MANKATO, Minn. --- The Minnesota State softball team is preparing for the first round of the NSIC Softball Tournament. After concluding the 2019 regular season, the Mavericks are set to face off with St. Cloud State in the first round of the conference tournament with first pitch scheduled for noon this Thursday at the RYFSA Complex in Rochester, Minn.
Mavericks at a Glance: Minnesota State (35-17, 20-10 NSIC) went 6-0 last week with a two game sweeps over Sioux Falls, Northern State, and Minnesota State Moorhead. With the wins, the Mavericks have improved their current win streak to 13 games.
Impact Mavericks: Senior outfielder
McKenzie Paap leads Minnesota State in batting average, hitting .374 from the plate and is leading the team in runs scored (44), hits, (65) and stolen bases (41).
Emma Schifferle leads the team in RBI with 30 and home runs with seven.
Sophomore pitcher
Mackenzie Ward leads the Mavericks with 19 wins and currently holds a 1.92 ERA while holding opposing batters to a .209 average. Ward recorded her first career no-hitter against Pittsburg State in a 2-0 win March 22, 2019.
Scouting St. Cloud State: St. Cloud State is located in St. Cloud, Minn., and is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Huskies are 40-14 (22-8 NSIC) on the season. St. Cloud State is led by 22nd year head coach Paula U'Ren.
The Huskies are led by Mayra Keating who is batting .405 and has 45 runs scored and 26 stolen bases on the season. Jasmin Estrada leads the team in RBI with 57 and is batting .401 on the season. Kate Kopeck leads St. Cloud State in wins with 17 on the season and a 2.17 ERA.
Thursday's game marks the 134th meeting between the teams, and the third time they will face off this season. The first time they met this season the Huskies won the game 1-0 on the back of solo homerun in the sixth inning. St. Cloud State won a close second game on a walk-off single that gave them a 3-2 win.
Looking Ahead: The winner of the game between the Huskies and Mavericks will face off with the winner between top seed Winona State and the lowest remaining seeded team between Southwest Minnesota State, Upper Iowa, Minot State and Sioux Falls. The loser of the Minnesota State St. Cloud State game will proceed to the elimination bracket to face the losing team between Minot State and Sioux Falls.
