PEORIA, Ill. -- The Augustana Vikings softball team will begin its 2025 campaign on Thursday at Friday at the Blue Angel Invite in Peoria. Augie will take on No. 23 UW-Stevens Point on Thursday in the season opener before facing the host Mount Mary in the nightcap. On Friday, the Vikings will square off against the Edgewood Eagles and Knox Prairie Fire.

The Vikings are coming off a 26-15 overall record and 12-4 mark in the CCIW last season, earning the No. 2 seed in the postseason tournament. The team saw its most wins in a season since 2015 and finished the highest in the CCIW in 10 years. Augie also boasted six All-Conference selections, the most since 2009. The Vikings earned 49 points in the CCIW preseason poll to come in fourth, just one behind third-place Millikin and two behind second-place North Central.

Augustana will see two All-CCIW selections return in 2025, including McKensey Stontz, who led the team in home runs and was second in OPS, hits, batting average, and RBI. On the mound, All-Conference pitcher Lauren Koster is back after posting a 3.29 ERA in 2024 to go with eight wins.

Thursday's opponents will feature the Pointers of UW-Stevens Point, who enter the season ranked No. 23 in the NFCA preseason poll, and the Blue Angels of Mount Mary. The Pointers were 32-9 a season ago, but dropped their final four games of the season, losing twice in the WIAC Tournament and twice in the NCAA Tournament. Stevens Point boasted a 14-5 neutral-site record last year and will open is season on Thursday against Wisconsin Lutheran before taking on Augustana. The Vikings have dropped four of their last five vs. the Pointers, including an 8-3 loss last season in Peoria. 

Mount Mary, the Vikings' second opponent on Thursday, finished 2024 with a 10-29 overall record. The Blue Angels won just one neutral-site contest last season, a 7-5 victory over Knox as part of the Blue Angel in Peoria. Knox and Mount Mary will square off to kick off the new season on Thursday before the Vikings and Blue Angels meet at approximately 10 p.m. Augie and Mount Mary played twice two seasons ago, with the Vikings out-scoring the Blue Angels 28-1 across the two-game sweep.

On Friday, Augustana begins its day with a 12:30 bout vs. Edgewood. The Eagles ended last season with a 20-21 overall record, ending their season early in the NACC Tournament with a 1-0 loss to Benedictine. Edgewood had a winning record in neutral-site matchups last season, winning nine of its 16 contests. The Eagles will face the Vikings in their final game of the two-day trip to Peoria and are looking to win their third straight in the series. Edgewood won last season's meeting in Peoria by a final of 7-5.

In the finale, Augustana will take on Knox at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. The Prairie Fire were 2-31 a season ago, with both wins coming at a neutral location over Northland and Nazareth. Augustana has won five straight dating back to 2014 over Knox and last beat the Prairie Fire in 2023 by a score of 8-0.

Live video for the games will be pay-per-view. Live stats and other info can be found here.