Storylines
• No. 8 Augustana softball (4-1) returns to the diamond this weekend with a four-game slate at the Huskydome Classic in St. Cloud, Minn.
• The Vikings open with Nebraska-Kearney (1-5) on Friday, Feb. 21 at 3 p.m.
• Augustana will then play Northwest Missouri State (2-4) at 12 p.m. on Saturday before playing two games on Sunday.
• Augustana will start out Sunday with Emporia State (7-2) at 11 a.m. before ending the weekend against Missouri Western State (7-3) at 1 p.m.
• Augustana had all last week off after opening the season Feb. 7-8 at the Desert Stinger in Las Vegas, Nev.
National news
• Augustana made moved up 14 spots and is now ranked eighth in the country in the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association Top 25 Poll.
• The Vikings were ranked 22nd in the NFCA preseason poll.
• Augustana jumped by going 4-1 in its opening weekend, including a win over then No. 1 ranked and defending national champion Central Oklahoma.
• Central Oklahoma dropped out of the top 25.
• Augustana is the only NSIC team to be ranked nationally in the NFCA top 25.
• Augustana is set to play two teams who were listed in the latest NFCA poll this weekend.
• Emporia State is ranked 25th in the latest poll while Missouri Western State received votes in this week's poll.
• The complete list of the NFCA Preseason rankings can be found on page 3.
Last time out
• Augustana opened the 2014 season at the Desert Stinger on Feb. 7-8 in Las Vegas, Nev.
• The Vikings started off the season strong going 4-1, taking down the No. 1 team in the country on the way.
• Augustana opened the tournament with a 7-6 win over top-ranked and defending national champion Central Oklahoma.
• Emily Heinz drove in the game-winning run in the top of the seventh inning to earn the one-run win over UCO.
• In a 7-3 win over Adams State, the Vikings used a five-run sixth inning to come from behind to win.
• The Vikings won their third straight game with a 12-2 triumph over Black Hills State in five innings.
• Augustana scored seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to down BHSU by the 10-run rule.
• The "Cardiac Kids" did it again in game four of the Desert Stinger when Caitlin Nichol drilled a walk-off two-run homer to lift the Vikings to a 2-0 win over tournament-host Montana State-Billings.
• Augustana was denied a perfect start to its stellar opening weekend with a 4-3 setback to UC-Colorado Springs.
• Augustana nearly came back to defeat the UCCS in the bottom of the seventh, but the Mountain Lions' three-run seventh proved to be enough.
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