The chill of winter might be in the air, but inside the Air-Supported Dome on the Minot State University (MSU) campus affectionately known as “The Bubble” the action will heat up as the Beaver softball team opens its season hosting its annual Bubble Invite this weekend.

Fresh off a trip to the semifinals of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Tournament, MSU is poised to make a run at the league title this season, and the race for first place starts with the Beavers hosting Minnesota State Moorhead in a non-conference doubleheader Friday, January 31, at 5 p.m. “The Bubble.”

“Being able to see a field again and another uniform across it is going to be really exciting for us,” second-year Minot State head coach Sal Rodriguez said of the weekend, which will see the Beavers play 5 games, and 13 contests in total taking place in “The Bubble.”

“The ladies have worked really hard,” added Rodriguez. “I know, especially our young group, they’re really excited to get out and get their first college games out there.”

Mary opens play at 1 p.m. with a doubleheader against Black Hills State on Friday, then Minot State hosts the Dragons in a twinbill at 5 p.m.

Saturday, Providence plays single games against Mary at 10 a.m., then MSU Moorhead at noon before Mary and MSU Moorhead meet at 2 p.m. Saturday’s action concludes with Minot State battling Black Hill State at 4 p.m. in a doubleheader.

The weekend wraps up Sunday with MSU playing Providence at 10 a.m. in a single game, then Mary and Providence meet in a single game at noon before MSU Moorhead and Black Hill State wrap up the action with a doubleheader at 2 p.m.

As it is the opening weekend for the Beavers, and all the teams competing in the Bubble Invite, Minot State will focus on trying to claim five wins, but possibly more important; evaluating how the off-season workouts have benefitted the Beaver roster.

“You just want to see the team execute the fundamentals really well,” said Rodriguez. “That’s something that we’ve worked really hard on is just doing the small things better than everyone else. And there’s some things that we’ll probably need to clean up, but again, it’s good to see it in a game setting because it’s a little different when you’re scrimmaging yourself. And how do the nine ladies on the field work together?” he added, “against a team that’s not their own teammates. So hopefully we can execute on the little things really well: Play catch, hit the ball, run the bases well.”

Leading the way as the Beavers look to execute the fundamentals are several key returners, starting in the circle with senior pitcher Reegan Floyd who threw a no-hitter for MSU as a sophomore and who has 29 career wins and 7 career shutouts in 69 appearances.

She leads a veteran pitching staff that includes juniors Kierra Fournier (eight wins, 34 appearances) and Calley Olson (13 wins, 29 appearances) who both saw plenty of action last season.

“She always wants the ball,” Rodriguez said of Floyd, “…she wants to go out there and compete, and she hates coming out of ball games. So that’s something that hopefully is contagious to the rest of our roster.”

As for other returning team leaders, junior Anna La Count is back behind the plate after earning 2nd Team All-NSIC honors last spring, and All-NSIC Tournament performer senior Hannah Murray will help anchor the infield again. LaCount has thrown out 6-of-23 base stealers as catcher in two seasons while hitting .302 with 28 RBIs while Murray has hit .299 with 29 RBIs in her three seasons at MSU.

Meanwhile, coach Rodriguez expects good things from junior Paige Kellogg, a .282 career hitter with 4 home runs and 34 RBIs in two seasons, who moves from 2nd base to 1st, and junior Taylor Smith, a .250 hitter with 8 RBIs and 8 stolen bases in two seasons who the Beaver coach expects to have a much busier role on the diamond this season.

Also back are key contributors in seniors Abbey Kelley, a .271 career hitter with 31 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in three seasons, and Abby Lohse, a .261 career hitter with 4 home runs, 47 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases in three seasons, and junior Sara Van Wickler, a .280 career hitter with 2 home runs, 25 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases in two seasons.

A great core of experienced players for the Beavers to lean on, but a core that will be equally challenged by a talented group of transfers and incoming freshmen, as well, this season.

One talented newcomer is freshman Sarah Misner from Mesa, Arizona who Coach Rodriguez says will get the chance both offensively and in the circle to help the Beavers right away, along with junior outfielder and transfer Raivyn Millions, a junior college All-American from Spoon River College in Illinois.

Coach Rodriguez is equally excited to see the contributions of the other newcomers, including Minot High products’ Ellington and Isabelle Anderson as they make their collegiate debut.

A great mix of youth, experience, and talent that the Beavers hope propels the team beyond last season’s trip to the NSIC Tournament’s final four.

“Last year, we wanted to compete at the conference tournament,” Rodriguez said. “I think we did that. Now, this year, the goal is [to] obviously go out and win. It’s not going to be an easy task, there’s a lot of really great teams in the league …there’s no easy weekend here in the NSIC, and you just take it one game at a time. But if we can handle our business, then, hopefully, come May time we’re competing for a conference championship.”