Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney softball team takes part in its fourth straight tournament, heading to Topeka this weekend for the Washburn Invite presented by Capital Plaza Hotel and Convention Center.

UNK (7-8) will play five games in three days, squaring off against three teams from the NSIC (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conf.) and two from the GLVC (Great Lakes Valley Conf.). The 12-team tournament will be held on three different fields (Washburn Complex, Hummer North and Hummer South). All five Kearney games will be played on Hummer South with live stats available on each day.

The Lopers will face St. Cloud State (5-0) on Friday afternoon, Southwest Minnesota State (0-0) and Sioux Falls (4-3) on Saturday and then the Rockhurst Hawks (5-1) and Missouri-St. Louis Tritons (3-5) on Sunday. First pitch times maybe later due to the tournament format.

At the plate Kearney is batting .310 and averaging 5.5 runs per game. Just over 30% of the team's hits have gone for extra bases including 10 home runs. Senior infielder Kaitlyn Johnson (Kearney H.S.) has a team-best four with outfielders Carlee Liesch (Lincoln Pius) and Nicole Spykstra (Chandler, Ariz.) at two apiece. Spykstra now leads the team with a .432 average with nine others having at least a .300 mark.

Six different Lopers have been in the circle with Colorado senior Erin Hallman (26.2) and Lincoln sophomore Kelsey Goodban (23.1) logging the most innings. Hallman has started six games with Goodban at a team-best 19 K's. Finally, Kansas redshirt sophomore Megan Blake has three wins and a save among her six appearances.

Weather permitting UNK will make its home debut next weekend. The Lincoln Blue Tigers (4-0) come to Patriot Park on Friday followed by the Central Missouri Jennies (4-0) on Saturday.