TAHLEQUAH -- Northeastern State Softball plays the first conference games of the Cassidy Bowen era this week with doubleheaders at Washburn (Friday at 4/6 p.m.) and Emporia State (Saturday at 12/2 p.m.).

The RiverHawks (13-8) enter with over a week of rest and wins in six of their last seven contests. Most recently, NSU swept Southern Nazarene at RiverHawks Park on Mar. 3, earning a 3-0 shutout win in the early game before a Jersey Retzloff RBI double clinched a 5-4 victory in the late game.

As a team, the RiverHawks enter conference play with a .305 team batting average. Mattison Hamilton has a base hit in eight straight appearances, while Madison Nance slammed her fourth homer in the SNU doubleheader and has drawn a team-high 14 walks for the year. Annsleigh Morris has also had a strong season so far offensively behind a .308 batting average, going 3-of-5 in the SNU doubleheader last week.

Northeastern State's pitching has been highlighted lately by the work of Jensyn Elder, who has allowed just two earned runs in her last 14 innings pitched alongside seven strikeouts. 

Washburn (23-6) will open their MIAA schedule against the RiverHawks, owning a 4-1 record in true home games heading into league play. Most recently, they claimed two wins across four games at the Grand Slam Classic in Branson, Mo. last week. The RiverHawks hold a 15-20 all-time record against the Ichabods with losses in their last five.

Emporia State (13-6) will host #18 Rogers State on Friday before battling NSU on Saturday. The Hornets have won five of their last six overall, though Friday and Saturday mark just their second and third home doubleheaders of the season. The RiverHawks have dropped the last four in the all-time series against ESU and hold a 19-25 all-time record against them.