MANKATO, Minn. – The Minnesota State softball team (16-10) begins its NSIC regular season on the road in 2025, as the Mavericks will play a pair of double-headers against Northern State (6-15) and MSU Moorhead (8-19) this upcoming weekend, March 21 and 22.
 
Friday, March 21
Game 1 at Northern State – 2:00 p.m.
Game 2 at Northern State – 4:00 p.m.
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Sunday, March 23
Game 1 at MSU Moorhead – 12:00 p.m.
Game 2 at MSU Moorhead – 2:00 p.m.
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About the Mavericks
After dropping five one-run contests in Shawnee, Kan. for the Midwest College Classic, the Mavericks turned around and went 10-2 down in Florida for THE Spring Games. The team won five games by mercy-rule and outscored opponents 82-19 in its 12 games down south. Minnesota State is now 16-10 headed into NSIC play.
 
A big reason for the Mavericks' success over the last dozen games has been freshman outfielder Finley Anderson. The Aurora, Illinois native earned her first career NSIC Player of the Week award after batting .520 with 13 hits, nine runs scored, 10 RBI, five doubles, four triples, two home runs and five stolen bases. Anderson is batting .418 with a team leading 1.448 OPS. She currently leads the team in runs, all extra-base hits, RBI and has 20 more total bases than anyone else on the team. She also has a 1.000 fielding percentage on 24 putouts on defense.
 
Senior third baseman Cheyenne Behrends has also been raking at the plate recently. She is hitting .333 with a team-high 27 hits in 2025. Behrends has five doubles and 13 RBI. Junior first baseman Gianna Lara has produced at the plate, with 22 hits and a .306 average to go along with her five doubles, two home runs and 15 RBI. Ella Schulz also has 15 RBI as well as three homers, good for second on the team.
 
In the circle, Minnesota State is led by Sailor Hall who has amassed a 7-3 record in 71.1 innings pitched. She holds an ERA of 1.47 and a WHIP of .88. Hall has struck out 55 batters this season and has held those players to just a .179 average at the plate. The West Liberty, Iowa native has allowed just 15 earned runs in 2025.
 
Chloe Brandt has also been solid for the MSU pitching staff. She has a 0.57 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP and a 2-0 record in 24.2 innings of work. While she doesn't pitch many strikeouts, Brandt had two complete game shutouts in Florida for the Mavericks.
 
Legendary head coach Lori Meyer is in her 41st season as the Minnesota State softball coach. Meyer has accumulated a 1,405-749-3 record with the Maverick softball team, which is the most wins by an NCAA Division II coach in history. She has coached 31 All-Americans and 126 All-Conference players and has won eight conference titles, taken 17 trips to the NCAA Tournament, and three of her teams have made the NCAA Championship. In 2017, Meyer and the Mavericks won the NCAA DII National Championship.
 
The Mavericks have a 26-7 record against Northern State and have won the last two games against the Wolves. MSU has won seven of the last eight matchups against NSU.
 
While Minnesota State has a 48-11-1 record against MSU Moorhead, the Dragons have bested the Mavericks in the last four contests, including a 9-0 win in five innings against them in the NSIC Tournament last season. Before that, Minnesota State had beaten MSU Moorhead 30 consecutive times.
 
 
About the Wolves
Northern State started the year 6-5, but since then has lost 10-straight games going back to March 12. The Wolves are currently 6-15 headed into conference play.
 
Senior infielder, Avarie Eagle, is the team's leading hitter in 2025. She holds a .386 batting average. Aune Boben has a .385 average at the plate with a 1.013 OPS, 25 base hits, seven doubles, a triple and a home run to go along with 12 RBI. Emma Owens leads the team with 15 RBI. Madi Jones has two home runs which leads NSU.
 
Abby Rux is Northern State's best pitcher. In 59.2 innings, she has 36 Ks and a 7.86 ERA.
 
Wolves head coach Kaley Ness is in her first year as head coach of the Northern State softball team. She is the 12^th head coach in program history. Ness spent the last seven seasons as head coach for Chadron State College.
 
 
About the Dragons
Minnesota State Moorhead is 8-19 on the year. Between the Dome Invitational tournament in Rosemont, Ill., the Drury Classic in Springfield, Mo. and MIAA-NSIC Crossover Tournament in Joplin, Mo., the Dragons went just 3-13. However, MSUM defeated Nebraska Kearney 4-3 in eight innings in its most recent game.
 
Avery Steffen is a dynamic Dragon student-athlete. The senior pitcher/utility player is a leader at the plate and in the circle. She is hitting .396 with 36 hits in 2025 with seven doubles and three triples, all of which are team-highs. Steffen has 24 runs scored, 17 stolen bases and 49 total bases, which are all the most on the team. Throwing the ball, she leads the team with 59 strikeouts in 57 innings of work. She holds a 4.79 ERA, a 1.67 WHIP and a 4-7 record. Opposing batters are hitting .280 against Steffen.
 
Annika Norman is the Dragon's next best hitter. She is hitting .370 with 30 base hits, six doubles, two tripes and a team-leading 16 RBI. Norman has a respectable .885 OPS.
 
MSU Moorhead is led by first-year head coach Vanessa Kellems, who is the 17^th softball coach in program history. Prior to MSUM, Kellems was at the University of Saint Katherine in San Marcos, California.