Mankato, Minn. --- The Minnesota State softball team will close out its nonconference schedule this week as it will take on six different MIAA teams at the Apple Market Classic in St. Joseph, Mo. 

The Mavericks will play six games in a span of three days starting Friday. MSU's first day of competition will be against Washburn at 12:00 p.m. and then Missouri Southern State at 4:00 p.m. On day two, the Mavericks will take on a couple of familiar opponents from earlier this season in Emporia State and Central Missouri. MSU will play ESU first at 10:00 a.m., and close out the day against UCM at 2:00 p.m. On the final day, the Mavericks will take on Central Oklahoma and #19 Northwest Missouri State with game times set for 9:00 a.m., and 1:00 p.m., respectively.

Apple Market Classic

Date	Opponent	Location	Time (CT)
3/18/16	Washburn	St. Joseph, Mo.	12:00 p.m.
3/18/16	Missouri Southern State	St. Joseph, Mo.	4:00 p.m.
3/19/16	Emporia State	St. Joseph, Mo.	10:00 a.m.
3/19/16	Central Missouri	St. Joseph, Mo.	2:00 p.m.
3/20/16	Central Oklahoma	St. Joseph, Mo.	9:00 a.m.
3/20/16	#19 Northwest Missouri State	St. Joseph, Mo.	1:00 p.m.

Last Time Out: The Mavericks went 9-1 on their spring break trip at The Spring Games in Clermont, Fla. MSU now owns a 13-5 overall record on the season. In the ten games, MSU outscored its opponents 51-10, as the Mavericks recorded five shutout wins.

The pitching staff for the Mavericks really shined on the trip. Junior Coley Ries compiled a perfect 5-0 record and a 0.64 ERA in 33 innings of work. She struckout 60 batters and only allowed three earned runs. In three of her games, Ries tallied double-digit strikeouts, including a one-hit, complete game performance against Northwood, as she struck out 17 batters in the win. That matches her career-high in strikeouts for a single game, as she fanned 17 batters against Concordia-St. Paul on March 26, 2014. Sophomore Libby Bemis also had a very good showing down in Florida, as she accumulated an impressive 0.58 ERA and a 4-1 win-loss record in 36 innings pitched. She also struck out 37 batters and allowed just three earned runs in five games. Bemis set a new career-high of 11 strikeouts against Indiana, Pa and would later match that number a couple day later against #25 Southern Indiana. 

Not only was the pitching staff for MSU dominant, but so too was the offense. In 10 games, the Mavericks built a .332 batting average, pushed across 51 total runs and swiped 33 stolen bases in 38 attempts.

Karli DesLauriers continued to add to her impressive senior campaign as she led the squad with a .483 batting average, a .621 slugging percentage and 14 total hits. DesLauriers also recorded seven runs scored, seven RBI and four stolen bases. Senior Tatum Klein batted .382 from the plate on the trip and led MSU with 10 runs scored and nine stolen bases on 11 attempts. Freshman McKenzie Paap also finished with a .382 batting average, as she finished with 13 hits (three doubles), six runs scored, five RBI and three stolen bases. Junior Dana Mogren added 12 hits, six runs scored and five RBI, while junior Samantha Buhmann finished the trip with team-high's of eight RBI and five extra base hits, including one home run.

Concerning Washburn: The Ichabods enter the week with an 8-11 overall record and sit with a 3-5 record in MIAA play. Washburn is coached by Vanessa Becerra who is in her fifth season at the helm. Friday's game will mark as the 13th all-time meeting between MSU and Washburn. The Mavericks currently own a 5-7 all-time record against the Ichabods and won the last meeting between the two teams in 2014 with a 8-2 victory. 

Sophomore Cassidy Merriman leads WU with a .397 batting average, 19 RBI, 15 RBI, as she has compiled 25 hits, including five doubles and four home runs. Freshman Erin Keeney is batting .353 and has tallied 12 RBI, 12 runs scored, five doubles and two home runs. Senior Taylor Zimmerman leads the Ichabods with seven home runs and places second on the team with 16 RBI and 13 runs scored.

In the circle, junior Samantha Carson owns a 2.39 ERA and a 5-4 record. She has pitched in 64.1 innings and has fanned 33 batters. Freshman Ashley Wills is 3-6 on the year and owns a 4.69 ERA. She has struck out 31 batters in 56.2 innings

Concerning Missouri Southern State: The Lions enter the week with a 13-16 overall record and a 3-5 record in MIAA play. Melissa Chmielewski is in her second season as head coach of MSSU. Friday's game will be the eighth all-time meeting between the two teams as the Mavericks own a 3-4 record against the Lions. MSU and MSSU met last season at the Apple Market Classic and the Mavericks fell to the Lions, 2-1.

Sophomore Abi Corbett leads MSSU with a .375 batting average and is tied for a team-leading 21 stolen bases with her teammate Alana Hester. Hester is second on the team with a .300 batting average and leads the Lions with 18 runs scored. Senior Sarah Williams owns team-high's of six home runs and 21 RBI.

