ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – Postseason plans are at stake Thursday for the College of Saint Benedict softball team.
 
The Bennies earned the No. 3 seed in the 2021 MIAC Tournament, and host sixth-seeded Concordia at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 13. The winner earns a spot in the four-team, double-elimination MIAC Tournament this weekend in Northfield, and the loser's season is likely over. Both teams are having big seasons behind a solid pitching staff, and both teams are hoping to move on to try for a conference tournament title.
 
Per CSB policy, 150 fans are allowed in the grandstands at the OAC – masked and socially distant. Fans are also welcome outside the outfield fence. Live stats and video are available here.
 
ABOUT THE COBBERS    
Concordia made the MIAC Tournament for the first time in program history thanks to a 9-13 conference record and a sixth-place MIAC finish. The Cobbers went 4-2 in their final five games of the regular season, and look to bounce back after losing to Augsburg in the regular-season finale. Megan Gavin is one of the league's top pitchers with 208 strikeouts and a 1.78 ERA, and she also leads the team at the plate with a .392 batting average.
 
LAST MEETING
Saint Benedict swept a MIAC doubleheader between the two teams on April 3 in Moorhead. The first game was a pitcher's duel as Elly Novak and Megan Gavin combined for 25 strikeouts, but an error and a Jordyn Swoboda homer gave the Bennies a 2-0 win. CSB went off for 13 hits in the 13-3 win in the second game, including a two-run homer from Tori Harren.
 
THE STORYLINE
CSB finished tied for second with Bethel in the MIAC standings, but earned the third seed because the Royals swept the Bennies in the regular season. CSB looks to get to the four-team tournament to avenge its regular-season losses - two to the Royals and one each against St. Olaf and St. Thomas. The Bennies also likely need to make it to the tournament if they want to earn an at-large bid to the 2021 NCAA Regional Tournament. There are only four at-large bids available this year as the field is smaller due to COVID protocols.
 
WHO TO WATCH:
Elly Novak continued her record-setting season on May 1 when she picked up her 17th win of the season - a 3-1 win over the Tommies. Tori Harren helped Novak's cause at the plate as her two-run homer in the sixth lifted the Bennies to the win. Novak leads the league and is 15th in Division III with a 0.90 ERA, and she's also 10th in strikeouts. The Bennies lead the nation with 15 shutouts.