MANKATO, Minn. --- The Minnesota State softball team begins conference play this week with a pair of games against Concordia-St. Paul Wednesday afternoon before traveling to North Dakota for doubleheaders with the University of Mary and Minot State Saturday and Sunday.  
 
Mavericks at a Glance: Minnesota State (15-7) went 3-1 at the Emporia State Softball classic, defeating Northeastern State, Pittsburg State, and Emporia State while dropping the game against Central Missouri.  Due to rain, the final matchup with Washburn was canceled to end the weekend.  

Impact Mavericks: Senior catcher Cori Kennedy currently leads the team with a .414 batting average, a .614 slugging percentage, and a .455 on base percentage.  Sophomore Emma Schifferle leads the team with 17 runs batted in and is fourth on the team with 11 runs scored.  

Sophomore pitcher Mackenzie Ward leads the Mavericks with seven wins and currently holds a 2.10 ERA while holding opposing batters to a .195 average.  Ward recorded her first career no-hitter against Pittsburg State in a 2-0 win March 22, 2019.  

Scouting Concordia-St. Paul: Concordia-St. Paul is located in St. Paul, Minn., and is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Golden Bears are 13-7 on the season.  Concordia-St. Paul is led by 15th year head coach Bob Bartel.

The Golden Bears are led by Kris McIntyre who is batting .432 and has 19 runs scored.  Samantha Sullivan leads Concordia-St. Paul in ERA with 2.25 on the season and six wins.

Wednesday's games mark the 75th and 76th meetings between the teams and last season the Mavericks won both contests with the Golden Bears, 9-7 and 10-4.  

Scouting University of Mary: The University of Mary is located in Bismarck, N.D., and is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).    The Marauders are currently 9-11 on the season and are led by first year head coach Stephanie Roan.  

The University of Mary is led on offense by Kasidy Chileen who is batting .441 with 14 RBI on the season. Rebekkah Keller is the second leading hitter for the Marauders batting .411 and has scored 30 runs.

These games mark the 21st and 22nd all-time meetings between the two teams and last season the Mavericks and Marauders split their season series.

Scouting Minot State: Minot State is located in Minot, N.D., and is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Beavers currently hold an 11-6 overall record on the season and are led by Dave Kivett who is in his second year with the program.

Minot State is led on offense by Karlee Coughlin who is batting .380 on the season with 12 RBI.  In the circle, the Beavers are led by Laura Mendez who has five wins and is giving up a 2.60 ERA.  

These games mark the 15th and 16th all-time contests between the teams and last season the Mavericks swept the two-game series between the two.  

Looking Ahead: The Mavericks are scheduled to play the Winona State Warriors in Mankato Tuesday April 2 at 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. before weekend series with Augustana and Wayne State Saturday and Sunday.  In the event of any schedule changes or site changes, they will be announced at msumavericks.com.