MANKATO, Minn. --- The Minnesota State softball team is set to host the NCAA Division II Central Region 2 Tournament for the seventh time in program history and first time since 2014. The second-seeded Mavericks will face seventh-seeded Augustana on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. On Friday, MSU will face will face either third-seeded Central Oklahoma or sixth-seeded Pittsburg State. 

The Central Region is broken up in two sub regions, the other is being hosted by top-seeded Harding in Searcy, Ark. Each Regional is played as a double-elimination tournament, with winners advancing to a best of three Super Regional May 18-19. The NCAA Championships will be played in Salem, Va., on May 25-29. 

NSIC Tournament Champions: Minnesota State topped Winona State, 1-0,to claim its third NSIC Tournament Championship. With the win, MSU pushed its win streak to a team record 24 straight games and matched a program high 54th win. 

The game was scoreless for the opening three and a half innings until senior Ashley Thell connected on what would be the game-winning run in bottom of the fourth inning on a home run blast down the left field line. It was her sixth home run of the season. The Warriors only got one more runner on base the  rest of the way as the Mavericks went on to grind out the 1-0 win. 

All-NSIC Honors: Nine Mavericks garnered All-NSIC honors this season. Head coach Lori Meyer was named NSIC Coach of the Year for the second straight season and fourth time of her career. Senior pitcher Coley Ries was selected as the NSIC Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive year and third time in her career. 

Ries was also named to the All-NSIC First Team along with junior Jess Meidl, sophomore McKenzie Paap, and freshman Amber Kral. Senior Ashley Thell, junior Libby Bemis, and freshman Carly Esselman received All-NSIC Second Team honors. Paap and sophomore Cori Kennedy garnered NSIC Gold Glove accolades. 

NCAA Tournament History: This is the 15th time MSU will make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Last season, Minnesota State edged Northwest Missouri State, 1-0. The Mavericks then went on to drop back-to-back games to Arkansas Tech, 2-0, and Upper Iowa, 2-0. MSU has not advanced out of regional play since the 2011 season when it appeared in the NCAA Championships. 

Chasing History: The Mavericks matched a program-high 54 wins which was set in 2011 last week against Winona State.  

In the Polls: Minnesota State remained in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Poll climbing up three spots to six after being ranked ninth last week.

Nationally Speaking: Senior Coley Ries has 375 strikeouts this season which ranks first in NCAA Division II. She also has a 0.75 ERA which positions her second in NCAA Division II.  

By the Numbers: Minnesota State has a .347 batting average ranking seventh in NCAA Division II. MSU has totaled 559 hits this season with 333 RBI, 94 doubles, 38 home runs, and 20 triples. 

Scouting Augustana: Augustana is located in Sioux Falls, S.D. and has an overall record of 38-14. Most recently, the Vikings fell to Bemidji State, 7-4, in the NSIC Tournament. Augustana is led by head coach Gretta Melsted who is in her 11th season. 

These two programs met earlier this season on April 1 when Minnesota State swept Augustana, 4-0, and, 5-3. The Vikings hold edge in the all-time series, 65-61.

Senior Sarah Kennedy leads NCAA Division II in batting average with .517. She has compiled 90 hits with 58 runs, 58 RBI,  29 doubles, and 15 home runs. In the circle, junior Lexy Pederson has a team-best 2.19 ERA and team-high 41 strikeouts to round out the top performers.