SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – No. 7 seed Augustana University softball (38-14) will make its 24th NCAA Tournament appearance on Thursday, May 11, taking on No. 2 seed Minnesota State, Mankato (54-6) in the NCAA Central Region 2 Tournament in Mankato, Minnesota. The Vikings and Mavericks will square-off at the MSU Softball Diamond with first pitch set for 11 a.m.
 
Augustana has qualified for the regional tournament seven times in the last eight years after missing the cut for the first time since 2009 last season. The winner between Augustana and Minnesota State will play the winner of No. 3 seed Central Oklahoma (47-9) and No. 6 seed Pittsburg State (42-17) at 11 a.m. on Friday. 

POSTSEASON AWARDS
• Augustana's Sarah Kennedy was named the 2017 NSIC Player of the Year last week
• Kennedy has been named NSIC Player of the Year twice in her career
• She was named player of the year by the league's coaches following her sophomore season in 2015
• Kennedy earned All-NSIC First Team honors for the fourth straight season
• Kennedy was also recently named NFCA All-Central Region First Team marking the third straight season being named all-region by the national organization
• Junior right-handed pitcher Lexy Pederson was named the 2017 Newcomer of the Year in the NSIC while also being placed on the All-NSIC Second Team
• Sophomore catcher Shannon Petersen earned All-NSIC First Team honors for the second straight season before being named All-Central Region Second Team by the NFCA 

ABOUT MINNESOTA STATE
• Minnesota State enters the NCAA Tournament ranked sixth in the country in the NFCA Top 25 Poll
• The Mavericks are 54-6 on the season after winning the NSIC Regular Season and Tournament titles
• Minnesota State has won 24 straight games heading into Thursday's game
• The Mavericks are batting .347 as a team with 94 doubles, 20 triples and 38 home runs
• Jess Meidl leads the team batting .460 with 17 doubles, three triples, eight home runs and 48 RBI
• McKenzie Paap is batting .428 with 12 doubles, four triples and 29 RBI
• Coley Ries leads the Mavericks in the circle with a 0.75 ERA
• Ries is 31-2 on the season and has struck out 375 batters in 214.2 innings of work

SERIES HISTORY
• Thursday's game between Augustana and Minnesota State will be the 117th all-time meeting on the softball diamond between the two schools
• Augustana is 66-50 all-time against the Mavericks
• MSU swept the regular season series between the two teams this season winning game one 4-0 before picking up a 5-3 win in game two on April 1 in Mankato