathered nine hits in the win with Abby Russell leading the bats going 3 for 4, while Emma Humpal recorded three RBIs.
• Morgyn Otte (6-2) grabbed the win against Northwood after limiting NU to two hits while striking out four to toss a five-inning shutout. Jordyn Marsh tossed the final two innings and struck out three batters.
• SMSU collected seven hits in the win with Brynn Webber leading the bats going 2 for 3 while recording two RBIs.

MUSTANG EXTRA BASES
• Brynn Webber leads SMSU batting .403 (27 for 67) at the plate including a pair of doubles and three triples with a team-leading 20 RBI and 15 walks.
• Emma Humpal is batting .386 (27 for 70) with four extra-base hits and 14 RBI while drawing seven walks.
• Paris Van Dyke blossomed at the plate in Florida and is now batting .375 (18 for 48) with a pair of doubles and two triples. She has recorded 15 RBI and scored 13 runs.
• Abby Boxrud is batting .342 (27 for 79) and leads the team with 24 runs scored while batting in seven runs. Boxrud ranks 10th in the nation and leads the NSIC in sacrifice bunts per game (0.35).
• Abby Russell is hitting .333 and is tied for a team-high with 30 hits. Russell leads SMSU with four doubles and 37 total bases and has tallied 13 RBI.
• SMSU is averaging 5.2 runs per game and batting .294
• Karlie Miller (7-4) leads the team with 55 strikeouts in 74 2/3 innings pitched. Miller has posted a 2.16 ERA and seven complete games.
• Morgyn Otte (6-2) leads the Mustangs with a team-low 2.01 ERA through 55 2/3 innings. Otte has recorded 35 strikeouts and one complete game shutout.
• Jordyn Marsh (5-2) has tallied 49 strikeouts in 41 innings and leads SMSU with four saves.
• SMSU has a team ERA of 2.33 in 174 innings with 143 strikeouts. Opponents are averaging 4.5 runs per game and batting .263

SCOUTING MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
• SMSU is 47-4 all-time versus UMC and has only lost three games to the Golden Eagles since 2010.
• The Mustangs swept the Golden Eagles last season winning 3-1 and 8-0 (six innings) at the ASB Sports Complex in Sioux Center, Iowa.
• UMC's last victory happened on April 30, 2023, in Crookston.
• SMSU is 16-1 all-time at home against the Golden Eagles

SCOUTING BEMIDJI STATE
• SMSU is 70-27 all-time versus BSU with the teams evenly splitting the previous 10 games in the series.
• The teams played earlier this season with SMSU suffering a narrow 3-2 loss in St. Cloud, Minn.
• The Mustangs had won eight of 10 meetings in the series from 2019 to 2023 before dropping the last three.
• SMSU is 24-7 all-time at home against the Beavers.

MUSTANGS EARN POSTSEASON HONORS IN 2024
• SMSU had two players receive accolades following the 2024 season.
• Right fielder, Abby Boxrud, and first baseman, Paris Van Dyke, were both selected to the All-NSIC Defensive team.
• Boxrud started every game in right field last season and led both SMSU and the NSIC with a 1.000 field pct. on 68 putouts.
• Van Dyke made 43 starts at first base finishing second in the league in fielding pct. (.997), fourth in fielding double plays (13), and ninth in putouts (305).

SMSU PICKED 10TH IN NSIC PRESEASON POLL
• SMSU was chosen 10th in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll as voted on by the leagues 15 head coaches.
• SMSU senior shortstop Abby Russell and senior pitcher Karlie Miller were both named "Players to Watch" in the conference this season.
 
MUSTANG HISTORY
• Southwest Minnesota State is in its 54th season of softball in 2025.
• SMSU has played in 2,086 games compiling an all-time record of 1,062-1,023-1.
• The Mustangs have won 10 NSIC regular season championships, two NSIC Tournament titles and has played in four NCAA Tournaments.