SIOUX FALLS – The Augustana Softball team played to a runner-up finish over the weekend in the NSIC Tournament, but still earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Central Regional Tournament, where the Vikings play No. 6 seed Washburn on Thursday at 3 p.m., in Magnolia, Ark.
 
Southern Arkansas earned the No. 2 seed in the region to earn the right to host the tournament, and plays defending national champion and No. 7 seed Minnesota State on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
 
The winners of the first two games advance to play on Friday, May 11, at 1 p.m., while the losers play the same day at 3:30 p.m.
 
The Vikings enter the tournament with a 41-13 overall record, finishing second in both the NSIC regular and postseason to regional top-seed Winona State, which hosts the other central regional tournament.
 
Washburn earned an at-large bid to the regional out of the MIAA, and enters the tournament with a 39-12 record.
 
Tournament host Southern Arkansas won the GAC regular season title, but fell in the conference tournament, so the Muleriders enter the tournament with an at-large bid and a 52-9 record on the season.
 
Defending national champion Minnesota State dropped its only two games in the NSIC Tournament, but built a strong enough resume during the regular season to warrant an at-large bid with a 33-17 record.
 
The winners of the two Central Regional Tournaments advance to the Super Regional, scheduled for May 17-18 at an as of yet undetermined location.
 
Vikings Quick Hits
• The Vikings climbed to as high as No. 13 in the NFCA Top-25 Poll this season
• Augustana makes its 25th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history on Thursday
• The Vikings posted a perfect 10-0 record at home during the regular season, and a 3-1 record in the postseason
• 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 two of them batting over .400
• Three Vikings earned weekly NSIC honors this season
   - 3/19 Pitcher of the Week - Mickschl –– 4/2 Player of the Week - Schorr –– 4/17 Pitcher of the Week - Lexy Pederson
 
Tournament Storylines
• The Vikings earned the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Central Region 2 Tournament and plays No. 6 seed Washburn
• Augustana qualified for the regional tournament eight times in the last nine years after missing the cut in 2016 for the first time since 2009
• Teams Joining Augustana and Washburn at the Central Region 2 Tournament include No. 2 seed Southern Arkansas and No. 7 seed Minnesota State
• Winona State earned the No. 1 seed and hosts the other regional tournament. The winners of the Central Region 1 and Central Region 2 Tournaments meet in the NCAA Central Super Regional May 17-18