Senior pitcher Ashley Lutz leads the Lions with a 2.61 ERA and a 7-7 win-loss record. She has started in 15 games and has recorded nine complete games. She owns team-high's of 73 strikeouts and 104.2 innings.
 
Concerning Emporia State: The Lady Hornets currently own a 13-10 overall record and a 4-2 record in MIAA play. April Huddleston is in her first season as head coach for ESU.  Saturday's game will be the 16th all-time meeting, as the Mavericks own a 5-11 all-time record against the Lady Hornets. The two team met earlier this season at the NSIC/MIAA Crossover in St. Cloud, Minn. ESU defeated MSU 4-3.

Junior Sarah Glass leads the Lady Hornets with a .380 batting average, while also recording 23 runs scored, 21 RBI and 12 stolen bases.  Sophomore Danielle Sprinkle falls right behind with a .371 batting average and has notched eight doubles, four home runs and 21 RBI so far this season. Junior Erica Harper leads ESU with five home runs, while sophomore Caitlin VanVleck leads the Lady Hornets with 26 runs scored and 16 stolen bases.

In the circle, junior Eryn Stockman owns a 2.31 ERA and has compiled an 8-3 record, including a victory over MSU earlier this season. She has tallied 10 complete games, 49 strikeouts in 75.2 innings.

Concerning Central Missouri: The Jennies currently sit with a 13-12 overall record and a 5-3 record in MIAA play. UCM is coached by Susan Anderson who is in her 10th season with the program. The Mavericks own a 7-8 all-time record against the Jennies, including 6-0 victory over UCM at the NSIC/MIAA Crossover earlier this season. Junior Coley Ries threw a complete game gem as she allowed just two hits and struck out 12 batters in the game.

Junior Lauren Mabe leads the Jennies this season with a .342 batting average, while also recording 16 runs scored, 11 RBI, 10 walks and five doubles. Senior Ali Jo Rogers leads the team with 22 stolen bases and 22 runs scored, while freshman Emily Robinson is swinging .296 from the plate and has tallied 11 RBI and 10 walks.

Robinson also pitches for the Jennies as she owns team-high's of a 2.52 ERA and 49 strikeouts. She has compiled a 6-4 record in 75 innings pitched.

Concerning Central Oklahoma: The Bronchos currently sit with a 19-7 overall record and a 5-3 record in MIAA play. UCO enters the Apple Market Classic on a six-game winning streak. The Bronchos are coached by  Cody White who is in his third season at the helm. MSU owns a 2-1 all-time record against UCO. In the most recent meeting the Bronchos defeated the Mavericks 1-0 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic back in 2013.

Sophomore Morgan Heard leads the Bronchos this season with 37 runs scored and 45 hits. Heard has belted a team-high 14 doubles and is tied for second with 23 RBI. Junior Lexi Watson is batting .406 and leads UCO with eight home runs and 44 RBI. Seniors Ally Dziadula and Ashton Smith have each tallied 23 RBI on the year, while Dziadula leads the Bronchos with eight stolen bases.

In the circle, junior pitcher Jessi Walker owns a 7-3 record and a 3.67 ERA in 76.1 innings.  Senior Nicole Brady is 9-1 on the season and owns a 4.38 ERA in 19 appearances.

Concerning #19 Northwest Missouri State: The Bearcats sit with a 17-5 overall record and a 5-3 record in MIAA play. NWSU has lost its last two games as it was swept by Central Missouri last weekend. The Bearcats are coach by Ryan Anderson who is in his 10th season at the helm. Sunday's matchup will be the 16th all-time meeting between the two teams as the Mavericks own an impressive 13-2 all-time record against the Bearcats.

Freshman Alexis Kelsey leads NWSU with a .406 batting average, 21 RBI, 20 runs scored and seven home runs. Sophomore Rebecca Maher is batting .400 from the plate and has posted 17 RBI and 13 runs scored. Sophomore Jessica Rawie owns a team-high 12 walks, along with 19 RBI and 19 runs scored. Junior Torri Blythe leads the Bearcats with 11 stolen bases and has also collected 19 runs scored.

Senior pitcher Kendle Schieber leads NWSU with an 8-3 win-loss record and a 2.35 ERA. She has fanned 55 batters this season in 77.1 innings pitched and is holding opposing batters to a .235 batting average.

NSIC Weekly Honors: Junior pitcher Coley Ries earned NSIC Pitcher of the Week honors after her impressive performances last week in Florida. The Mankato, Minn. native sported a perfect 3-0 record and a 0.00 ERA in games against Northwood, Bloomsburg and Ohio Dominican. Ries is currently on a 19-inning scoreless  streak, as she only allowed a combined five hits and struck out 36 batters last week.  Seventeen of those 36 strikeouts came against Northwood which matches her career-high in a single game. During her redshirt-freshman campaign, Ries fanned 17 batters against Concordia-St. Paul on March 26, 2014.
 
What Lies Ahead: After this weekend of games the Mavericks will open up NSIC play next week. MSU will have a mid-week twinbill at Concordia-St. Paul on Tuesday, before the Mavericks will have their first home games of the season next weekend against St.Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth.