Warm ups . . . 

The Washburn Lady Blues will return to action after a nearly two week break from games as they travel to Rochester, Minn., for the Northern Sun/MIAA Crossover Dome Tournament. The Lady Blues will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak after going 0-4 at the Southeastern Regional Invitational after the final day was rained out. After the NSIC/MIAA regional event, Washburn will return home on March 5 to open its home schedule facing Northwestern Oklahoma State at the Washburn softball complex.

Know the foes . . . 

• This weekend the Lady Blues will face five members of the Northern Sun Conference.

• The Lady Blues are one of six MIAA schools traveling to face the NSIC foes joining Northwest Missouri, Truman, Nebraska-Kearney and Fort Hays State and Lindenwood.

• All five games will count as regional games for the Lady Blues as they have moved from the NCAA South Central Region to the Central Region, which encompasses the MIAA, the GAC and the Northern Sun Conferences.

• Washburn is 10-4 all-time against Minnesota State and they have not met since a 4-2 loss on May 9, 2008 in the NCAA Regional Tournament in Emporia.

• The Lady Blues are 3-3 all-time against Concordia-St. Paul have not faced each other since a 7-4 win on March 21, 2008.

• Washburn and Winona State have never faced each other in softball.

• Washburn holds a 5-3 series lead over St. Cloud State and the two teams have not played each other since a 3-1 Lady Blues' win on March 25, 2006. Washburn has won the last two in the series.

• Washburn and Sioux Falls have never played each other in softball.

Blue Notes . . . 

• #3 Kristen Bell -- Has started all 51 games of her Washburn career at catcher.

• #4 Katie Schroeder -- Has made two starts in centerfield this season.

• #5 Marina Quimby -- Has recorded three complete games in the circle.

• #6 Lauren Byrn -- Has made two starts appearing in three games this season.

• #7 Amanda Kirkhart -- Third on the team with seven hits while leading the Lady Blues with four doubles.

• #8 Kayla Oldham -- Has not appeared in any games this season.

• #9 Haylee Marsteller -- Recorded second hit of the season against Cameron.

• #10 Deidra Jones -- Has had at least one hit in all eight games this season batting .524.

• #12 Tori Gloudeman -- Made second start of the season against Southern Nazarene.

• #13 Skyler Gentry -- Was hit by a pitch against Southern Nazarene.

• #14 Mallorie Monhollon -- Did not appear in any games in Oklahoma last weekend.

• #15 Leah Garland -- Made one start last weekend in Oklahoma driving in a run and scoring a run.

• #16 Lauren Thimmesch -- Tied for the team lead with two home runs.

• #22 Shelby Erickson -- Has scored a run with 2 RBI this season starting eight games.

• #23 Alex Zordel -- Hit her 23rd career home run in Oklahoma moving her into sixth on the all-time Lady Blues home run chart.

Replay - stats and notes from the week which was

• Washburn was 0-4 at the Southeasten Oklahoma Regional Invitational.

• Deidra Jones led the team with a .500 batting average with five hits in 10 at bats.

• Alex Zordel drove in a team-high three runs.

• Amanda Kirkhart batted .444 with four hits including two doubles.

• Kristen Bell and Katie Schroeder also recorded four hits.

• Washburn was outscored 15-2 in the first two innings of play and 23-1 in the final three innings of play.

Slap hits. . . 

• Deidra Jones leads the team with three multi-hit games.

• Jones will be carrying an eight-game hitting streak to Minnesota.

• Jones has also reached base safely in the last eight games.

• Kristen Bell is riding a six-game hitting streak as the Lady Blues head north.

• The Lady Blues have been outscored 22-9 this season in the first two innings.

• Washburn is outscoring its opponents 18-11 in the third and fourth innings.

• The Lady Blues are being outscored 28-4 in the last three innings of the game.

• The Lady Blues have yet to swipe a base this season.

Lady Blues head coach Vanessa Becerra 

• was named the Washburn Lady Blues head softball coach on Aug. 3, 2011 after spending four seasons at Metro State in Denver, Colo., with the final season coming as the head coach. 

• is 21-30 in her second season on the bench and overall Becerra has recorded a 55-48 mark in her third year as a head coach.

• in her lone season as the head coach at Metro State, Becerra led the Roadrunners the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season championship while advancing to the NCAA regional tournament for the third-straight season finishing with a 34-18 record. 

• has coached three Lady Blues to all-MIAA honors.

• has had 12 Lady Blues named to the MIAA's Academic Honor Roll.

Lady Blues softball history. . . 

• The Lady Blues are 1036-737-1 in their 44th year of softball. 

• The Lady Blues have made three NCAA Tournament appearances (1999, 2006, 2008). 

• Washburn won the 2002 regular season MIAA title.

Up Next . . . 

Washburn will open its home slate on March 5 when they will face Northwestern Oklahoma in non-conference action at the Washburn Softball Complex at 1 p.m.