What's Lies Ahead: Sixteenth-ranked Minnesota State heads to Marshall, Minn., for a doubleheader with the SMSU Mustangs with a 3 p.m., first pitch. MSU plays St. Cloud State Friday in St. Cloud, Minn., in doubleheader action beginning at 2 p.m.

In the Ranks: The Mavericks are ranked second in the fifth NCAA Central Region rankings released Wednesday. MSU followed Augustana, while the Mavericks stood ahead of Winona State one spot. Minnesota State was ranked first in the first three NCAA Central Region Rankings and has been second the past two rankings. Seven of the ten teams in the regional poll are NSIC schools. In the National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll, Minnesota State dropped from 12th to 16th in this week's poll, with Augustana at tenth Winona State dropping to 12th.

Head Coach Lori Meyer:  One of the most respected coaches in all of NCAA  Division II softball, Lori Meyer is in her 26th year as the head coach of the Minnesota State softball team.  Meyer owns a career record of 860-560-3 (.605) in 1,423 games.  A seven-time NCC Coach of the Year, Meyer has guided the Mavericks to three North Central Conference titles (1987, 1989 and 2007), and guided the ‘87 Mavericks to a third-place finish at the NCAA Division II National Tournament.

Minnesota State History:  The 2011 season is the 37th for Maverick softball.  MSU owns an all-time record of 985-657-7 (.599) in 1,649 games, and have four North Central Conference titles (1984, 1987, 1989, 2007) and nine appearances in the NCAA Division II National Tournament (1984, 1987, 1989, 1995, 1997, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010) to its credit.

Lead Me: Minnesota State freshman Lindsay Erickson leads the team in hits (61), batting average (.449), doubles (15) and total bases (93). Natalie Spicer is leading the team in runs batted in (41), home runs (9) and on-base percentage (.507). Melanie Upchurch has 39 runs and holds the current single-season record for stolen bases, owning 26 stolen bases. Sophomore pitcher Courtney McKelvogue owns a 1.45 earned run average in her 15-4 record this season. Junior pitcher Kendra Huettl is 19-5 on the season, with a 1.45 earned run average.

Roaming with the Mustangs: Southwest Minnesota State University (24-13, 12-5 NSIC) comes into the Thursday on a four-game winning streak and one spot below the Mavericks in the NSIC standings. As a team, Southwest Minnesota State is batting .277 from the plate, averaging 4.48 runs and 7.45 hits per game this year. Krista Steen is leading the team from the dish, hitting .381 on 45 hits. The team delivers a .958 fielding percentage on the season. Junior Christine Borowiak is batting .362, launching seven home runs.
    The pitching staff accumulates a 2.02 earned run average in its 252.2 innings pitched. Senior Ali Honken leads the pitching staff with a 14-6 record and 0.93 ERA. The Mustangs are coached by Shawn Semler, who is in his eighth season.

Running with the Huskies: St. Cloud State ( 21-24, 6-14 NSIC) is hitting .283 from the plate and averaging four runs and 7.24 hits per game. SCSU is on a two-game winning streak coming into Wednesday. Junior Jackie Dooley is leading the Huskies from the plate, batting .326 on the season. Sophomore Mikayla Hogan is 46-for-145 from the plate with six home runs and 36 runs batted in.   The St. Cloud State pitching staff owns a 4.26 earned run average, while holding opponents to a .294 batting average. Junior pitcher Chris Saiz is 8-7 on the season and a 2.62 earned run average.

For the Record Books: Senior Natalie Spicer sits first in career walks (103) at Minnesota State. Spicer stands in second in career runs batted in (142) and career home runs (28), being two RBI away and two home runs away from the top spot. Junior Melanie Upchurch ranks number one in stolen bases in a season, captured 26 this year. Pitcher Kendra Huettl ranks fourth in career victories with 58 and fourth in career strikeouts, posting 448 in her three seasons. Lindsay Erickson lies second on the career doubles list.

Tidbits About the Mavericks: Freshman Lindsay Erickson is currently on a 12-game hitting streak heading into Friday, with fellow freshman Kelly Wood is riding a five-game hitting streak. Seniors Natalie Spicer and Julie O'Neal combine for a 11-for-14 with the bases loaded.  There has been 112 multiple hit games for MSU players as Melanie Upchruch and Lindsay Erickson have each marked 17 multi-hit games.

Head Softball Coach Lori Meyer: