WEEKEND PREVIEW
The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team opens the 2026 campaign 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 Friday taking on Concordia-St. Paul at 12 p.m., before playing tournament hosts St. Cloud State at 4 p.m.
The Mustangs conclude the tournament on Saturday facing Bemidji State at 10 a.m., followed by a rematch against CSP at 12 p.m.
SMSU is scheduled to play 56 regular season games, including its 28-game Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference slate starting on March 21.
 
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 9TH IN NSIC PRESEASON POLL
SMSU was chosen 9th in the 2026 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll as voted on by the leagues 16 head coaches.
Augustana was picked to finish first for the seventh consecutive season, earning 221 points and 12 first-place votes. 
SMSU's lone senior on the team, outfielder Riley Kramolisch, and sophomore pitcher Jordyn Marsh were selected as 'Players to Watch' for this season.
 
2026 SEASON OUTLOOK
The 2025 Mustang roster features 15 players including 10 returning letter winners from last season's squad that finished tied for ninth in the NSIC. SMSU welcomes five true freshmen to this season's squad.
Senior outfielder Riley Kramolisch led the team in batting average, hitting .347 on the season, with 21 RBIs and 72 total bases.
Junior utility players Emma Humpal and Paris Van Dyke look to improve on strong seasons last year. Humpal led the team in RBI last season with 29, hitting .303, adding five doubles. Van Dyke also hit five doubles with an OPS of .729 with 22 RBI.
Lexi Ingalls and Kaylee Hafermann are both hoping to make strides in their sophomore seasons. Ingalls started every game as a true freshman, leading the team in doubles with eight, and was third in total bases with 57. Hafermann started in 48 games, tallying 21 hits with 10 RBI.
Jordyn Marsh as a true freshman pitcher had the lowest ERA on the team with 2.22. Marsh appeared in 35 games with one start, making 10 saves with a batting average against of .230.
 
HEAD COACH BAILEY BOUMAN
Bailey Bouman is in her seventh season as head coach at SMSU with an overall record of 141-174, including 75-97 in NSIC play.
The 11th head coach in program history, Bouman was named to the position on Aug. 8, 2018.
The Mustangs finished the 2025 campaign with a 29-26 record, the second winning record for Bouman as head coach, with a 11-17 NSIC record and a ninth-place finish in the conference.
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.
 
CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL SERIES HISTORY
SMSU and CSP will meet for the 77^th and 78^th time with the Mustangs leading 42-34 in a series that began in 1977.
The Golden Bears were picked to finish sixth in the NSIC preseason poll.
SMSU has won three of the last five meetings with Coach Bouman holding a 5-7 record against CSP as head coach.
The Mustangs are 14-12 in non-conference play against the Golden Bears.
 
BEMIDJI STATE SERIES HISTORY
SMSU and BSU will meet for the 100th time with the Mustangs leading 71-28 in a series that began in 1981.
The Beavers were picked to finish 12th in the NSIC preseason poll.
SMSU has won nine of the previous 15 meetings dating back to the 2019 season, however the Beavers have won four of the last five, including three in neutral site locations.
The Mustangs are 16-10 all-time in non-conference contests against the Beavers.
 
ST. CLOUD STATE SERIES HISTORY
SMSU and SCSU will meet for the 115th time with the Huskies leading 62-51-1 in a series that began in 1973.
The Huskies were picked to finish fifth in the NSIC preseason poll.
SMSU has won four of the last seven meetings, with the Huskies taking the most recent three games in the series.
The Mustangs are 21-27 all-time on the road against SCSU.
 
SEASON OPENERS
SMSU is 32-22 all-time in season openers and is 11-5 in openers since the 2010 season.

UP NEXT FOR THE MUSTANGS
SMSU travel to Mankato, Minn. On Feb. 13 facing Minnesota State in a double-header in the Maverick All-Sports Dome beginning at 5 p.m.
The Mustangs then host a pair of double-headers in Sioux Center, Iowa, first on Sunday, Feb. 15, against Upper Iowa beginning at 1:30 p.m.
SMSU hosts Nebraska-Kearney again in Sioux Center on Monday, Feb. 23, beginning at 11 a.m.
 
MUSTANG HISTORY
Southwest Minnesota State is in its 55th season of softball in 2026.
SMSU has played in 2,115 games compiling an all-time record of 1,073-1,041-1.
The Mustangs have won 10 NSIC regular season championships, two NSIC Tournament titles and has played in four NCAA Tournaments.