MANKATO, Minn. – After going 6-0 last week and taking control of the top spot in the NSIC, Minnesota State softball (30-12, 14-2 NSIC) will face a gauntlet of some of the best the conference has to offer in a trio of double headers this week.
 
Wednesday, April 9 at Winona State
Game 1: 2:00 p.m.
Game 2: 4:00 p.m.
Watch
Live Stats
 
Saturday, April 12 vs Minnesota Duluth
Game 1: 12:00 p.m.
Game 2: 2:00 p.m.
Watch
Live Stats
 
Sunday, April 13 vs St. Cloud State
Game 1: 12:00 p.m.
Game 2: 2:00 p.m.
Watch
Live Stats
 
 
About the Mavericks
As previously mentioned, Minnesota State is currently the top team in the NSIC standings after three weeks of conference play with a 14-2 record. The Mavericks went 6-0 against Concordia-St. Paul, Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State last week and is now on an eight-game winning streak.
 
MSU won both of its games against the Golden Bears thanks to some big innings during each game, including a come-from-behind three-run inning in the bottom of the sixth in game two to secure the win. Later in the week, the Mavericks outscored UMC 11-1 between their two games against the Golden Eagles. Senior third baseman Cheyenne Behrends hit her first homer of the season in game one to put the team up multiple runs early. Minnesota State came back against the Beavers, as well, in game one, as the team put two runs on the board in the top of the seventh to take a late lead before shutting BSU out in the bottom half. That bats were active in game two, as the Mavericks scored 11 runs and hit two home runs to win by eight.
 
Several MSU student-athletes had great weeks. The aforementioned Behrends scored seven runs and drove in three in her six starts last week. Izzy Hycnar led the team with seven runs batted in. She hit .300 with six hits including a double and a triple. Fellow sophomore Kurstyn Patnode had the best day of her Maverick career against Bemidji State with four hits, two doubles and one RBI. Both Gianna Lara and Maddie Helin had similar weeks; Both hit a home run against the Beavers and drove in five RBI. Helin hit .353 with five runs and six hits. Lara hit .350 with two doubles, seven base knocks and 12 total bases to lead the team. The junior first baseman also led the team in slugging percentage with a .600 SLG%. Senior center fielder Marina Carter hit an even .500 last week with a .529 on-base percentage. She drove in one RBI and scored four times.
 
In the pitcher's circle, junior Sailor Hall went 3-0 with a team-high 16 strikeouts last week. She allowed just one run in each of her three appearances. She is now 10-4 in 2025 with a 1.75 ERA, a .99 WHIP, an opponent batting average of .205 and 76 Ks. Minnesota State's other main starter, Brianne Stone holds a 1.37 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP and an 8-4 record in 66.1 innings pitched. She has struck out 48 batters thus far in her senior season.
 
At the plate, Carter leads the team with a .361 batting average. The senior speedster has two doubles, two triples, a home run, 11 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 2025. Lara is batting .352 with a team-best .981 OPS in her junior season. She leads the team with 44 hits, 11 doubles and five home runs. The first baseman is also second on the team with 28 RBI. Hycnar is the team's RBI leader with 30 in the three-hole for the Mavericks. She is hitting .333 with an .879 OPS and eight doubles. Freshman lead off hitter Carly Kimmes leads the team with a .453 on-base percentage and 20 stolen bases in her rookie campaign.
 
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. 
 
Against the Warriors of Winona State, the Mavericks are 58-51. Minnesota State split with WSU last season with a 2-1 win and a 4-0 loss, but the Mavericks have won seven of the last 10 matchups with the Warriors. MSU is an even 17-17 in Winona.
 
Minnesota State leads the all-time series against Minnesota Duluth, 57-45. These two teams have already faced off this season, as the Mavericks split with the Bulldogs in the MSU Dome Tournament back in early February. Minnesota State won its season opener 2-0 before dropping game two to UMD, 9-5. The Mavericks are 22-13 versus the Bulldogs on their home field.
 
The Mavericks are 86-61 against St. Cloud State with a 7-3 record in the last 10 matchups between the two schools. MSU swept the Huskies last season in 10-5 and 7-1 victories. The last time SCSU defeated the Mavericks in Mankato was 2021.
 
