CROOKSTON, Minn.-  The University of Minnesota Crookston softball team will host No. 18 Augustana College (S.D.) and Wayne State College (Neb.) Saturday and Sunday. The Golden Eagles will take on the Vikings Sat., April 11 at 1 and 3 p.m. at UMC Softball Field. They will then battle the Wildcats Sun., April 12 at 1 and 3 p.m.

The Golden Eagles enter the weekend with a 4-28 (0-14 NSIC) mark. Minnesota Crookston is hitting .269 as a team. Victoria Bayliss (Fr., OF, West Bloomfield, Mich./Elementary Education) is hitting .396 on the season with 19 runs scored and 10 runs batted in. Allison Foley (Jr., SS, Lockport, Ill./Accounting) enters the weekend with a .337 average with 19 runs scored and 15 RBI's.

UMC has been led in the circle by Bailey Braatz (So., RHP, Buffalo, Minn./Sports and Rec Management), who is 2-11 with a 6.09 earned runs average (ERA) in 81.2 innings pitched. Jordyn Derflinger (Jr., RHP/OF, Henderson, Nev./
Elementary Education) is 1-7 with a 6.36 ERA in 44.0 innings pitched.

Augustana has had a great season as they currently are ranked No. 18 in the nation. The Vikings are 33-5 (14-0 NSIC) on the season. Augustana has been led by Sarah Kennedy, who is hitting .523 with 38 runs scored, 17 doubles, nine home runs and 45 runs batted in. Caitlin Nichol has also had a great year, with a .475 batting average, 52 runs scored, 10 home runs and 28 RBI's, while Jenelle Trautman is hitting .464 with 30 runs scored, 15 home runs and 49 RBI's.

In the circle, Trautman leads the way with a 20-1 mark and a 2.05 ERA in 133.1 innings pitched. Carley Pickett is 9-3 with a 2.92 ERA in 79 innings pitched.

Wayne State owns a 22-12 (8-6 NSIC) record entering the weekend. The Wildcats have been led by Lexie Loos, who is hitting .465 with 35 runs scored, nine doubles, three triples and 11 runs batted in. Kaiti Williams has also been strong for Wayne State, hitting .397 with 17 runs scored, 11 doubles, one home run and 29 runs batted in.

The Wildcats have been led in the circle by Kelcie Bormann, who is 12-6 with a 3.02 ERA in 120.2 innings pitched. Sara Scheffert has also been strong with a 5-3 record and a 3.02 ERA in 51.0 innings pitched.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at www.goldeneaglesports.com.

Follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook at Golden Eagle Sports and on Twitter at @UMCAthletics.

The University of Minnesota Crookston is a NCAA Division II university located in the Red River Valley of Northwest Minnesota. UMC sponsors 11 intercollegiate athletic teams with membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate conference (NSIC) and the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). The NSIC is a 16-team conference with schools situated in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.