MANKATO, Minn. --- The Minnesota State softball team, currently ranked #17 in the NFCA Coaches Poll, will wrap up the 2021 regular season with a pair of home doubleheaders against Southwest Minnesota State and Sioux Falls. Saturday, the Mavericks will take on the Mustangs with first pitch at 1:00 p.m. before taking on the Cougars Sunday with first pitch at noon. Senior day celebrations are also scheduled to take place as part of the Sunday series.

Mavericks at a Glance: Minnesota State (30-7, 19-5 NSIC) went 2-0 last weekend with a two-game sweep of the MSU Moorhead Dragons with wins of 2-0 and 9-1 in five innings. The Mavericks were ranked as in consideration in the second NCAA DII Central Region Rankings which places them in the top eight teams considered for postseason play in the central region, six of which will be selected.

Impact Mavericks: This season, junior Torey Richards is leading the Maverick offense batting .412 with 49 hits including five doubles and a pair of triples with 11 RBI. Senior Hannah McCarville is leading the team in RBI with 35 while batting .407 along with four homeruns. Senior Carly Esselman is the third leading hitter for Minnesota State batting .363 with 45 hits, nine doubles and 19 RBI. Freshman Sydney Nielsen leads the Mavericks in homers with eight on the season while hitting .346 and recording 32 RBI.

In the circle Mackenzie Ward is 17-3 with a 0.88 ERA with 228 strikeouts, currently the second most in the nation, and has been named NSIC Pitcher of the Week five times. Ward is in the midst of a 48-inning scoreless inning streak which began against Augustana Sunday, April 1. Ward recorded a career high 19 strikeouts in the Maverick 4-0 win over the Bemidji State Beavers, tying a Minnesota State team record for strikeouts in a seven-inning game which was set by Coley Ries against Lewis University during the 2017 season.

Scouting Southwest Minnesota State: Southwest Minnesota State is located in Marshall, Minn., and is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Mustangs are 25-15 (16-10 NSIC) and are led by third year head coach Bailey Bouman.

Saturday's games will be the 92nd and 93rd all-time meetings between the two programs with the most recent meeting being a 1-0 victory for the Mavericks during the 2019 season.

The Mustangs are led on offense by Kali Tomlinson who is hitting .407 with 40 RBI and 11 homeruns. 

In the circle, Megan Cull leads SMSU with an 12-5 record while posting a 3.21 ERA and striking out 88 batters.

Scouting Sioux Falls: Sioux Falls is located in Sioux Falls, S.D., and is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Cougars are currently 20-19 (14-11 NSIC) on the season and are led by third year coach Shannon Pivovar.

Sunday's games will be the 14th and 15th between these two programs, the most recent of which was a 6-1 win for the Mavericks in 2019.

Damaris Cuevas leads Sioux Falls on offense batting .433 with 39 hits, 39 hits and 17 RBI.

In the circle, Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag paces the Cougars with a 11-8 record, a 3.27 ERA and 107 strikeouts.

Looking Ahead: After this week's slate of games, the NSIC Softball Tournament is scheduled to begin Thursday, May 13 in Rochester, Minn., with individual matchups to be announced.