The Southwest Minnesota State softball team will return to action following its spring trip to Florida. The Mustangs will take on Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston for a pair of doubleheaders on Sunday and Monday at the ASB Sports Complex in Sioux Center, Iowa.

The games were originally scheduled to be played in Marshall as the Mustangs’ home opener before inclement weather forced the games to be rescheduled.

Sunday will also mark SMSU’s first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games of the year. Heading into the matchups, SMSU is 9-14 overall, Bemidji State is 6-17 and Minnesota Crookston is 7-17.

Jillian Noel has been the sparkplug of the Mustang offense this year with a .354 batting average and a home run. Her 16 RBIs are also a team-high.

In the circle, Karlie Miller has led the team with 78 2/3 innings and a 5-7 record on the year. She’s struck out 54 batters and her 3.20 ERA on the season is the best on the team.

Aside from Miller, Morgyn Otte has picked up the bulk of the team’s other decisions in the circle with a 4-5 record on the year. Her 26 strikeouts are second only to Miller’s 54 and she’s accumulated a 3.61 ERA.

On the offensive side of the plate, Abby Russell’s .827 OPS has been second to Noel’s .888 mark and her four doubles are a team-high.

Freshman Brynn Webber has also been an immediate contributor. Her .608 OPS trails only Noel, Russell and Abby Boxrud and her 10 stolen bases are a team-high. Her 14 runs scored also tie Russell for a team-high.

The Mustangs are a perfect 20-0 against Crookston at neutral sites and are 31-5 against Bemidji State in neutral games.

Alexa Christenson has led Bemidji State offensively with an .840 batting average on the season. She’s also driven in 12 RBIs with a .373 batting average.

Stella Dolan has been the ace of the Bemidji pitching rotation with a 4.12 ERA and a 5-8 record on the year.

For the Eagles, Shaelyn Grant has been electric at the plate with a .970 OPS and five home runs in just 68 at-bats. Her 18 RBIs are also a team-high while Rayna French has driven in another 11 runs with a .709 OPS.

Alexa Guilford has started in just two of her 15 appearances but has been very effective for Crookston in the circle. She’s put together a 2.24 ERA and 1.37 WHIP over 34 1/3 innings for the Eagles, both team-bests. Her 23 strikeouts trail only Thayda Houser’s 26.

Houser leads the team with 41 innings pitched in seven starts. She’s compiled a 1-5 record behind a 4.10 ERA on the year.

Live stats for the games can be found online at SMSUmustangs.com while the games will be livestreamed on the NSIC network.

Sunday’s doubleheader against Bemidji State is set to begin at 2 p.m. and Monday’s games are scheduled to begin at noon.