SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – After nearly a month off, Augustana University softball returns to action with a six-game trip to the Show Me State to participate in the Missouri Western State Apple Market Classic Friday through Sunday. 

Storylines
• After nearly a month off, Augustana University softball returns to action with a six game trip to the Show Me State
• The Vikings will participate in the Missouri Western Invite Friday, March 18 through Sunday, March 20
• Augustana will play six games in three days starting against Central Oklahoma at 12 p.m. and Emporia State at 4 p.m. on Friday
• Augustana will then take on Pittsburg State at 12 p.m. on Saturday, followed by Missouri Southern State at 2 p.m.
• The Vikings will close-out the six-game trip with two more on Sunday starting with Northwest Missouri State at 9 a.m. 
• Augustana will then take on tournament-host Missouri Western at 1 p.m. Sunday
• The Vikings were last in action Feb. 19-21 at the St. Cloud State Huskydome Classic
• Augustana enters the weekend with a record of 8-8 on the season after going 2-3 last time out in St. Cloud

Last time out
• Augustana opened the St. Cloud State Huskydome Classic with a 9-1 five-inning win over Nebraska-Kearney on Feb. 19
• The Vikings scored eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, behind a grand slam from Shannon Petersen to pick up a win in the first game of the trip
• The Vikings dropped three straight games after that, including one-run games to Central Missouri and Emporia State
• The Vikings closed-out the trip with a 3-1 win over 16th-ranked Missouri Western entering a long break

Pickett ties all-time saves record
• Senior left-handed pitcher Carley Pickett made history in the win over Missouri Western on Feb. 21
• Pickett picked up her 18th career save which tied the all-time saves record at Augustana
• Pickett tied Chelsey Durland who recorded 18 saves from 2009-12
• Pickett has led the NSIC in saves in two straight seasons
• As a sophomore in 2014, Pickett led the country with nine saves

Offensively speaking
• Augustana's offense has been clicking to start the 2016 season
• The Vikings have scored 85 runs while hitting .333 as a team with 29 doubles, one triple and 10 home runs
• Augustana has out-scored opponents by 25 runs this season and is averaging over five runs per game
• Augustana has eight players batting over .300 on the season, including two hitting over .400 through 16 games

Petersen continues to impress
• Freshman catcher Shannon Petersen started her career playing in nine of Augustana's first 11 games, batting .538 with 14 hits, including two doubles and two home runs earning herself NSIC Player of the Week honors
• Petersen continues to lead the team batting average (.512), hits (21), home runs (4) and RBI (14)
• Petersen's .512 batting average leads all players in the NSIC and ranks 11th in the country
• Petersen has two or more hits in seven of 14 games played
• She had three hits in back-to-back games to close-out the St. Cloud trip
• Petersen went 3 for 4 with two doubles against Emporia State on Feb. 21 and 3 for 3 with a double, a home run and two RBI against Missouri Western on Feb. 21

Leading things off
• Senior center fielder Carly Peterson opened the 2016 season as the team's leadoff hitter
• Peterson is batting .358 with 19 hits in 53 at bats for the Vikings out of the No. 1 spot in the lineup
• Peterson leads the team with nine doubles on the season and has one triple and one home run
• Peterson leads the NSIC and ranks sixth in the nation in doubles per game 
• She has scored 13 runs and driven in four and has compiled a .469 on-base percentage
• Peterson is batting .330 in her career with 30 doubles, three triples and 10 home runs

Sophomore stepping up
• Sophomore Maggie Kadrlik currently ranks second on the team batting .412 on the season for the Vikings
• Kadrlik is tied for the team-lead with 21 hits, including four doubles and two home runs
• Kadrlik ranks second on the team with 13 RBI and has also scored eight runs
• She owns a .608 slugging percentage and a .492 on-base percentage
• Kadrlik has been hit by a pitch a team-high seven times on the season, which ranks ninth in the nation

Run producers
• Augustana has four players with double-digits in RBI in 2016
• Shannon Petersen and Sarah Kennedy share the team-lead with 14 RBI on the season
• Maggie Kadrlik has drive in 13 runs and Morgan Beaner enters the weekend with 12 RBI
• Augustana has 78 RBI as a team in 2016

Seven games and counting...
• Junior shortstop Sarah Kennedy enters the weekend riding a seven-game hitting streak 
• Kennedy has a hit in 14 of 16 games in 2016 and is batting .373 on the year
• Kennedy has four doubles, one home run and shares the team-lead with 14 RBI
• She has two hits in five games in 2016 and has driven in two or more runs three times

In the circle
• Karlee Koopman and Carley Pickett have shared the starting pitching duties through the first 16 games of the season
• Koopman and Pickett enter the weekend with identical 4-4 records on the season
• Koopman owns a 1.56 ERA and has tossed seven complete games in nine appearances
• She has struck out 32 batters in 58.1 innings of work and is holding opponents to a .263 batting average
• Pickett has compiled a 2.58 ERA and has appeared in nine games, making seven starts
• Pickett has tossed one complete game and one shutout on the year
• She has struck out 47 batters in 46.2 innings, averaging 7.1 strikeouts per game