MINOT, N.D. — Grab your sunflower seeds and pack up your lawn chairs, Minot State softball is back in action. The Beavers kick off their season on their home turf as they host the Bubble Invite in Minot State's air-supported dome tonight, Friday, through Sunday.

Minot State is starting off the 2022 season by getting right to business with a highly anticipated season-opener against in-state rival the University of Mary Marauders Friday night at 5 p.m. Saturday morning action begins at 9 a.m. in the tournament, but the Beavers have a bit later start at 2 p.m. against Valley City State University, followed by a 7 p.m. game against Dakota Wesleyan University.

MSU will close out their opening weekend in their fourth game on Sunday at 2 p.m. taking on the University of Minnesota Crookston. Action Sunday again begins at 9 a.m. The Beavers split with the Golden Eagles last year in games that returning players, like Zoya Robbins, believe Minot State "could have beaten (them) twice, instead of splitting with them."

Robbins returns for her fourth and final season with the MSU softball program after maintaining a batting average over .300 her last three seasons while also fueling the charge in the circle for the Beavers.

Alongside Robbins in her farewell season on the mound is juco-transfer senior Trinity Valentine who closed out her 2021 season with an ERA of 3.15 and 127 strikeouts on the year. Head coach Nat Wagner named Valentine the team's current "ace" on the mound as they prepare for opening weekend.

Looking to be a big key to the Beavers' offense is returning senior Jamie Odlum who led Minot State at the plate last year with a stellar .423 batting average in 42 starts. Odlum also held more than a 50-percent likelihood of finding her way onto the bases with an on-base percentage of .507, the highest on MSU's roster.

Senior Maggie Mercer and junior Jazmin Karunungan are two more key elements to the Beavers' heart of the lineup having both been strong bats in the box in the 2021 season where Minot State went 22-22 overall.

The Beavers will bring the heat to the UMary Marauders in the negative degree weather tonight to open the Bubble Invite I tournament as they embark on their journey towards another successful softball season. The team will play full seven-inning games throughout the weekend in the air-supported dome for their first four games of the year. First pitch crosses the plate at 5 p.m.