FIRST PITCH 
The seventh-seeded University of Minnesota Duluth softball team (40-12 overall, 22-6 NSIC) will square off against three-seed Rogers State in the elimination bracket of the NCAA Tournament's Central Regional on Friday, May 12 at 5:00 p.m. CT. 

THE NCAA TOURNAMENT IN A NUTSHELL
All-together, 64 teams punched their ticket to the Big Dance. This field is split into eight different regional groups: the Atlantic, the Central, the East, the Midwest, the South, the South Central, the Southeast and the West. All of these groups are then split in half to form two "pods" within each Region. One team within each pod earns the honor of hosting a double-elimination tournament composed of the teams within that pod, meaning that the tournament starts with 16 total host sites. These pod regionals span from May 11 to May 13.

The 16 teams that make it out of each of their pods then advance to the Super Regionals, which run from May 18 to May 19. This is split across eight different host sites composed of matchups between just two teams. The Super Regionals take on a best-of-three format. That format sticks in the NCAA Championships, which are composed of the eight Super Regional winners. These final contests will be played from May 25 to May 31 at Frost Stadium at Warner Park in Chattanooga, Tenn.

CENTERING IN ON THE CENTRAL
Eight teams qualified for the Central Regional out of the original pool of 42 teams split across the NSIC, the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) and the Great American Conference (GAC) that make up the Central Region. Here's a breakdown of the regional, including final scores from the first matchups:

POD ONE
No. 1 Central Oklahoma (MIAA)* vs No. 8 Southeastern Oklahoma (GAC) UCO WINS 5-0

No. 4 Harding (GAC) vs No. 5 Oklahoma Baptist (GAC) OBU WINS 4-2

No. 1 Central Oklahoma vs No. 5 Oklahoma Baptist: Friday, May 12 @ 1:00 p.m. CT

Elimination bracket:
No. 4 Harding vs No. 8 Southeastern Oklahoma: Friday, May 12 @ 3:30 CT

POD TWO
No. 2 MSSU (MIAA)* vs No. 7 UMD (NSIC) MSSU WINS 3-2

No. 3 Rogers State (MIAA) vs No. 6 Southern Arkansas (GAC) SAU WINS 5-0

No. 2 MSSU vs No. 6 Southern Arkansas: Friday, May 12 @ 2:30 p.m. CT

Elimination bracket:
No. 3 Rogers State vs No. 7 UMD: Friday, May 12 @ 5:00 p.m. CT

*regional pod host

All-told, the GAC holds the honor of landing the most teams in the tourney with four. The MIAA was close behind with three squads. UMD was the only team out of the NSIC to make it to the Big Dance. 

UMD'S TOURNEY HISTORY
This season marks UMD's tenth appearance on the NCAA Tournament stage, its first since 2019. That 2019 bid was the last of a stretch in which the Bulldogs made the Big Dance in three of four seasons. In 2018, UMD made it all the way to the Super Regionals for the first time as a program.

LAST TIME OUT
The Bulldogs faced a tough draw to open the Central Regional, their first opponent being No. 2 seed and regional pod host Missouri Southern State. Defense proved to rule the day, but the Lions were ultimately able to put up the extra run needed to secure a win. UMD lost its day one contest 3-2.

GAME DEBRIEF:
-UMD opened the scoring when a two-out Kendal Jenkins single scored Kiana Bender in the top of the third
-MSSU would respond with a run of its own in the bottom of the frame
-The Lions would then take the lead with a solo home run from Emily Perry in the bottom of the fourth only for the Bulldogs to answer right back with a solo shot from Bender in the fifth to even things at 2-2
-With two on and two outs in the bottom of the seventh, MSSU would secure a run on an error to take the win
-Bender went 3-3 from the plate, scoring a run and landing two RBIs
-Lauren Dixon worked the full 6.2 innings, allowing one earned run and five hits while giving up no walks
-Perry finished 2-3 from the dish with a run and an RBI
-Three Lions saw the mound for MSSU, working together to allow two runs on six total hits with no walks

GOING THE DISTANCE 
Dixon was unreal for UMD all across its NSIC Tournament run. Quite literally "all across it"- no other Bulldog hit the mound in any of the 28 innings of the successful campaign. In those four complete games of work, Dixon did more than just secure four wins. The NSIC Pitcher of the Year and three-time NSIC Pitcher of the Week allowed just 13 hits, nine walks, and one run. Yep, just a single run in four games. Not only that, but the junior lefty threw two one-hitters in the process. All the while, Dixon amassed 30 more strikeouts to a season (and career) that's already proven legendary for its K's.

By the end of the NSIC Tournament, Dixon sat at first amongst the tourney field in both innings pitched and strikeouts. She finished second in opposing batting average, holding hitters to just a 1.37 mark. Despite her workload, Dixon was still fifth in cumulative ERA with a mark of .25.

