SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – It'll be a reunion and celebration all weekend for the No. 1 ranked Augustana softball team. As the Vikings host Bemidji State on Saturday, Augustana will welcome back members of the 1991 National Champion softball team for a 30-year reunion. On Sunday, as AU welcomes Minnesota Crookston, the Vikings will celebrate its seniors as part of the Senior Day celebration.
 
In addition, the four games will prove to be the last on the current Bowden Field as it will be completely renovated beginning this summer.
 
Both days of the doubleheaders begin at noon. Fans are encouraged to bring a canned good or non-perishable item to support Feeding South Dakota as Augustana Athletics is partnering with Augustana's Black Student Union to end hunger in South Dakota. 
 
Augustana will celebrate three seniors on Sunday with Kendall Cornick, Ashley Mickschl and Christina Delzer being honored for their National Championship careers with the Vikings.

In compliance with Augustana's COVID-19 protocols, attendance for the games will be open to the public with a limited capacity. All spectators must wear a mask unless actively eating or drinking. In addition, fans are encouraged to bring lawn chairs to help support physical distancing. The full spectator policy can be found here.
 
About the Vikings
Augustana, the nation's No. 1 team and holding the nation's longest home winning streak at 19 games, enters the weekend with a 32-4 overall record while sitting in first place of the NSIC with a 20-2 mark. Augustana is coming off a weekend sweep over MSU Moorhead and Northern State that saw Amanda Dickmeyer earn NSIC Player of the Week honors.
 
Dickmeyer batted .600 and tallied three home runs over the past week to help in her weekly honor.
 
Overall, Kendall Cornick is the top hitter in the NSIC with a .466 batting average, a mark that ranks 25^th in the nation, while she leads the league stolen bases at 24 and owns a .728 slugging percentage. Mary Pardo leads the conference in home runs at 15 while ranking sixth in the nation in the same category. In all, the Vikings are one of the best offensive teams in the country, ranking fourth in home runs, sixth in slugging percentage, 11^th in scoring, and 19^th in batting average. In addition, AU is eighth in the nation in fielding percentage with a .979 clip.
 
In the circle, the Vikings are just as impressive led by Ashley Mickschl who pitched a perfect game for AU against MSU Moorhead. She is 16-2 on the season with a 1.87 ERA in 116.1 innings pitched. Amber Elliot has been equally as impressive with her own 16-2 record while striking out 98 in 104.1 innings pitched.
 
About the Beavers
Bemidji State enters Saturday's contest holding a 10-26 overall record while sitting 6-16 in the NSIC. In their last doubleheader, the Beavers split with Concordia-St. Paul, earning a 6-4 game one victory before falling 4-2 in the night cap.
 
Emmarie Yeager leads the team with a .309 batting average while going 21-for-68. Both Lexi Derrick and Lisa Kossan lead BSU with 23 hits apiece while Derrick is the team leader with four home runs and 19 RBI.
 
In the circle, Stephi Dullum has pitched 87.2 innings while tallying six wins and a 3.75 ERA. She has totaled 75 strikeouts.
 
About the Golden Eagles
Minnesota Crookston enters the weekend at 8-28, 4-18, and will play at Wayne State prior to tangling with the Vikings on Sunday. Most recently, the Golden Eagles have dropped five straight including a pair of shutouts vs. Minnesota State this past Sunday. UMC's last win was a 6-5 victory against St. Cloud State on April 22.
 
Dana Zarn is one of the top hitters in the NSIC while tallying 37 hits and holding a .343 batting average. She has recorded three home runs, four doubles and scored 16 runs. In all, three Goldean Eagles have tallied three home runs as Zarn is joined by Alina Avalos and Cassie Querry.
 
In the circle, three different pitchers have earned a decision in 2021 while Sofia Gombos has started 11 games and holds a 1-9 record. Katie Humhej, who is 3-6, owns the best ERA on the team at 2.64 while tossing 61 innings.
 
One Last Thing
The second set of NCAA Regional Rankings were unveiled on Wednesday with the Vikings remaining as one of eight teams listed as "under consideration". Teams are listed in alphabetical order as opposed to an actual region ranking due to the disparity of games played across the nation. The Vikings are one of 42 teams in the Central Region with automatic bids awarded to the tournament champions from the NSIC, MIAA and GAC. The final three spots are awarded on an at-large basis with six total teams advancing to the NCAA Regional Tournament taking place May 19-21 in Edmond, Oklahoma.