Independent file photo SMSU’s Bailey Johnson (24) is greeted by teammates at home plate after hitting a two-run home run during Game 2 of their doubleheader against Bemidji State University on March 31, 2019.

MARSHALL — The Southwest Minnesota State softball team will officially open the 2020 season today with a trip to Topeka, Kan., to face six non-conference opponents over the weekend.

•SMSU will open the season facing Pittsburg State (Kan.) at 11 a.m. today and following with a 1 p.m. first pitch versus Central Missouri.

•SMSU continues action on Saturday facing Nebraska-Kearney at 9 a.m., followed by a 2:30 p.m. game versus Fort Hays State (Kan.). SMSU then closes weekend action facing Washburn at 11 a.m. on Sunday and a 1 p.m. game versus Emporia State (Kan.).

Game coverage

•Live stats will be available for fans at smsumustangs.com

Previewing the

Mustangs

•SMSU begins the 2020 season coming off of a 19-26 campaign in 2019 with a 13-17 NSIC record.

•The Mustangs qualified for the 2019 NSIC Tournament earning a first-round victory over Upper Iowa before falling Augustana and Minnesota Duluth.

•Head coach Bailey Bouman enters her second season at the helm of the program and welcomes a roster of 19 players, led by five seniors, two juniors, six juniors, and welcomes four true freshmen and two redshirt freshmen.

Five seniors

•SMSU is led by seniors, Emma Grote, Kali Tomlinson, Madison Krog, Kaylee Hentges, and Megan Cull.

•Grote, a two-time Academic All-NSIC and CoSIDA Academic All-District, started 38 games in 38 appearances a season ago. Grote finished last season batting .341 with 45 hits and scoring 30 runs.

•Tomlinson, a two-time Academic All-NSIC, started all 45 games at third base and game in second in batting with a .358 average. Tomlinson had 49 hits and a team-high seven home runs.

•Krog, a two-time Academic All-NSIC, appeared in 31 games with 29 starts. She finished batting .216 last season and had four doubles, one triple, and one home run.

•Hentges, a two-time Academic All-NSIC, started all 45 games a season ago at second. Hentges finished batting .220 with 27 hits and 22 runs.

•Cull, a two-time Academic All-NSIC, made 19 appearances a season ago with 14 starts in the circle. Cull finished the year with a 5-10 record and 4.82 ERA.

Returning squad

•SMSU will also welcome a back strong impact in its infield with junior Madysson Schliinz, who started all 45 games at shortstop. Schliinz finished with a .154 batting average and had 18 hits.

• All-NSIC first team, junior Bailey Johnson, returns after also starting 45 games and led the team with a .408 batting average. Johnson had a team-high 53 hits including 14 doubles, four triples, and four home runs. Johnson had 15 multi-hit games including six three-hit games.

•Returning sophomores, Kristin Neumann, Lauren Klein, Lileya Kebos, Kayla Van Regenmorter, and Makayla Hoselton all add experience to the roster.

•Redshirt freshmen include pitcher Alli Christians and Olivia Gasca who suffered an injury in the season opening weekend in 2019.

Washburn Invitational

at a glance

•SMSU will open the season facing Pittsburg State (Kan.) who has accumulated a 5-13 record prior to the game.

•SMSU will then face Central Missouri, who comes into the invitational at 4-0.

•On the second day of play, the Mustangs will face Nebraska-Kearney who is 7-8.

•Fort Hays State then enters the Invitational at 10-6 overall while the host school, Washburn is 7-10.

•Before returning home, SMSU will face Emporia State who is 7-5 prior next weekend.

Pittsburg State

series history

•SMSU will face Pittsburg State (Kan.) for the seventh time in team history with PSU leading the series, 4-2.

•The teams have not faced each other since the 2008 season with SMSU winning the last time out, 6-1.

Central Missouri

series history

•SMSU holds a 3-2 advantage over Central Missouri after winning the last time out, 9-7, in St. Cloud in 2016.

•The two teams have not faced each other since the 2017 season.

•SMSU opened the series taking the first two games, before dropping the next two.

Nebraska-Kearney series history

•Nebraska-Kearney holds a slight one-game advantage at 2-1 over SMSU.

•The series opened in 1985 but the teams have not played since the 2016 season.

•SMSU picked up a victory in the meeting during the 2009 season at the NSIC/RMAC Crossover in Colorado Springs, Colo., with a 4-3 victory.

Fort Hays State

series history

•SMSU won the only meeting against Fort Hays State in 2016, with a 2-1 victory in St. Cloud.

Washburn

series history

•This will be the fourth meeting for Washburn and SMSU as Washburn holds a 3-1 advantage in the series, dating back to 1999.

•SMSU won the last meeting, 3-2, in St. Cloud, during the 2006 season.

Emporia State

series history

•The series versus Emporia State is locked 2-2 after opening during the 1992 season.

•The teams haven’t faced each other since the 2016 season.

•SMSU opened the series taking the first two games but dropped the next two.

Season openers

•The Mustangs are 28-20 all-time in season openers.

•SMSU is 7-3 in season openers since the 2010 season.

•SMSU started the season off 4-0 after the opening weekend in 2019 after earning six non-conference victory at the Dragon/Beaver Battle in the West St. Paul Dome in West St. Paul.

— Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications