MANKATO, Minn. --- The Minnesota State softball team will continue its conference schedule this week, as the conference race heats up. 

The Mavericks will travel to Fayette, Iowa on Wednesday to take on Upper Iowa in a twin bill that is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. This weekend, the Purple and Gold will play host to Northern State and MSU Moorhead in a pair of doubleheader's at the MSU Softball Diamond. The Mavericks will take on NSU on Saturday with first pitch set for 1 p.m., before MSU battles with MSUM on Sunday at 12 p.m.

Upcoming Games

Date	Opponent	Location	Time (CT)
4/8	Upper Iowa (DH)	Fayette, Iowa	2 p.m./4 p.m.
4/11	Northern State (DH)	Mankato, Minn.	1 p.m./3 p.m.
4/12	MSU Moorhead (DH)	Mankato, Minn.	12 p.m./2 p.m.

From The Last Time Out: The Mavericks were very successful this past week, as they posted a 7-1 record, where six of those eight games were played at home. MSU was able to sweep Sioux Falls, Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State and split with Concordia St. Paul.

MSU currently holds a 24-14 overall record and 9-3 record in the NSIC, that places it third in the conference standings. The Mavericks sit just behind first place Augustana and second place Winona State.

Junior Tatum Klein had another successful week from the plate and base paths. Klein batted .467 and tallied an impressive 12 stolen bases. The Iowa City native has already broken the MSU single-season stolen base record this season with 34 and she sits just two behind the career stolen base record at MSU with 61. Former Maverick Lauryn Morris, currently holds the record with 63 stolen bases. 

Junior Emily Bransky finished right behind Klein with a .444 (12-27) batting average, 10 stolen bases, along with eight runs and four RBI. Sophomore Molly Sager displayed some power from the plate as she cranked two home runs this past week and notched a .412 average from the plate and a sizzling .824 slugging percentage. Sager also collected five runs, four walks, three RBI and one double. 

Freshman Jess Meidl recorded a .375 batting average and led the Mavericks with seven RBI, to go along with six runs, five stolen bases, four walks and two doubles. Freshman Kara Lattery was the lone other Maverick to hit a home run, as she also batted a .318 from the plate this past week and a .636 slugging percentage. Lattery also posted five RBI, three walks, three runs, two doubles and one triple.

From the circle, sophomore Coley Ries and Libby Bemis had some impressive showings this past week. Ries went 3-1 and pitched 27 innings of work, while accumulating an impressive 1.81 ERA. She was also able to collect 37 strikeouts and hold opposing batters to a .163 batting average. Bemis went perfect with a 4-0 record in 22.1 innings of work and owned a 2.16 ERA. She posted 18 strikeouts and a .242 batting average against opposing players.

About Upper Iowa: The Peacocks own an 11-20 overall record and a 6-4 NSIC record. UIU is coached by Amanda Bradberry, who is in her second season as head coach. The Mavericks own a 15-1 all-time record against the Peacocks.

UIU is led by junior Jacqueline Flood who is batting .427 from the plate and owns a .708 slugging percentage. She also leads the Peacocks with 22 runs scored and nine doubles, to go along with her 24 RBI, four home runs and three doubles. Junior Erica Kirgan leads the Peacocks with 26 RBI and six home runs, while batting .310 from the plate. 

In the circle, Flood owns a 5-8 record, with a 4.41 ERA and 39 strikeouts. Junior Brooke Redmond holds a 4.46 ERA and 5-10 record, as she leads UIU with 67 strikeouts.

About Northern State: The Wolves enter the week with a 18-15 record and a 5-5 record in NSIC play, including losses of their last four.  NSU is coached by Kristi Villar, who is in her fourth season at the helm. The Mavericks own a 15-1 career record against the Wolves.

Senior Erin Yancy is batting .323 and owns a .636 slugging percentage for NSU and also leads the Wolves with 23 RBI, 10 doubles and seven home runs. Sophomore Rachel Albright is batting .319 from the plate and has collected 13 RBI, 12 runs, 10 walks and five doubles. Junior Kalie Maiden leads the Wolves with 11 stolen bases, while junior Kelsey Gale leads NSU with 20 runs scored and 15 walks, along with 16 RBI.

Senior pitcher Kami Smemsmo holds a 12-7 record with a 3.33 ERA, in 122 innings pitched. She also has struck out 76 batters and is holding opposing batters to a .284 average. Sophomore Missy Elkins is 5-7 on the year and holds a 3.94 ERA, in 85.1 innings pitched.

About MSU Moorhead: The Dragons enter the week with an 11-13  overall record and hold a 1-9 conference record. MSUM is coached by Kelsey Fehl, who is in her fifth season on the job. The Mavericks own a 29-7 all-time record against the Dragons.

Sophomore Carly Williamson leads the Dragons with a .410 batting average, while senior Brittany York is batting .357 average and leads MSUM with 19 RBI and 10 walks.  Senior Taylor Huss bats .352 from the plate, while recording a team-leading five home runs and also collecting 16 runs and 16 RBI.

Junior pitcher Morgan Nybo holds a 9-6 record and a 4.22 ERA in 88 innings pitched. She has also recorded 13 complete games and 46 strikeouts. 
 
How We Stack Up: As a team, the Mavericks   offensively sit first in the NSIC in triples (18) and sac flies (14), second in stolen bases (113), fourth in hits (311) and doubles (47), walks (94) and runs scored (182) .

Pitching wise, MSU ranks first in the conference in innings pitched (261.1) and strikeouts (289), second in the NSIC in opposing batting average (.238) and fourth in earned run average (2.84). 

Individually Speaking: Junior Tatum Klein places in the top-ten in a variety of categories in the NSIC. She ranks second in stolen bases (34), tied for fourth in hits (58), fifth runs scored (34), and tenth in batting average (.420).

Freshman Jess Meidl finds herself ranked tied for first in triples (5) and sixth in stolen bases (20). 

Sophomore Dana Mogren ranks tied for eighth in doubles with nine.

Junior Emily Bransky places tied for fourth in the NSIC in stolen bases with 21.

Sophomore Coley Ries finds herself in the top-ten of a number of categories. Ries ranks first in strikeouts (195), second in innings pitched (141.2), second in opposing batting average (.214), tied for fifth in wins (12) and fifth in ERA (2.32).

Freshman pitcher Libby Bemis ranks fifth in wins (12), seventh  in ERA (2.68), and ninth in opposing batting average (.237).

To view the complete release in PDF form, click HERE