SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Augustana softball team concludes the 2021 regular season with a road trip to No. 20 Winona State on Saturday and Upper Iowa on Sunday. The Vikings will play a doubleheader each day that begins at 1 p.m.
 
The top-ranked team in the nation, Augustana needs just one win over its final four games to secure the NSIC Championship. An NSIC Regular Season Championship would be the fourth for the Vikings with the last coming in the 2015 season. Overall, a regular season conference championship would mark the 13^th in the program's history.
 
About the Vikings
Augustana is 36-4 on the season and owns a 24-2 record within the NSIC. The Vikings are atop the NSIC in the standings and are the top team in the conference in 10 different statistical categories. Among the statistical categories are home runs where the Vikings rank fifth in the nation with 55. In addition, AU is eighth in the nation with 99 stolen bases and 12^th with 367 hits.
 
Kendall Cornick is the Vikings' top hitter with a .496 average while leading the NSIC in hits, on-base percentage and stolen bases. Mary Pardo is tops in the conference with 16 home runs, a mark that ranks fifth in the nation.
 
Augustana is equally impressive in the circle as Ashley Mickschl leads the NSIC in victories with 20 while she holds a 1.72 ERA. Amber Elliott is 16-2 and holds a 2.35 ERA for the Vikings. The duo is part of a staff that has held opponents to just a .209 batting average while allowing just 71 earned runs in 2021.
 
About the Warriors
Winona State is 31-8 on the season and are ranked No. 20 in the latest NFCA poll. The Warriors are 20-6 in the NSIC after splitting with Minot State and sweeping UMary last weekend.
 
Abbie Hlas holds the team's top batting average at .396 but it is Libby Neveau who is the team leader in home runs (12), RBI (43) and total hits (47). She holds the second-best average at .379. Alison Nowak, the Preseason NSIC Player of the Year, is hitting .368 with 32 hits, 20 runs scored and 28 RBI in 27 games played for WSU.
 
Winona State runs out two pitchers with Jordyn Klemen leading the charge with a 19-3 overall record and 1.59 ERA. She has struck out 172 batters in 127.2 innings pitched while holding opposing hitters to a .201 batting average.
 
About the Peacocks
Upper Iowa is 11-28 overall and 7-19 in the NSIC. Last weekend, the Peacocks split with UMary while getting swept by Minot State.
 
Upper Iowa is led in the batter's box by Katie Crogan and her eight home runs and 22 RBI. She has racked up 47 hits while owning a .373 batting average.
 
UIU's pitching staff consists of Abby McKay and Sydney Wilcox. McKay has struck out 139 batters in 134 innings but owns a 4.07 ERA. Wilcox is 2-16 with a 5.10 ERA.
 
Up Next
Augustana will travel to Rochester, Minnesota, for the NSIC Tournament beginning on Thursday. The full bracket will be made available Sunday following the conclusion of all NSIC contests.