MANKATO, Minn. --- The Minnesota State softball team will play host to Winona State in doubleheader action on Tuesday at the MSU Softball Diamond. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. The game will include two of the top three teams in the conference, as WSU currently sits in second with a 15-1 record in NSIC action, while MSU sits in third with a 13-5 conference record.

Upcoming Games

Date	Opponent	Location	Time
4/14	Winona State (DH)	Mankato, Minn.	2 p.m. / 4 p.m.

From The Last Time Out: The Mavericks went 4-2 this past week after splitting a pair of doubleheaders with Upper Iowa and Northern State, before sweeping MSU Moorhead in a pair of five inning wins.

Freshman pitcher Coley Ries pitcher had quite the week, as she was able to throw not one but two "no-hitters" this past week against Northern State and MSU Moorhead. In Friday's win over Northern State, 8-0, its marked as Ries' first career "no-hitter" as a Maverick. Then in consecutive days, against MSU Moorhead she matched her stat line from the day before and recorded eight strikeouts in the no hit performance.

The two no-hitters now gives the Mavericks three no-hitters on the season as freshman pitcher Libby Bemis earned her first career "no-hitter" as a Mavericks back on March 11 against Merrimack. This week, Bemis went 2-1 in 19 innings of work. She accumulated a 1.84 ERA and was able to tally 14 strikeouts and hold her opponents to a .145 batting average.

The bats came alive this past week for the Mavericks, as they hit .423 from the plate and a .660 slugging percentage. As a team, the team averaged over six runs a game and recorded 21 extra base hits, including 11 doubles, six home runs and four triples.

Three Mavericks hit over .500 this past week as sophomore Dana Mogren led all MSU players with a .588 batting average and a 1.235 slugging percentage. She also led the Mavericks with three home runs, along with recording seven runs, six RBI, two doubles, two walks and one stolen base. Junior Emily Bransky batted .563 from the plate this past week and tallied seven runs, four RBI, four walks and two triples.

Sophomore Ashley Thell rounds out the trio with a .556 batting average, as she led the Mavericks with eight RBI and three doubles, while also posting six runs and one home run. Sophomore Molly Sager racked up a .471 batting average, while recording six RBI, three runs, one home run, one triple and one walk. Junior Tatum Klein also batted over .400 with a .455 average and led MSU with four stolen bases, while collecting five runs, three RBI, one double and one triple. Klein also made some history this past week, as she broke the all-time MSU career steals record and the MSU single season record for stolen bases. Klein currently owns 65 career stolen bases and 38 this season alone.

About Winona State: The Warriors enter the week with 33-8 and 15-1 record in conference play, which currently places them second in the NSIC regular season standings. WSU is coached by Greg Jones, who is currently in his 14th season at the helm. The Mavericks own a 44-39 all-time record against the Warriors, however WSU has won the last six meetings between the two programs.

Offensively, the Warriors rank in the top-five in a variety of statistical categories in the NSIC. WSU ranks second in runs scored (233) and walks (125), third in RBI (200), slugging percentage (.468) and on base percentage (.390), fourth in batting average (.314) and fifth in total bases (517).

Pitching wise, the Warriors top the conference in ERA with 2.04 and tied for first in opposing batting average with .229.

WSU is led by senior Ashley Walker as she leads the team with a .394 batting average, a .650 slugging percentage, 41 runs scored, 54 hits, and 18 doubles. She has also recorded five triples, three home runs, 33 RBI and 11 walks.  Junior Reed Karsten is second on the team with a .379 batting average, while also collecting 38 run, 53 hits, 17 doubles, four triples, three home runs, 25 RBI, eight walks and a team-leading seven stolen bases. Senior Morgan Lintz leads the team with 39 RBI and six home runs, while averaging .336 from the plate. Lintz has also tallied up 24 runs scored, 41 hits, 11 doubles, and 21 walks. 

Junior pitcher Hanna Lythberg leads the pitching staff with a 1.41 ERA and a 16-4 record. Lythberg has struck out 111 batters in 124.1 innings of work and has posted 17 complete games on the year, including three shutouts. She is also holding opposing batters to a .197 batting average. Entering the week, Lythberg ranks first in the NSIC in both ERA and opposing batting average and ranks second in wins. Walker owns a 15-3 record for the Warriors and has collected a 1.89 ERA that currently ranks second in the NSIC.  Walker has pitched in 118.1 innings and has rack up 71 strikeouts and three shutouts.

How We Stack Up: As a team, the Mavericks   offensively sit first in the NSIC in triples (22) second in sac flies (15), stolen bases (122)  and hits (377), third in batting average (.317) and total bases (530), fourth in on base percentage (.377), runs scored (220) and doubles (58), fifth in slugging percentage (.445), RBI (185) and walks (107).

Pitching wise, MSU ranks first in the conference in innings pitched (296.1) and tied for first in opposing batting average with .229. MSU places second in strikeouts (321) and third in ERA (2.86).

Individually Speaking: Junior Tatum Klein places in the top-ten in a variety of categories in the NSIC. She ranks first in stolen bases (38), tied for third in triples (4) fourth in hits (68), tied for fifth in runs scored (34), and eighth in batting average (.420).

Freshman Jess Meidl finds herself ranked tied for first in triples (5) and for fourth in stolen bases (22). 

Sophomore Dana Mogren ranks tied for ninth in doubles with 11.

Junior Emily Bransky places tied for sixth in the NSIC in stolen bases with 21, ninth in on base percentage (.464) and tenth in batting average (.412).

Sophomore Coley Ries finds herself in the top-ten of a number of categories. Ries ranks first in strikeouts (213), second in opposing batting average (.211), third in innings pitched (157.1), fourth in ERA (2.54) and tied for seventh in wins (14).

Freshman pitcher Libby Bemis ranks fifth in ERA (2.55) and opposing batting average (.231), and finally tied for seventh in wins (14).

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