MINOT, N.D. – It's been a while since the Beavers loaded up the bus and hit the road – not since late February when Minot State played at the Branson Bash in Missouri.
But after an extended homestand in "The Bubble," the Minot State softball team is prepared for three straight days of NSIC doubleheader action, playing at Sioux Falls starting at 1 p.m. on Sunday, at Southwest Minnesota State at noon on Monday, then at 2 p.m. on Tuesday at Minnesota Crookston.
A series of six important games for Minot State (20-14 overall, 7-5 NSIC) which sits in sixth place in the NSIC standings and can give their NSIC Tournament plans a big boost with road wins against teams chasing them.
The Cougars (15-16, 6-6) recently snapped a three-game skid with a 2-0 win over Augustana on Saturday, while the Mustangs (8-23, 3-9) are coming off a doubleheader sweep of Wayne State. As for the Golden Eagles (13-22, 1-9), they've lost their last seven.
Offensively, Sioux Falls is hitting a solid .296 this season, ranking the Cougars No. 7 in the NSIC, while Minnesota Crookston is 14
th at just .259, and Southwest Minnesota State is 15
th hitting .254.
As for the Beavers, their offense has been very good as Minot State is hitting .299 and ranks No. 5 in the league.
Pitching-wise, Minot State is in the middle of the NSIC standings with a 4.08 ERA, seventh-best. Southwest Minnesota State is ninth with a 4.29 ERA, while Sioux Falls is 10
th at 4.30, and Minnesota Crookston is 15
th at 5.46.
Individually, Minot State's
Paige Kellogg leads the NSIC with a .418 batting average, while Minnesota Crookston's Alina Avalos also is a big offensive threat for the Golden Eagles as she is hitting .410. Avalos also is a top run producer as she is sixth in the NSIC with 31 RBIs.
Minot State looks to snap a seven-game skid against Sioux Falls, though the teams have not met since the spring of 2021.
The Beavers won their last meeting with the Mustangs, which also was in 2021, a victory that snapped a three-game Southwest Minnesota State win streak.
As for Minnesota Crookston, the Beavers took 4-of-5 from the Golden Eagles last season, but the last meeting went against Minot State, a 3-0 setback.
