MOORHEAD, Minn. -- MSU Moorhead softball will look to continue its hot start to NSIC play this weekend as the Dragons will begin an adjusted six-game homestand beginning on Friday, March 29. 

MSUM will take on Concordia, St. Paul in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on Friday in Aberdeen, S.D., inside the Aberdeen City Dome (formerly Presentation Dome). The Dragons will then battle Winona State the following day in Aberdeen with a doubleheader beginning at noon. MSUM is scheduled to play its first games in Moorhead on Tuesday, April 2 in a doubleheader against Northern State which is set to begin at 1 p.m. 

Note: No pets are allowed inside the Aberdeen City Dome. 

Live stats and video for all games (regardless of location) will be available at msumdragons.com.

The Dragons began conference play last weekend and concluded the four-game stretch 3-1 with a Friday sweep of Minnesota State followed by a split with Augustana on Saturday. The sweep of the Mavericks is the first multi-game sweep of MSU since the 1982 season. Saturday's game two win over the Vikings is MSUM's first win over Augie since April 2005. MSUM will enter this flurry of contests with a 16-10 overall record. 

At the plate, MSUM is led by senior Evey Evans and sophomore Azalya Lopez as each are hitting for a .338 so far this season. Evans slashed a .437 average across four games for MSUM a week ago which included four RBIs and a pair of runs scored. Evans leads the team in total hits with 27 and on-base percentage so far this season while Lopez bolsters the roster's best slugging percentage at .468. The sophomore leads the Dragons with 18 RBIs as well as a pair of triples. Sophomore slugger Mack Gallagher leads MSUM with a whopping eight doubles so far this year. Grace Oeltjen leads the charge on the basepaths for the Dragons, stealing six bases in seven attempts this year. 

In the circle, it is Lopez and freshman Teagan Clemmons who occupy many of the innings for the Dragons. Lopez offers up an 8-4 record in pitching decisions this season with a team-best 2.70 ERA. She also leads the Dragons in strikeouts, fanning 53 batters so far this season while holding opponents to a .264 average. Clemmons has been solid over the last several games for MSUM, whittling her ERA down to 2.89 while bolstering four wins on her ledger. The freshman has also struck out 32 batter this season. Both Evey Evans and Eliya Johnson are others who will see time in the circle for MSUM as Evans has a 2.14 ERA in 19.2 innings pitched this year while Johnson has held opponent's to a .258 average. 

MSUM has been strong in the field this season with only 20 total errors compare to their opponent's 28. Several Dragons offer up a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage so far this season (Johnson, Oeltjen, Sam Centeno, Chloe Makinney, Eliyah McCarthy, Teagan Pranchke, Avery Steffen, Ella Holiman, Brynna Farman and Hannah Losee). As a team, MSUM has a .973 fielding percentage in 2024.

Mike Armitage is in his third season at the helm of Dragon softball.