Aberdeen, S.D. – The Northern State University softball team will head back to the Presentation College Dome this Friday and Saturday for a pair of NSIC doubleheaders versus Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State. Northern will face the Cougars at 6 and 8 p.m. on Friday and the Mustangs at 2 and 4 p.m. on Saturday.
 
The Wolves enter the weekend with a 14-12 record overall and 4-2 mark in the NSIC. NSU is hitting .322 as a team with 222 hits, 122 runs scored, 47 doubles, three triples, 12 homeruns, 114 RBI, and 23 stolen bases. Defensively, Northern is fielding .940 this season with 508 putouts, 244 assists, and 48 errors. The pitching staff holds a 4.46 ERA through 169.1 innings pitched with 82 strikeouts and a .276 opponent batting average.
 
Kennady Thompson leads the team hitting .420 this season, notching a team high 34 hits, 13 runs scored, and 19 RBI. Katie Dawson has hit a team leading five homeruns, while Jamie Fisher leads the Wolves with six doubles. Shayla Steinley has been perfect on the base paths, going 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts. Fisher also leads the Northern State staff with a 10-7 record overall and 2.85 ERA. The junior has thrown 116.2 innings this season with 64 strikeouts and a .243 opponent average.
 
Mackenzie Thielen sits third in the league in conference games with a .556 average, notching five hits in nine plate appearances. The senior is also fourth in on-base percentage with a .600 mark. Fisher is tied for ninth in the league hitting .500 against NSIC opponents. Courtney Sjerven currently leads the NSIC with two triples, while Thompson is tied for fifth with two homeruns.
 
About the Cougars
- Sioux Falls enters the weekend with a 20-9 record overall and 5-1 mark in league action, falling only to Winona State in extra innings
- USF is hitting .302 this season with 241 hits, 162 runs scored, 52 doubles, two triples, 25 homeruns, 149 RBI, and 26 stolen bases
- Defensively, the Cougars are fielding .842 with 599 puts, 251 assists, and 26 errors
- The pitching staff posts a 2.69 ERA through 200.0 innings pitched with a .258 opponent batting average and 135 strikeouts
- Lindsey Mossman leads seven Cougars hitting above .300 this season at .372 with 32 hits, 23 runs scored, and 13 doubles
- Courtney Mathews and Breanna Black each have eight wins on the year, with Mathews posting a team leading 2.09 ERA and Black notching a team high 50 strikeouts
- Sioux Falls is led by head coach Kelsey Thompson in her fourth season at the helm
 
A Season Ago
- The Wolves spilt with the Cougars a season ago, winning game one 5-4 and falling in game two 13-5
- Fisher pitched the win for NSU and went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI at the plate
- NSU tallied seven hits in the game two loss, including two doubles from Fisher and Jenna Helgeson
- Northern is 9-5 all-time against Sioux Falls
 
About the Mustangs
- Southwest enters the weekend with a 6-15 record overall and 1-5 mark in the NSIC with their lone league win coming against Upper Iowa
- The Mustangs are hitting .258 this season with 140 hits, 72 runs scored, 28 doubles, three triples, eight homeruns, 61 RBI, and eight stolen bases
- SMSU has posted a .946 fielding percentage with 395 putouts, 149 assists, and 31 errors
- The Mustang pitching staff holds a 5.74 ERA through 131.2 innings pitched with a .348 opponent average and 82 strikeouts
- Emma Grote leads four Mustangs hitting above .300 with a .338 average and 22 hits, while Kali Tomlinson is hitting .324 with a team high 14 RBI, six doubles, and three homeruns
- Shelby Crank and Athena Golling each have three wins this season, with Crank notching a team low 4.75 ERA and Golling recording a team leading 31 strikeouts
- SMSU is led by head coach Jamie Dunn in her fifth season with the program
 
A Season Ago
- Northern dropped the season opener to the Mustangs, 6-2 in non-conference play, and swept SMSU in league action 7-1 and 6-2
- Fisher grabbed the game one win, while Dawson and Thompson each tallied two hits including one double
- Thompson kept things rolling in game two going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI
- Northern is 13-40 all-time against Southwest