BEMIDJI, Minn. – Bemidji State University Softball will travel to St. Paul and Marshall, Minn. this weekend to kick off the 2025 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schedule against Concordia University, St. Paul and Southwest Minnesota State University Friday and Saturday. The contests were originally scheduled to be the Beavers' home opener weekend but the teams elected to reverse the sites as cold weather is scheduled to take over Bemidji this weekend.
 
Bemidji State enters the weekend 13-11 after a successful trip to Florida last week for The Spring Games. The team went 8-6 in the tournament and grabbed big wins over then No. 16 University of Indianapolis, 1-0, and a record breaking 18-1 win over Point Park University. 
 
Senior left-fielder Alexa Christenson holds the lead spot in hitting for BSU, marking a .345 batting average with 29 hits, 20 runs, five doubles and a home run. She is currently in second place for the most at bats in program history at 582 and third for most runs scored with 107, just 26 away from tying Jessica Burlingame's 2016-19 career record. Kennedy Joachim has grabbed the top pitching spot with a 7-3 record and 1.28 ERA in her freshman season. Pitching eight complete games, Joachim has allowed just 13 earned runs and struck out 84 batters. Second baseman Aubrey Aukerman is the top defender for BSU with a 1.000 fielding percentage from 78 chances, 51 putouts and 27 assists with four double plays. 
 
The Beavers have struggled against the Golden Bears recently, losing three straight since May 4, 2023 during the NSIC Tournament. The last time BSU grabbed a win came during the regular season that same year when the team swept CSP 10-6 and 11-10 (nine innings). 
 
Concordia-St. Paul hosts a .320 winning percentage so far this season, going 8-17. Currently on a four-game losing streak, their most recent hiccups came from 3-0 and 5-2 losses to Missouri Southern State University and 9-3 and 9-1 losses to Pittsburg State University. The Golden Bears' top batter comes in the form of senior infielder Sydney Pelzer who is hitting at 36.6% with an on base percentage of 46%. The team's top pitcher is Emmy Bowne who holds a 4-7 record and 3.70 ERA. She has appeared in 14 games and started in eight. In the field, Rachel Novak leads the way with 150 putouts and two assists with seven double plays and a 1.000 fielding percentage. 
 
Earlier this season, BSU and SMSU met at the Kelly Laas Memorial Tournament in St. Cloud, Minn. The Beavers took down the Mustangs, 3-2, giving Payton Prissel her first win in her first collegiate appearance on the mound. BSU's lead off batter, Alexa Christenson, grabbed the game-winning run when she hit a home run to right field at the top of the seventh inning. Prissel allowed two runs and struck out two batters in her seven innings, facing 26 batters. Last year, BSU swept SMSU on Mar. 24 in Sioux Center, Iowa.
 
The Mustangs are 18-8 this season and currently hold a three-game winning streak after splitting games against Florida Southern College and defeating Shepherd University and Northwood University at The Spring Games. They'll take on University of Minnesota Crookston Friday prior to hosting Bemidji State Saturday. Brynn Webber takes the Mustangs' top hitting spot with a .403 batting average and .518 on base percentage. On the mound, Morgyn Otte leads the way with an ERA of 2.59 and 6-2 record in 12 appearances. In the field, Jordyn Marsh takes the top spot with 36 putouts, six assists and a fielding percentage of 1.000.
 
Following this weekend, the Beavers travel to Duluth, Minn. for a mid-week double header at the University of Minnesota Duluth on Wednesday. They'll then head down to the University of Sioux Falls Mar. 30 and St. Cloud State University Apr. 1. BSU is now set to open home play, weather permitting, Apr. 5 against Winona State University at 1 and 3 p.m.
 
For more information on the Bemidji State Softball program, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on X (@BSUBeaversSB), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) and like 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 and women's hockey membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).