TAHLEQUAH – Northeastern State Softball is set to open its home slate this Friday, hosting Washburn before taking on Emporia State on Saturday at RiverHawks Park. This weekend also marks the start of Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) play, featuring a full slate of 24 games.

The RiverHawks (5-9) enter conference action after a lengthy break, having been idle since Feb. 17. Their March 7 home opener is the latest for the program since 2018. They were originally scheduled to face Southeastern Oklahoma on Tuesday, but early morning thunderstorms pushed that matchup to April 1—no joke.

Madison Heinle leads NSU at the plate, hitting .424 with nine RBIs. The senior is also making an impact in the circle, recording a team-high 20 strikeouts across four starts.

Both Emporia State and Washburn come in with 14-7 records. The last time these teams visited RiverHawks Park, they split doubleheaders with NSU. Washburn rides a modest two-game winning streak, while Emporia State will first visit Rogers State on Friday before heading to Tahlequah.