SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Augustana softball will kick off its conference slate with two doubleheaders, facing MSU Moorhead at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday and Northern State at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. The dates and times previously scheduled for both games have been adjusted.
 
Complete action can be followed on GoAugie.com/Live and the GoAugie app, presented by The Original Pancake House. The app can be downloaded in the App Store or Google Play.
 
ABOUT THE DRAGONS
Following a 1-5 showing at the MIAA-NSIC Crossover Tournament in Joplin, Missouri, MSU Moorhead sits with an 8-19 before conference opening weekend.
 
Avery Steffen leads the Dragons with a .396 batting average with 36 hits and 17 stolen bases. Annika Norman follows close behind at .370 and Eliya Johnson sits with three home runs on the season.
 
In the circle, Teagan Clemmons is 3-5 with 49 strikeouts, a 4.04 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP across 52 innings of work. Steffen is 4-7 with a 4.79 ERA, a 1.67 WHIP and 59 strikeouts to go with her opponent batting percentage of .280 in 52 innings pitched.
 
ABOUT THE WOLVES
Northern State is 6-15 overall before starting conference play in the 2025 season. The Wolves are coming off a 12-game week—including four doubleheaders—where they went 2-10.
 
The duo of Avarie Eagle and Aune Boben lead NSU with batting averages of .386 and .385, respectively. Boben has collected 25 hits as Dessa Bryan has added in 24 and Emma Owens sits with a team-high 15 RBI.
 
Abby Rux has struck out 36 batters from the circle, accumulating a 3-8 record through 59.2 innings pitched. Boben has tallied 25 strikeouts through her 33.1 innings of action, going 1-7 in her nine appearances.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Augustana holds the 32-2 all-time advantage against the Dragons, most recently defeating MSU Moorhead on May 3, 2024 in Sioux Falls by a score of 5-0.
 
Against the Wolves, the Vikings lead with a 33-3 record all-time and are on a 12-game win streak against the conference opponents. The most recent win came on March 22, 2024 with a 9-1 final at a neutral location.
 
ABOUT THE VIKINGS
Augustana heads into opening conference weekend after kicking off the home schedule in a Tuesday afternoon doubleheader against Missouri Western. The eighth-ranked Vikings forced a split by winning game two 9-0 in five innings despite dropping 5-4 in nine innings in game one.
 
Desi Cuevas holds a .403 batting average, a .753 slugging percentage, 31 hits off 77 at-bats, 22 RBI, 13 stolen bases and seven homeruns. Andrea Cain is close behind with a slash line of .329/.740/1.219 while adding in 24 hits, 17 RBI, 14 walks, seven doubles and five homers.
 
In 85.2 innings of work, Grace Glanzer has collected 86 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .213 batting average. She's 8-4 in her 12 appearances and maintains a 1.23 ERA—which leads the NSIC—and a .98 WHIP. Lexi Lander is also 8-2 on the season in 12 appearances, striking out 55 batters in 55.2 innings with an ERA of 1.51 and opponent batting average of .241.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
The Vikings will continue the conference road trip at Marshall, Minn., as they take on Southwest Minnesota State in doubleheader action on Wednesday, March 26.