QUITE A SWAN SONG
For Zavoral, the NSIC Tournament proved to be quite the senior send-off from conference action. That 4-4 effort in the championship game was just the cherry on top of an altogether memorable effort from the Cottage Grove, Minn. native. Zavoral closed the tournament at second in total hits with eight, third in batting average (.667) and fourth in on base percentage (.714).

WORKING WELL ON TOURNAMENT TIME
Dixon and Zavoral joined Bender, Burkhardt, and Corrie Weise as the Bulldogs to make the NSIC All-Tournament Team. UMD's five total representatives were the most any single team had on the All-Tourney squad.

ALL-NSIC BULLDOGS
 Five different UMD players found themselves on NSIC All-Conference Teams when the squads were revealed last Tuesday. Dixon landed on the First Team, alongside Zavoral and Schmitt. Bender and Burkhardt scored All-Conference Second Team nods.

COUNTRY-WIDE RECOGNITION FOR DIXON
When the NFCA DII All-Region Teams were announced on Wednesday, it was revealed that Dixon had landed on the Central Region First Team. Check out the full release here.

STATS STATUS REPORT
Bender's the Bulldog that leads the team in the most offensive categories. The junior shortstop holds UMD-highs in slugging percentage (.701), doubles (16), triples (seven) hits (57) and runs (50). Burkhardt leads the way in RBIs (41) and home runs (10). Schmitt holds the highest batting average at .376.

Dixon is the 'dog to watch for on the mound. The junior lefty came into the tournament at seventh in the entire nation in shutouts with 11 and 10th in both total strikeouts (219) and strikeouts per seven innings (9.5). The NSIC Pitcher of the Year (understandably) led the conference in all of those categories as well as ERA (1.48), hits per seven innings (4.51) and complete games/wins (21). She did all of this while holding opposing hitters to a .178 batting average.

DIXIE MAKES HISTORY
In UMD's very first game of NSIC postseason action this year against Minot State on May 3 , Dixon made the occasion even more special by setting the UMD program record for career strikeouts at 548. Since then, the junior's packed on 31 more, leaving the school touchstone at 579 and counting.

SCOUTING REPORT ON ROGERS STATE
FIRST DANCE
Despite being the higher seed in the matchup, No. 3 RSU's first tournament opponent in No. 6 Southern Arkansas was no joke. In fact, the Muleriders of SAU were able to not only pull off the upset but blank the Hillcats on the scoresheet in the process, winning the contest 5-0 and sending RSU to the elimination bracket. 

THE ROAD TO THE TOURNAMENT
The Hillcats put up a commendable effort in a tough MIAA conference. RSU went 43-12 overall and 18-8 in conference play, good for a third place finish. The Hillcats proceeded to be a tough out in the postseason, even picking up a 4-1 win against MSSU early in their tournament run. The Lions would have the last laugh, though, handing RSU its second loss of the tourney by a score of 4-3 to eliminate the Hillcats and advance to the title game.

HIGH-CLIMBING HILLCATS 
Again… the MIAA has been no joke this year. Even as just the third seed in the Central Regional, the Hillcats landed at No. 14 in the most recent NFCA Coaches Poll.

WATCHING THE THRONE
Another thing to know about the Hillcats: they've been there and done that. RSU enters this tournament as the reigning NCAA DII Softball Champions. The Hillcats lost just a single game to a familiar name in Minnesota State in their initial four-team pod before sweeping the rest of their tournament slate, including their best of three championship bout with Cal State Dominguez Hills.

MAKE NOTE OF MORALES
Bridgett Morales has been RSU's biggest bat so far this year, landing the honor of being the Hillcat that leads the team in the most offensive categories. The sophomore posts team-bests in batting average (.358), hits (58), home runs (10) and RBIs (49) all while holding a 19-base lead in the total bases department with 101.

THE SPOTLIGHT'S ON SARA
The primary cat on the hill for RSU this season's been Sara Llamas-Howell. In fact, the junior's impact has extended far beyond Claremore, Okla. Llamas-Howell was crowned the MIAA Pitcher of the Year. The righty posted an ERA of 1.32 while holding opposing hitting to a mere .194 batting average across 149 innings en route to a nearly unblemished 21-2 record.

THE BROADCAST
Catch the postseason action live and free-of-charge through the NSIC Network by clicking the link below:
vs Rogers State (Friday, May 13 @ 5:00 p.m. CT): bit.ly/3BneSRc

UP NEXT
Should UMD win against RSU, the Bulldogs would continue their tournament run by playing the loser of Friday's No. 2 Missouri Southern State/No. 6 Southern Arkansas matchup (which is set to start at 2:30 p.m. CT) on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. CT. A loss against the Hillcats would spell the end of UMD's time in the tourney.