SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Augustana University softball (17-7, 2-0 NSIC) will hit the road this weekend for a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheaders. The Vikings open the four-game road swing on Saturday, April 1, taking on No. 21 Minnesota State (24-4, 2-0 NSIC) at 1 p.m. in Mankato, Minnesota. Augustana will then head to St. Paul to square-off against Concordia-St. Paul (8-15, 0-2 NSIC) in a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.
 
Augustana opened conference play on Tuesday with a doubleheader sweep over Wayne State. Following Tuesday's wins, Augustana has now won 12 of its last 15 games since March 12. 

LAST TIME OUT
• Augustana opened its home and NSIC schedule with a sweep over Wayne State on Tuesday afternoon
• The Vikings won the opener 3-0 before picking up a 10-1 win in six innings in the nightcap
• Olivia Wolters held Wayne State to just three hits in a complete-game shutout victory in game one
• Samantha Eisenreich led the Vikings at the plate going 2 for 3 with a pair of singles and a run scored
• Augustana scored a run in the third, fourth and fifth innings to take game one 3-0
• Wayne State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first in game two before the Vikings scored 10 unanswered to win game two 10-1 in six innings
• Augustana finished the game with 11 hits, getting two each from Kaylea Schorr, Christina Pickett, Shannon Petersen and Kylie Rome
• Augustana took a 5-1 lead into the sixth inning and Pickett ended the game with a grand slam putting the Vikings in front 10-1 in the sixth

ABOUT MINNESOTA STATE
• Minnesota State enters the weekend with a record of 24-4 on the season, including 2-0 in NSIC play
• The Mavericks opened conference play on Tuesday with a sweep over Concordia-St. Paul
• MSU defeated the Golden Bears 4-1 in game one and 4-2 in the nightcap
• MSU is ranked No. 21 in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches' Association Top 25 Poll
• MSU is batting .336 as a team with 51 doubles, 12 triples and 17 home runs
• Jess Meidl leads the Mavericks at the plate with a .460 batting average, nine doubles, two triples and four home runs
• Coley Ries leads the MSU pitching staff with a 12-2 record and a 1.08 ERA in 2016-17
• Ries has struck out 166 batters in 91 innings pitched
• Libby Bemis is also 12-2 on the year and owns a 1.14 ERA

ABOUT CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL
• Concordia-St. Paul enters the weekend with a record of 8-15 on the year, including 0-2 in conference play
• Concordia-St. Paul will host Wayne State on Saturday before welcoming Augustana on Sunday
• The Golden Bears are batting .311 as a team on the season, with 39 doubles and 11 home runs
• Nicole Thompson leads CSP at the plate, batting .421 with three doubles and six RBI
• Justine Schattner is batting .414 with seven doubles, two home runs and 16 RBI
• Samantha Sullivan owns a 3.58 ERA and a 4-6 record in the circle for CSP
• Sullivan has struck out 38 batters in 72.1 innings pitched for the Golden Bears

SERIES RECORDS
• Augustana and Minnesota State will meet for the 115th and 116th time in school history this weekend
• Augustana is 66-48 all-time against Minnesota State
• MSU won 2 of 3 meetings between the two schools last season
• The Mavericks won 3-1 in game one of a doubleheader on April 24 before the Vikings earned a 14-3 win in game two
• MSU then handed Augustana its first loss (4-3) in the second round of the NSIC Tournament at Sherman Park on April 29 last season 
• Augustana has won 5 of the last 7 meetings between the two teams
• Augustana and Concordia-St. Paul will meet for the 34th and 35th time in the all-time series which began in 1987
• Augustana is 27-6 all-time against Concordia-St. Paul, including 15-1 since joining the NSIC in 2009
• Augustana has won 17 straight games over Concordia-St. Paul, dating back to May 15, 2010