SIOUX FALLS – The regular season in the books, the Augustana Softball team now turns its attention to the NSIC Tournament, which begins for the Vikings on Thursday at Sherman Park in Sioux Falls at 2 p.m.
 
Augustana earned the No. 2 seed, and faces the highest remaining seed after No. 7 seed Minnesota State faces No. 10 seed Southwest Minnesota State and No. 8 seed Concordia-St. Paul takes on No. 9 seed Minot State. Top-seed Winona State plays the lower of the remaining seeds after those first two games, which means that if SMSU advances, the Warriors play the Mustangs, and the Vikings play the remaining team.
 
No matter which team Augustana plays on Thursday, a win would keep the Vikings at Sherman Park on Friday to play the winner of the Minnesota Duluth vs. Sioux Falls game, while a loss would send the Vikings into the losers bracket, where they would play in an elimination game at 4 p.m. on Thursday, also at Sherman Park.
 
Barring an 0-2 performance, the Vikings look poised to return to the Central Regional Tournament next week, as they moved up to No. 3 in the latest NCAA Central Region Rankings, despite falling one spot from No. 13 to No. 14 in the latest NFCA Top-25 Poll, both release on May 2.
 
Vikings Quick Hits
• The Vikings climbed to as high as No. 13 in the NFCA Top-25 Poll this season
• Augustana enters the week ranked No. 14 in the NFCA Top-25 Poll
• The Vikings posted a perfect 10-0 record at home this season
• Ashley Mickschl became the third Viking to earn NSIC Freshman of the Year honors
   - 2010 Ashley Meyer –– 2012 Jenelle Trautman
• Kaylea Schorr is the only Viking to ever earn NFCA Player of the Week honors, which she did on April 4, 2018
• Eleven Vikings batted over .300 for the season, with three of them batting over .400
• Augustana posted a perfect 10-0 record at home this season
• Three Vikings earned weekly NSIC honors this season
   - March 19 Pitcher of the Week - Mickschl
   - April 2 Player of the Week - Schorr
   - April 17 Pitcher of the Week - Lexy Pederson