BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Softball team will make its final push to qualify for the 2024 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Softball Tournament this weekend and hosts Minnesota State University, Moorhead and Northern State University this weekend at the BSU Softball Field.
 
The Beavers (13-34, 7-17 NSIC) first host the Dragons (28-18, 15-9 NSIC) Friday, April 26 for a doubleheader at Noon and then host the Wolves (21-23, 7-17 NSIC) Saturday at 1 p.m. The teams are scheduled to play at the BSU Softball Field but rain could push the doubleheaders to Chet Anderson Stadium. Follow @BSUBeaversSB on X for the latest updates.
 
Bemidji State will need to win three-of-four games over the weekend to be in contention for the 10^th and final spot in the NSIC postseason tournament. The Beavers sit 3.5 games back of current 10^th seed Southwest Minnesota State University and are in a three-way tie for 11^th with Northern State and University of Minnesota, Crookston. BSU also needs to sweep the Wolves on the final day of the regular season.
 
Bemidji State will host Senior Day in between games Saturday against Northern State and will honor its two seniors, Stella Dolan and Stephanie Ferguson, for their hard work and dedication to the BSU Softball program for the past four seasons.
 
The Beavers are led at the plate by junior Alexa Christenson and senior Molly Houts. The pair are each batting .333 but Christenson paces the Beavers with 53 hits in 159 at bats. Houts leads the team in OPS (.840) with a team-high .382 slugging percentage and .458 on-base percentage while also tying for the team lead with 22 RBI. Houts' .458 on-base percentage is the seventh highest in the NSIC and second-highest in program history. Houts is tied with freshman Jackie Larsen for the team lead in RBI (22), while Larsen paces the Beavers with 13 stolen bases and is batting .289.
 
Senior Stella Dolan leads the Beavers in the circle as their ace. She has made 36 appearances and 24 starts in her senior campaign. She has made the second-most appearances in the NSIC and is tied for seventh in Division II. She has pitched in an NSIC leading 183 innings, the second most in DII and third most across all divisions in the NCAA. She has compiled a 10-15 record this season with an ERA of 3.90, the second lowest of her career. She is 21 innings away from setting a program record for most innings pitched in a single season (Jessica Yost, 203.2).
 
For more information on the Bemidji State softball program, follow the Beavers on X (@BSUBeaversSB), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BemidjiStateSoftball) and follow them on Instagram (@BSUBeaversSB).
 
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's hockey in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and women's hockey in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
 
--bsu—