MANKATO, Minn. – The Minnesota State softball team (5-1) will travel to Washburn, Kan. to take on five teams from the MIAA and Southwest Baptist University.
 
Schedule
Friday, Feb. 23 Schedule
vs Newman (6-5), 10:00 a.m.
vs Emporia State (9-6), 12:00 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 24 Schedule
vs Southwest Baptist (4-4), 12:00 p.m.
vs Missouri Western (2-2), 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 25 Schedule
vs Central Missouri (3-4), 12:00 p.m.
vs Pittsburg State (9-1), 4:00 p.m.
 
About the Mavericks
The Mavericks had a successful home tournament at the Maverick All Sports Dome earlier this month. The team went 5-1, with wins over Lewis, Upper Iowa, Emporia State and Southwest Minnesota State.

Maverick ace McKayla Armbruster had three excellent outings for MSU. She finished the weekend with a 0.35 ERA and a .50 WHIP over 20 innings pitched. She struck out 18 batters and walked none. Her opponents batted .154 against her, rallying for just 10 hits in their 65 at bats.

Freshman Izzy Hycnar had a statement weekend to open her Minnesota State career. Her first career hit was a walk-off single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to give the Mavericks a 1-0 win over Lewis. She hit the eventual game-winning runner home in a game against Emporia State after an 11-pitch at bat. Hycnar came in clutch again, hitting a game-ending RBI single in the bottom of the sixth against the Mustangs to end the game, 11-3. Overall, Hycnar totaled six hits in 13 at bats (.436 AVG), including two doubles and three RBIs. She also had a 1.077 OPS (.615 SLG% + .462 OB%).

As a team, the Mavericks have five players with five or more hits so far in this young season. Kylie Sullivan leads the team with seven hits with two doubles, two RBIs and a .368 batting average from the leadoff spot. Courtney Baxter, Ellie Tallman and Hycnar all have six hits. Baxter has four double, two RBIs and a .353 batting average. Another freshman, Courtney Kessler, leads the team in RBIs, with four.

Minnesota State has had eight players with multi-hit games and five players with multiple-RBI games so far in the young 2024 season.  

Minnesota State is led by legendary head coach, Lori Meyer, who returns for her 40th season at the helm of the Mavericks' dugout. She is the most winningest coach in NCAA Division II Softball history with a 1,371-727-3 record. Teams under Meyer have been to 17 NCAA Tournaments and three championships, including a win in 2017.
 
About the Jets
The Newman Jets have started the season with a 6-5 record. The Jets won five of their first seven games but have lost three straight to Friends University and Southern Nazarene.

Hayley Bonython is Newman's leading batter. So far in 2024, she has 13 hits, three doubles, two homers, 10 RBIs and a .419 batting average. Her OPS is 1.248. Lauren Kwak leads the team in RBIs with 12. Kwak has a batting average of .333, nine hits, one double and one home run.

Jackie Gold is the Jet's ace. Gold has pitched 34.2 innings so far this season with a WHIP of 1.44 and an ERA of 2.62. She has struck out 22 batters this season and has a record of 4-1.

The Jets are coached by fifth-year head coach Andrea Gustafson. Minnesota State won the only other matchup between the Mavericks and Newman.
 
About the Hornets
The Hornets are the only team the Mavericks have already faced this season. Emporia State heads into the Washburn Invite with a 9-6 record. ESU is currently on an eight-game winning streak.

Alexis Dial and Lexi Williams are the leading hitters for the Hornets so far this season. Dial currently has a batting average of .533, with 24 hits in 45 at bats. She's hit eight doubles, a triple and two home runs, Dial has knocked in 24 baserunners so far this season. Williams is batting .489 this season, with 23 hits, three doubles and a triple. Williams has six RBIs this season.

Gracie Rabe has pitched the most innings for Emporia State. Rabe has a 2.36 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP in six appearances. She has 14 strikeouts so far this season. Jordan Harrison leads the Hornets in strikeouts with 18.

This is the tenth season April Rosales has been the head coach of Emporia State. Rosales' Hornets teams have gone 150-149 in her tenure. Minnesota State won both of its matchups against the Hornets at the MSU Dome Tournament. The Mavericks won the first game 8-0 and the second 11-3. Both games wrapped up in six innings.
 
About the Bearcats
Southwest Baptist has had an even 4-4 start to 2024. The Bearcats lost their first four games and have now won four straight to get back to .500.

The Bearcats' leading hitter is Margo Frossard. Frossard is batting .412, getting on base half the time, with two home runs and six RBIs.

Southwest Baptist's ace is Emma Kreisel. The sophomore is 2-0 in her two starts, striking out a total of ten batters. Kreisel currently has an ERA of 0.78 and a WHIP of .44.

The Bearcats are coached by Tripp Swisher. Minnesota State has won both of its matchups against Southwest Baptist, most recently in 2021.
 
About the Griffons
Missouri Western has gone 2-2 through its first four games of the season. Like Southwest Baptist, the Griffons started 0-2 and proceeded to win its next two games.

The Griffons' best batter is Kaylea Fessler. Fessler is batting .429 so far in 2024, with three hits. MWU has three players with multiple RBIs.

Sydney Rader and Harley Pruetting are the Griffons' two aces. Rader had a 1.00 ERA and a .43 WHIP with five strikeouts in her one start this season. Pruetting has eight strikeouts, a 1.35 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP through two starts and 10.1 innings pitched.

Joey Yegge leads the Griffons from the dugout. Yegge is in his third season at the helm of Missouri Western softball. The Mavericks are 19-14 all-time against the Griffons, winning eight of the last 10 matchups.
 
About the Jennies
The Central Missouri Jennies have started 2024 with a 3-4 record heading into the Washburn Invite.

The Jennies' best hitter is Taylor Thompson. Thompson has five hits in 14 at bats, with a home run and three RBIs. Thompson is batting .357 and has a 1.224 OPS.

Central Missouri's ace is Paige Petefish. Petefish, in her one start, allowed one hit and no runs, walked one batter and struck out three.

UCM is coached by Susan Anderson, who enters her 19^th season as head coach of the Jennies in 2024. The Jennies have a 13-11 all-time record against Minnesota State, although MSU has bested Central Missouri in six of the last 10 games.
 
About the Gorillas
Pittsburg State has had an excellent start to the 2024 season, jumping out to a 9-1 record. The Gorillas won their first eight games before losing to Southern Nazarene.

Heather Arnett leads the team with a .615 batting average. Arnett has two doubles and four triples, driving in seven batters. She has a 1.497 OPS. Hannah Burnett leads the team with two home runs and 14 RBIs. She also has two doubles and two triples. Burnett is batting .424 with a 1.300 OPS.

The Gorillas' ace is Ava Laurent. Laurent, in four starts and six appearances, has 27 strikeouts. Kiana Pogroszweksi has 14 strikeouts while walking just two batters in her first four starts. She has an ERA of 1.91 and a WHIP of 1.21.

Pittsburg State is led by head coach Jenny Fuller, who is in her third season coaching the Gorillas. Despite losing the last two matchups against the Gorillas, the Mavericks lead the all-time series, 9-8.