MANKATO, Minn. – Minnesota State softball (35-11, 15-5 NSIC) will host the Warriors of Winona State (27-15, 11-5 NSIC) and Wayne State (7-33, 3-13 NSIC) in its final homestand of the 2024 season.
 
Schedule
Thursday, April 18
vs. Winona State, TBA
vs.Winona State, TBA
Sunday, April 21
vs. Wayne State, 12 p.m.
vs. Wayne State, 2 p.m.
 
About the Mavericks
Minnesota State went 3-3 last week, facing some tough conference opponents. After winning 12-straight games against NSIC opponents, the team lost both of its games against Concordia-St. Paul, 5-4 and 10-6. The Mavericks came back and won three of four to finish the weekend, defeating St. Cloud State twice and beating Minnesota Duluth in game two in the double-header last Sunday.
 
The team maintains its third-place position in the NSIC standings, sitting behind Concordia and Augustana.
 
This Mavericks squad has eight players hitting above .300 this season. The team is batting .324 overall and has driven in 226 RBI while only allowing 114 runs defensively. MSU pitchers have struck out 227 batters, ranking third in the NSIC, an ERA of 2.23, allowing only 98 earned runs this season.
 
Senior second baseman Ellie Tallman leads the team with a .399 batting average in the leadoff spot. She has three doubles, four triples and a home run this season with 14 RBI and a .940 OPS. Tallman leads the team with 21 multi-hit games and has three games with multiple runs batted in.
 
Right behind her is freshman Courtney Kessler. She is hitting .391 with an OPS of .938, hitting 12 doubles, a team high, and hitting in 33 baserunners. In her rookie season, she has 15 games with multiple base hits and eight games with multiple RBI.
 
Centerfielder Kylie Sullivan leads the team with a 1.009 OPS and a .364 average at the plate. She is second on the team in home runs with four. The senior also has four triples and nine doubles in 2024. Sullivan has driven in 30 RBI this season. She leads the team with 80 total bases.
 
Sophomore first baseman Gianna Lara leads the team with seven homers, 40 RBI and 20 walks drawn. She is hitting .331 with a .964 OPS. She was named the NSIC Player of the Week for the first time in her career earlier this season.
 
Freshmen Rhyan Fritz, Izzy Hycnar and Maddie Helin are having solid starts to their careers. Fritz, a regular starter at shortstop for the team, is hitting .330 with an OPS of .895. She has 11 extra-base hits, including two home runs, 19 RBI and seven games with multiple hits. Hycnar, another infielder who usually plays at short, hit her first home run of her career against Concordia-St. Paul. Helin, who slid into the lineup due to injury, hit the first two homers of her career against Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston. She is hitting .344 on the year with 12 RBI.
 
Speaking of freshmen, arguably the most important freshman to this Minnesota State team is Maddie Oetzmann. The pitcher from Urbandale, Iowa, in 24 appearances in the circle, is 16-3 with an ERA of 2.13. In 92 innings pitched, Oetzmann has 72 strikeouts, while allowing only 83 hits and 35 runs. Hitters are batting .235 against the freshman.
 
McKayla Armbruster is the Mavericks' other ace. The fifth-year pitcher has an ERA of 1.79 and a WHIP of .99. She has pitched 138 innings, striking out 126 batters while only walking 21. She is 17-5 in her final season in a Minnesota State jersey. Against Bemidji State, became the seventh player in program history to reach 500 strikeouts. With 529 K's in her career, Armbruster is sixth in team history in strikeouts.
 
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, reaching 1,400 wins against St. Cloud State last week. Teams under Meyer have been to 17 NCAA Tournaments and three championships, including a win in 2017.
 
About the Warriors
Winona State is 27-15 and 11-5 in the NSIC at this point in the 2024 season. The Warriors are currently in fifth place in the conference, most recently splitting a double-header with Minot State, which ended a five-game winning streak.
 
The team is hitting .335 and has 231 runs batted in. Warriors pitchers have struck out 201 batters with a 3.63 team ERA.
 
Winona State's best hitter is Abbie Hlas. She is hitting .389 and leads the team in walks, runs and on-base percentage. She broke the program record for career doubles with 66 in her career. Sam Keller leads WSU in hits, home runs and slugging percentage. Both players have 14 doubles and two triples this season.
 
The Warriors are led by two pitchers, Izzy Howe and Abby Smith. Smith leads the team with 106.1 innings pitched and has 46 strikeouts. Howe has 105 strikeouts and is 11-4 this season.
 
Winona State is coached by Greg Jones, who reached 950 wins recently against MSU Moorhead. Minnesota State is 57-50 against WSU all-time, winning the last two games against the Warriors last season. The Mavericks are 7-3 in the last 10 games against Winona State.
 
About the Wildcats
Wayne State has had a tough 2024 season. The Wildcats are 7-33 and 3-13 in NSIC play this year. The team defeated Bemidji State in its most recent game, 9-1.
 
The team is hitting .234 on the season, with 92 runs batted in. Wildcat pitchers have a 5.66 ERA and have struck out 142 hitters.
 
Haylee Weber is WSC's best hitter, hitting .296 with three doubles and 10 RBI on the season. Dylan Sweeney has two home runs and 15 RBI on the year, both team highs.
 
Grace Lucka has the lowest ERA on the team with a 4.92 earned run average. She is 5-7 in 27 appearances and has 69 strikeouts on the season.
 
The Wildcats are coached by Christy Warnock, who is in her second year coaching at Wayne State. Minnesota State is 38-11 in games against WSC, winning seven of the last 10. However, the Wildcats bested the Mavericks in their most recent matchup, winning 14-9.