MANKATO, Minn. – The Mavericks continue NSIC play this week at the Maverick All-Sports Dome, hosting Southwest Minnesota State, Sioux Falls, and No. 22 Winona State. Originally scheduled as road contests, the matchups against Southwest Minnesota State and Sioux Falls were moved to Mankato due to weather. Minnesota State faces the Mustangs on Thursday, April 2, with games set for 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., before taking on the Cougars on Friday, April 3, at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Despite playing at home, MSU will be designated as the visiting team in the official box score. The Mavericks then wrap up the stretch on Tuesday, April 7, against No. 22 Winona State with a doubleheader scheduled for 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

About the Mavericks
Under the direction of head coach Kristle Wolcott, MSU has posted a 20-12 overall record going 7-1 in NSIC play this season. Last weekend on the road the Mavericks fell in a closely contested first game with Minot State by a final of 2-1 though the squad rallied in game two to come up with a 3-2 victory. On Sunday, Minnesota State swept UMary by finals of 5-4 and 6-2. After two successful weekends in NSIC play, MSU is tied for third place in the conference standings with St. Cloud State, Southwest Minnesota State and Sioux Falls. 

Together the Mavericks totaled a .313 batting average compiling 29 hits across four games last weekend. MSU sits in fourth amongst NSIC opponents in batting average. In the pitching circle, the staff combines for a 4.50 ERA with 159 strikeouts thus far this season. On the defensive end of the game, Minnesota State holds a .960 fielding percentage. 

Hannah Tong hit an impressive .538 (7-for-13) across four games against Minot State and UMary, posting a .923 slugging percentage with one home run and one double. She scored four runs and drove in three while reaching base at a .571 clip. On the season, Tong is hitting .468, which ranks second in the NSIC. The sophomore from Stacy, Minn., has also tallied seven home runs this year, tied for fourth most in the conference alongside teammate Gianna Lara.

Jorey Fry turned in a strong week in the circle, going 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA. The freshman pitched 14.0 innings across two complete games, allowing just four earned runs on 12 hits while striking out 12 batters.

First baseman Lara holds a .409 batting average on the season, ranking fifth in the NSIC. She recorded two hits and two RBIs over the weekend, continuing to be a key contributor in the Mavericks' lineup.

About the Mustangs
Southwest Minnesota State enters the week with a 21-13 overall record, including a 7-1 mark in NSIC play, and is currently tied for fourth in the conference standings. Head coach Bailey Bouman is in her eighth season leading the program. The Mustangs are coming off a dominant weekend, sweeping both Bemidji State and Minnesota Duluth. SMSU opened with a 10-2 (6 inn.) and 8-1 sweep of the Beavers, then followed with a 1-0 win and a 9-0 (5 inn.) victory over the Bulldogs on Sunday.

As a team, the Mustangs are hitting .298 with a .391 slugging percentage through 34 games this season. In the circle, their pitching staff holds a 2.34 ERA with seven shutouts, while limiting opponents to a .263 batting average. Defensively, SMSU owns a .965 fielding percentage.

Offensively, Aliza Acker has been a key contributor, leading the team with three home runs while batting .345 on the season. The freshman hit .462 (6-for-13) over the weekend with four runs scored and four RBIs, recording two hits in both games against Bemidji State and adding a two-RBI double versus Minnesota Duluth. 

In the circle, Ramsey Hopp went 2-0 with a 1.07 ERA across 13.0 innings, allowing just two earned runs on eight hits. She also tossed a two-hit shutout against Minnesota Duluth with seven strikeouts and contributed offensively with two hits and three RBIs against Bemidji State.

Minnesota State and Southwest Minnesota State meet for the second time this season after splitting a non-conference doubleheader earlier this year. MSU dropped game one 9-4 before responding with an 8-7 extra-inning win in game two. The Mavericks hold an 81-26 all-time record against the Mustangs and average 5.18 runs per game in the series.

About the Cougars
Posting a 19-14 record this season and going 7-1 in NSIC play, Sioux Falls enters the weekend riding a six-game winning streak. Head coach Tommy Downs is in his first season at the helm, guiding the Cougars to a tie for third place in the NSIC standings alongside four other teams.

Last weekend, USF faced Minnesota Duluth and Bemidji State, sweeping all four contests. The closest game came against the Bulldogs, where the Cougars secured a 3-1 victory. In the other three matchups, Sioux Falls held its opponents scoreless. The team's last loss came on March 20 against Minnesota Crookston, falling 3-0.

As a team, USF is batting .273, ranking 12th in the NSIC, while posting a .349 slugging percentage. The Cougars' pitching staff has been one of the strongest in the conference, ranking third in ERA at 2.13 while recording seven shutouts. Defensively, Sioux Falls holds a .965 fielding percentage.

Senior Kyra Knudtson has started all 33 games this season and leads the offense with a .344 batting average. She has totaled 32 hits, the second most on the team, along with a .462 slugging percentage and one home run. Last weekend, Knudtson tallied three hits and three RBIs across four games.

Maddi Duncan has anchored the USF pitching staff and continues to stand out in the NSIC, earning her second Pitcher of the Week honor. Over the last two series, Duncan threw a complete-game shutout against Minnesota Duluth, allowing just two hits while striking out 14. She followed with another complete-game shutout against Bemidji State, giving up five hits and recording seven strikeouts. Across the weekend, Duncan logged 15 innings, allowing no earned runs and striking out 22 batters.

Historically, Minnesota State holds the advantage in the series, winning 22 of 24 matchups. The Mavericks are currently on a six-game winning streak against the Cougars, including 13-0 and 2-0 victories last season. Sioux Falls' last win over MSU came in April 2022 with a 4-0 final.

About the Warriors
Winona State enters the week ranked No. 22 in the NFCA Coaches Poll with a 29-4 overall record and remains one of two unbeaten teams in NSIC play at 8-0, sitting atop the conference standings. Head coach Greg Jones' squad is currently riding a 12-game winning streak following weekend sweeps of UMary and Minot State. 

As a team, the Warriors lead the NSIC with a .344 batting average and have totaled a conference-best 305 hits, along with a .531 slugging percentage. In the circle, Winona State has been equally strong, posting a 2.33 ERA with nine shutouts and 280 strikeouts on the season.

Individually, Bryn Elsenpeter earned NSIC Player of the Week honors after batting .643 (9-for-14) in a 4-0 weekend, recording two home runs, one double, 11 RBIs, and six runs scored. The senior infielder also tallied three multi-hit games, including a 4-for-4 performance against Minot State, while adding 10 putouts and five assists defensively. 

In the circle, Jayda Berg went 2-0 with two complete-game victories, tossing 14.0 innings while allowing just four earned runs. She struck out 13 batters without issuing a walk, forced 28 ground-ball outs, and improved to 12 wins on the season, including a 4-0 mark in NSIC play.

Minnesota State holds a slight 59-53 edge in the all-time series, though Winona State has won three of the last five meetings. The two teams split their regular-season matchups last year before the Warriors secured a 5-2 win in the NSIC Tournament semifinal. The Mavericks average 3.91 runs per game against Winona State and hold a 29-18 record against the Warriors in Mankato.