 
About the Warriors
Winona State has been one of the best teams in the NSIC all spring. The Warriors won their first nine games and went 19-6 in non-conference action. WSU has rolled through conference play, as well, with a 12-2 record against NSIC opponents. The team's only losses in conference play came against St. Cloud State, 7-6, and Minnesota Crookston, 2-1. Winona State is second in the NSIC, currently.
 
Each of the nine eligible Warrior players is hitting above .300 this season, seven of whom have driven in 20 or more runs at the plate.
 
Graduate student Sam Keller is the team's leading hitter. The fifth-year Warrior is leading the NSIC in batting average (.445), on-base percentage (.544) and OPS (1.300), and she is ranked in the top 10 in slugging percentage (.756), runs scored (40), hits (53), doubles (14), triples (4) and walks (27). Keller has driven in 27 RBI in 2025.
 
Another great Winona State player is freshman Braelee Jodarski. The Oshkosh West High School graduate is hitting .347 with a 1.211 OPS, 16 home runs and 47 RBI in her rookie campaign. She ranks first in the conference in slugging (.822) and homers, is second in runs batted in and fourth in OPS.
 
Sophomore Indigo Fish is also having a great season for the Warriors. The Superior, Wis. native hitting .412 with 49 hits and 23 RBI. She has started all 39 games for Winona State.
 
The Warriors are no slouch in the circle, either. Izzy Howe, the team's ace, is 15-3 in 2025 with 137 strikeouts, a 1.84 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP, and an opponent batting average of .159. Her allowed batting average and win total are best in the conference and she is third in strikeouts. The other Winona State starter, Jayda Berg, is 14-4 with 49 Ks this season.
 
Winona State head coach Greg Jones is in the midst of his 25^th season with the Warrior softball program. He holds a 962-336-4 record with 15 NCAA Tournament appearances and 25 consecutive 30-win seasons, not including 2020, when the season was shortened due to COVID-19.
 
 
About the Bulldogs
Headed into week four, Minnesota Duluth is 28-12 with an 8-4 conference record. After a 3-3 start to NSIC regular season play, the Bulldogs have won six of their last seven games, including wins against Southwest Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul. The team currently ranks fifth in the NSIC.
 
The Bulldogs' best hitter at the plate is Nicole Schmitt. The senior from Verona, Wis. is hitting .430 with a 1.280 OPS, nine doubles, 11 home runs and 52 RBI, which leads the NSIC. Schmitt also ranks second in home runs, batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and OPS in the conference. She is fifth in total base hits and runs scored.
 
Morgan McMillan is batting .367 with a 1.008 OPS with 10 doubles, two triples, three home runs and 27 RBI. Kendal Jenkins is second on the team with 28 runs batted in.
 
Alyssa Williams is the best pitcher for the Bulldogs in 2025. She holds a 2.49 ERA and a 13-6 record. Williams has struck out 91 batters this season with opposing hitter batting .235 against her. She has 10 complete games under her belt thus far in the year.
 
Nat Wagner is in his first year coaching Bulldog softball in 2025. Prior to UMD, Wagner spent two seasons with the University of St. Thomas and Minot State.
 
 
About the Huskies
St. Cloud State is 30-11 heading into week four of the NSIC regular season. The Huskies lost their first conference matchup to Winona State before beating the Warriors, 7-6. That win kicked off a four-game win streak before the team had a three-game skid against Augustana, Wayne State and Bemidji State. Now, St. Cloud State has won five straight against the Beavers, SMSU and CSP.
 
Reese Holzhueter is the Husky leader in batting average (.418), hits (59), doubles (12) and triples (5). She also has one homer and 23 RBI driven in this season. Brooke Holmes is the team's power hitter, with a team-high 1.121 OPS, seven home runs and 36 RBI. Holmes also has 11 doubles on the year.
 
Macey Clark is the SCSU ace in 2025. She holds a .205 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP and a 12-5 record with 11 complete games this season. She has struck out 99 batters and has held opposing hitters to a .230 average at the plate. Justyc Porter, a relief pitcher, has the best ERA on the team, 1.58, and is tied for the league lead in saves with six.
 
Head coach of the Huskies, Mitch Roberts, is in his fourth season in St. Cloud. Roberts has spent time coaching softball at Cal-Berkeley, Tulsa and Ball State at the DI level.