SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Augustana University softball (33-11, 18-4 NSIC) is set to close-out the regular season this week with six straight home games. The Vikings' final week of regular season play has been adjusted due to the recent weather. Augustana will take on USF (26-23, 13-11 NSIC) at 3 p.m. on Thursday at Bowden Field.
 
Augustana is scheduled to play Minnesota Duluth (33-17, 17-9 NSIC) at 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 29 and St. Cloud State (29-21, 13-11 NSIC) at 12 p.m. Sunday.
 
Augustana will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday, honoring seniors Abby Chandler and Sarah Kennedy between games of the doubleheader. 

LAST TIME OUT
• Augustana went 3-1 last week and had its final two games of the weekend canceled due to snow
• The Vikings opened the week with a home split against Winona State
• Augustana used a pair of homers to win game one 4-3 before falling 7-2 in game two
• The Vikings then went to Crookston, Minnesota to take on UMC and the Vikings walked out with a sweep
• Senior shortstop Sarah Kennedy hit three doubles and set a new single season record to lead the Vikings to an 8-2 win in game one at UMC
• Lexy Pederson had a big day in the circle in game one at UMC striking out 13 batters while allowing just three hits
• Augustana pounded 15 hits in game two earning a 3-0 win in game two to earn the sweep
• Augustana finished the UMC series with 28 hits while allowing just five in the doubleheader
• Olivia Wolters tossed a two-hit complete-game shutout while striking out five in game two

ABOUT SIOUX FALLS
• Sioux Falls enters the week with a record of 26-23 on the season, including 13-11 in NSIC play
• The Cougars went 1-3 last weekend on the road splitting with St. Cloud State on Saturday before being swept at Minnesota Duluth on Sunday
• USF enters the week batting .289 as a team with 74 doubles, three triples and 30 home runs
• Jasmine Raqusi leads USF at the plate batting .358 with a team-high 14 doubles to go along with six home runs
• Kerrigan Hoshaw is batting .357 with 10 doubles and a team-high 10 home runs and 36 RBI
• Courtney Matthews leads USF in the circle with a 2.83 ERA in 29 appearances
• Matthews is 10-7 and has struck out 78 batters in 118.2 innings pitched
• Kelsey Thompson, a former Augustana assistant, is in her fourth season as the head coach at USF

ABOUT MINNESOTA DULUTH
• Minnesota Duluth is 33-15 on the season, including 17-7 in NSIC play
• Before coming to Sioux Falls this weekend, the Bulldogs host Bemidji State on Tuesday
• The Bulldogs enter the week batting .282 as a team with 76 doubles, 12 triples and 25 home runs
• UMD has stolen 74 bases in 88 attempts, led by Hannah Schmoll who has stolen 33 bases in 37 tries
• Becky Smith leads UMD at the plate batting .364 with 11 doubles, two triples and six home runs
• Smith also leads the team with 39 RBI while ranking second in runs scored with 38
• Sam Hartmann leads UMD with a 1.99 ERA and in the circle
• Hartmann is 12-8 on the year and has tossed 15 complete games while striking out 72 batters in 126.2 innings
• Valerie Hohol is 14-2 in the circle for the Bulldogs with a 2.21 ERA
• Jen Walter is in her second season as the head coach at Minnesota Duluth

ABOUT ST. CLOUD STATE
• St. Cloud State is 29-21 on the season, including 13-11 in NSIC play
• The Huskies open the week taking on Minnesota Crookston on Thursday, April 27 at home before hitting the road for its final two conference twinbills
• SCSU will play at Wayne State before heading to Sioux Falls to take on the Vikings
• St. Cloud State has won four of its last six games entering this week
• The Huskies are batting .302 as a team with 61 doubles, eight triples and 24 home runs
• SCSU has scored 236 runs on the season while allowing 213
• SCSU is led at the plate by Alyssa Coletto who is batting .357 with a team-high 12 doubles
• Jessica Goerger leads the team with 42 RBI and is batting .340 with eight doubles and five homers
• Megan Hedstrom is 14-9 in the circle for the Huskies with a 3.28 ERA
• Kate Kopeck is 13-9 with a 3.75 ERA and has 100 strikeouts in 142 innings pitched

SERIES HISTORY
• Augustana is 19-2 all-time against USF
• The Vikings swept the regular season series between the two schools on the road last season
• The Vikings picked up a sweep at home the last time USF visited Bowden Field on April 8, 2015
• Augustana won the opener 10-0 before picking up an 8-4 win in game two
• Saturday's doubleheader between Augustana and Minnesota Duluth will be the 64th and 65th all-time meeting between the two schools
• Augustana is 45-18 all-time against Minnesota Duluth
• The Vikings and Bulldogs met three times last season, with the Bulldogs winning all three games, including on April 29 in the NSIC Tournament at Sherman Park
• Augustana and St. Cloud State have played 100 times on the softball diamond leading into this weekend's series
• Augustana is 68-32 all-time against St. Cloud State
• The Vikings and Huskies split a doubleheader in St. Cloud last season. Augustana won the opener 9-2 before falling 10-5 in game two
• Augustana has won 15 of the last 17 games between the two teams