CLEREMONT, Fla. -- The Augustana Vikings softball team will be back in action on Sunday, March 20 after over two weeks off as they get ready to compete at THE Spring Games down in Florida. The Vikings will face a total of ten teams over the course of six days.

Augustana currently sits at 6-2 on the season after a successful stay at the Mount Mary Slugger Series in Peoria to kick off the season. The Vikings went 3-1 in both of their trips, which included a come-from-behind win over Edgewood, a walk-off win over UW-Platteville, and a victory over previously undefeated UW-Stevens Point. 

On Sunday, Augie opens their trip with back-to-back games against the Buffalo State Bengals and Bowdoin Polar Bears. It will be the first meeting for the Vikings against both teams. The Bengal have yet to play a game so far this season and will begin their 2022 slate on Saturday against Clarkson and Hamline. Buffalo State concluded their 2021 season with a 13-14 record. For the Polar Bears, they are currently 1-1 on the season after splitting a pair of games on thef first day of The Spring Games on March 17. Bowdoin was 5-7 in 2021. Games on Sunday are scheduled for 8:00 a.m. CST and 10:15 a.m. CST.

The Vikings will face just one team on Monday in the Hamilton Continentals at 10:15 a.m. CST. Hamilton is 6-1 on the year with wins over fellow CCIW foe Carthage and UW-Platteville, who the Vikings also beat earlier this season. This will be the first-ever meeting between the Vikings and Continentals. Hamilton ended their abbreviated 2021 season with a 6-7 mark.

Augie will go back to two games on Tuesday as they face Gustavus Adolphus at 8:00 a.m. CST, followed by UW-Whitewater immediately after at 10:15 a.m. CST. The Golden Gusties of Gustavus Adolphus are 2-4 on the year, splitting a doubleheader with Bethany Lutheran in their most recent outing. Augustana is 1-0 all-time against Gustavus Adolphus, a 9-1 victory in 2020 in Rochester, Minn. The Warhawks will compete in their first game of 2022 down in Florida on Friday. Whitewater finished 29-10 in 2021 and are 12-3 all-time against Augustana, winning their last encounter by a score of 5-1 last season.

Augustana receives a day off on Wednesday before taking on the No. 18 ranked UW-Oshkosh Titans on Thursday in their only contest of the day. The Titans enter the weekend with a 5-3 record and have one common opponent with the Vikings this season, defeating Lawrence 3-0. Augustana is 6-4 versus UW-Oshkosh all time. First pitch is scheduled for 9:15 a.m. CST.

On Friday, the Vikings will get a little bit of a later start, beginning with the UW-Eau Claire Blugolds at 11:15 a.m. CST. The Blugolds are 3-2 this season and 2-3 against the Vikings all-time. Augie won their most recent meeting in 2020 by a score of 8-7. Following that game, Augustana will square off with Luther at 1:30 p.m. CST. The Norse enter their trip to Florida with a 4-2 record and winners of four straight after dropping their first two contests. Luther and Augustana have met eight times in their history, each winning four. The Norse won their last encounter in 2020 by a score of 9-1.

The Vikings close out their trip on Saturday with a pair of games against the No. 10 ranked Tufts Jumbos at 9:00 a.m. CST and Williams Ephs at 11:15 a.m. CST. The tenth-ranked Jumbos were 21-7 a season ago and will get their first action of the new season down in Florida. Tufts and Augustana have never met. The Ephs have also yet to play a game prior to The Spring Games. Williams finished 12-2 in 2021 and will be meeting Augustana for the first time.

Live stat links can be found throughout the week on Augustana softball schedule page. Live video will be available for each game, but requires an account.