SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Augustana University softball returns to action on Wednesday, April 13, taking on Southwest Minnesota State in a doubleheader at 3 p.m. The twinbill with SMSU was originally scheduled for 3 p.m. on Tuesday but the games were moved to Wednesday due to the weather forecast.
 
Following Wednesday's doubleheader against SMSU, Augustana will travel to St. Cloud State on Saturday and Minnesota Duluth on Sunday. The Vikings have won 11 straight games and currently sit at the top of the NSIC standings. Augustana enters the week with a record of 28-11 on the season, including 15-2 in NSIC play.
 
Last time out
• Augustana swept three doubleheaders last week, starting out with a sweep over USF on the road that allowed the Vikings to take over the top spot in the NSIC standings
• The Vikings defeated USF 8-0 in game one before winning the nightcap 7-4
• Augustana scored early and often in game one at USF and Carley Pickett carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning as the Vikings went on to defeat the Cougars 8-0
• Pickett was also 3 for 4 at the plate with a double and an RBI
• In game two, Augustana used a five-run third inning to earn a 7-4 win getting a grand slam from Morgan Beaner in the third to help the Vikings earn the sweep
• Augustana returned home on Saturday and swept Bemidji State
• Pickett threatened another no-hitter, taking this one into the seventh inning in a 3-0 win over Bemidji State
• Pickett tied her career-high with 11 strikeouts in the win over BSU
• With game two tied at 4-4, Augustana scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to take game two 6-4
• Against Minnesota Crookston in game one on Sunday, Kaylea Schorr hit a grand slam to break a scoreless tie and the Vikings went on to win the opener 7-3
• The Vikings used some late-inning magic to win the nightcap too, scoring eight runs in the bottom of the sixth to earn the sweep with an 8-0 victory in game two
 
Augustana's all-time saves leader
• Senior left-handed pitcher Carley Pickett set the all-time saves record in a win over MSU Moorhead on April 2
• Pickett has recorded three saves in 2016 to give her 20 for her career
• Pickett passed 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 leads the NSIC batting .343 on the season
• The Vikings also lead the league with 65 doubles and rank second with 43 home runs
• Augustana has scored 250 runs in 2016 which is tied for first in the NSIC with Winona State
• Seven of Augustana's nine regular starters are hitting over .330 on the season
 
Run producers
• Augustana has five players with 24 or more RBI on the season
• Maggie Kadrlik leads the team and ranks second in the NSIC with 44 RBI in 2016
• Sarah Kennedy has driven in 39 runs and Shannon Petersen ranks third on the team with 30
• Morgan Beaner has driven in 26 runs and Carly Peterson owns 24 RBI
 
Home sweet home
• Augustana opened the 2016 season playing 29 straight games away from Sioux Falls
• Augustana opened the home portion of its schedule against MSU?Moorhead on April 2
• The Vikings are 8-0 at home this season and will end a six-game homestand on Wednesday against SMSU
• The Vikings have played 10 of their last 12 games in Sioux Falls, playing two games on the road at USF
• Augustana has scored 62 runs in eight home games this season, while allowing just 17
• The Vikings have hit nine doubles and 13 home runs at Bowden Field
• Augustana's opponents are hitting .212 in eight games at Bowden Field in 2016
 
Sophomore stepping up
• Sophomore Maggie Kadrlik is batting .398 for the Vikings in 2016 and currently ranks second in the NSIC with 11 home runs
• Kadrlik also ranks second in the NSIC with 44 RBI on the season
• Kadrlik has driven in two or more runs in a game 12 times in 2016, including a career-high six at U-Mary on March 25
• In NSIC games only, Kadrlik is batting .436 with three doubles, eight home runs and 26 RBI
 
Leading things off
• Senior center fielder Carly Peterson continues to rip the ball all over the park out of the leadoff spot for the Vikings
• Peterson is batting .406 to go along with a .480 on-base percentage and a .647 slugging percentage
• Peterson currently leads the team and the NSIC with 15 doubles
• Peterson also has hit one triple and five home runs in 2016
• She has driven in 24 runs and scored a team-high 42 for the Vikings
• Peterson ranks second in the NSIC in runs scored
 
Heating up down the stretch
• Junior shortstop Sarah Kennedy has at least one hit in 16 of the last 19 games
• Kennedy is batting .367 on the season for the Vikings with 11 doubles and six home runs
• Kennedy ranks fifth in the NSIC in doubles and third with 39 RBI on the season
• Kennedy has also scored 35 runs on the year and leads the team with 17 walks
• Kennedy enters the weekend ranked ninth all-time at Augustana with 42 career doubles and sixth with 32 career home runs
 
Pickett producing at the plate
• Senior left-handed pitcher Carley Pickett is having a breakout season as a batter for the Vikings
• Pickett continues to lead the team at the plate batting .420 on the season which ranks ninth in the NSIC
• Pickett recently had a career-long 13-game hitting streak snapped but she has since picked up a hit in four straight contests
• Pickett leads the team with 55 hits and has 10 doubles and 15 RBI
• Pickett has recorded 15 walks and has scored the second-most runs (35) on the team this season
 
Swinging a hot stick
• Sophomore first baseman Kaylea Schorr enters the week on an eight-game hitting streak
• Schorr has had two hits in three of the last eight games
• She recently hit her third home run of the season, a grand slam against Minnesota Crookston on April 10
• Schorr is batting .351 with three home runs and a double to go along with 12 RBI
 
In the circle
• Carley Pickett and Karlee Koopman have shared the starting pitching duties throughout the 2016 season
• Pickett has appeared in 28 games, making 18 starts
• Koopman has started 19 games and made 22 appearances
• Pickett has compiled a 2.13 ERA in 138.1 innings of work in 2016
• She owns a 17-6 record and has struck out a team-high 105 batters
• Pickett has won 17 games in the circle in three straight seasons for Augustana
• Pickett has tossed 12 complete games and six shutouts on the season
• Pickett has also recorded three saves in 2016
• Koopman owns a 10-5 record and a 2.03 ERA?in 22 appearances
• Koopman is holding opponents to a .265 batting average and has struck out 63 batters in 110.1 innings pitched
 
Veterans in the middle infield
• Senior second baseman Maddie Merriam has started 108 games at second base for the Vikings
• Junior shortstop Sarah Kennedy has made 164 games at shortstop during her career
• Merriam is batting .259 on the season for the Vikings with 28 hits and 16 RBI
• Merriam has 65 putouts and 77 assists on the season and owns a .940 fielding percentage
• Last season, Merriam compiled a .958 fielding percentage with just seven errors in 61 games played