THIS WEEK: Minot State opens an eight-game homestand with a pair of games Wednesday against Minnesota State Moorhead (2/4 p.m.) and continues that into the weekend with the University of Sioux Falls Friday (1/3 p.m.) and Southwest Minnesota State Saturday (12/2 p.m.).

RECORDS: Minot State comes into the week with a 13-12 overall record and is 5-7 in league play. MSUM is 2-10 in league play and 7-22 overall. USF comes into the week 8-6 in NSIC play and 21-18 overall. SMSU is 6-6 in the league and 15-13 overall entering the week.

COACHES CORNER: Minot State's Bill Triplett is in his 10th season as the head coach at Minot State. The former CaptainU National Coach of the Year has guided Minot State to both the NAIA National Tournament and the NCAA Division II National Tournament. He has a 286-162 overall record. Kelsey Fehl is in her seventh season as the head coach at MSU Moorhead. Kelsey Thompson is the head coach at USF and is in her fourth season. SMSU's head coach is Jamie Dunn who is 76-105-1 overall in four seasons as head coach.

FOLLOW THE BEAVERS: MSU provides live video – with Leif Bakken serving as the play-by-play announcer – and live stats at msubeavers.com. Minot State Athletics also is active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and You Tube with all feeds accessible at msubeavers.com/stayconnected.

RANKINGS: None of the teams were ranked in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II Top 25 poll or the Central Region poll. 

RECENT HISTORY: Minot State dropped three of four road games this past weekend splitting with Wayne State College Saturday and falling twice at Augustana University. The Beavers won the opener of the trip 8-4 at WSC hitting three home runs including a three-run shot by Lauren Cowden. MSUM dropped all four road contests in league play on the weekend falling twice at USF and SMSU. USF split with Wayne State College in a midweek double-header Tuesday, winning game 2 5-2. SMSU opened the weekend with two losses to NSU, but rebounded for a pair of wins over MSUM to split the weekend.

ALL-TIME AT A GLANCE: The Beavers hold a slight 6-5 lead against MSU Moorhead all-time and are tied with both USF and SMSU with 4-4 records all during Minot State's NCAA Division II era.

LAST TIME OUT: Minot State topped MSU Moorhead 6-2 during the Minot State Dome Invite played in Aberdeen, S.D., in February. Beavers' Tori Zimmermann, Ashley Hill and Rachel Burdette all homered in the win. MSU dropped all four games on a road swing to SMSU and USF last season, going extra innings with the Mustangs before falling 4-3 in eight in the opener.

NOTING THE DRAGONS: Minnesota State University Moorhead is 7-22 overall but has respectable numbers on both offense and defense batting .281 with a 4.88 ERA… Madison Paige and Taylor Roddie have .360 batting averages to lead the team and have combined for 31 runs batted in… Carly Williamson has four stolen bases to lead the Dragons as MSUM has just 11 steals all season… Becky Volkert is 3-5 with a 3.89 ERA in 59.1 innings pitched.

NOTING THE COUGARS: The University of Sioux Falls has two pitchers with nearly identical numbers as Courtney Matthews is 8-6 with a 2.43 ERA in 92.1 innings pitched, while Kerrigan Hoshaw is 8-7 with a 3.84 ERA in 89.1 innings pitched… Jasmine Raqusi leads the team with a .383 average and is tied for the team lead with Hoshaw with 26 RBIs… Brittni Broussard and Kenna Heath have combined to steal 23 bases without being thrown out.

NOTING THE MUSTANGS: Southwest Minnesota State has a superb 2.79 ERA as a team with two pitchers Alex O'Connor and Shelby Crank, who have sub-3.00 ERAs… O'Connor is 7-6 with a 2.28 ERA in 92 innings pitched… Victoria Brooks leads the team with a .349 batting average… Mackenzie Clouse has 15 RBIs to lead the team, while Taylor Koloc is the team's top home run threat with four.

DEEP THREAT: MSU's Ashley Hill has emerged as the team's top home run hitter, coming into the week with nine. She has 25 dingers in her three seasons with the Beavers. Through 25 games, Hill is hitting .391 with 34 hits, three doubles and 31 RBIs to go along with her nine home runs.

SWIFT BEAVERS: Minot State has stolen 36 of 42 bases attempted this season and three individuals have emerged as the Beavers top threats to steal. MSU's go-to is no secret as Jordan Grant has 95 steals in four seasons and is a perfect 18 for 18 this year. Lauren Cowden is second with eight, stealing eight of nine and Skyla Neubauer is third with four out of five.

BY THE NUMBERS

3.77: ERA for MSU senior Clarissa Ramirez, the team's leader as she has pitched 57.1 innings.

5: Hit by pitches this season for Isis Cabral to lead the team. Cabral has been plunked 18 times in two season.

24: More doubles for MSU than give up by Beaver pitchers. MSU has 47 doubles, paced by Tori Zimmermann's 11.