NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The fourth-seeded St. Olaf College softball team will host fifth-seeded Gustavus Adolphus College in the opening round of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Softball Playoffs on Thursday.

St. Olaf (25-13) and Gustavus (22-18) will meet with a spot in the semifinals on the line in a 4:30 p.m. start at Mabel Shirley Field on Thursday, May 9. The opening-round game will mark the third time in the last four seasons the Oles have posted a playoff game. The two teams finished with identical 16-6 records in conference play and split their head-to-head doubleheader, but St. Olaf earned the right to host by virtue of its sweep of top-seeded Saint Mary's University and Gustavus' split with the Cardinals.

Per conference policy, admission will be charged throughout the MIAC Softball Playoffs. Ticket prices are $10 for general admission and $2 for students with ID. Children five and under will be admitted for free. MIAC passes will be accepted. Live video and live statistics will be available for those unable to attend.

The winner of Thursday's game will advance to take on MIAC regular-season champion Saint Mary's at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 11 in Winona, which will be the site of all of the games on Saturday. The victor of the other opening-round game between sixth-seeded Macalester College and third-seeded Bethel University will face the second-seeded College of Saint Benedict at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, with the championship game to follow at 4 p.m.

St. Olaf is in the MIAC Playoffs for the eighth time overall and the sixth consecutive season, previously appearing in 2010, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. The Oles are 8-12 all-time in the tournament and have won at least one game in each of their last five appearances. Thursday's game will be St. Olaf's fifth home playoff game, with the Oles going 2-2 in the previous four.

Gustavus qualified for the MIAC Playoffs for the 16th time and the third season in a row, previously earning a spot in the field each season from 2004-16 and each of the last two seasons. The Gusties are 19-26 all-time in the MIAC Playoffs, with the 19 wins and the 26 losses both being the most of any current member of the conference. Gustavus is one of four teams to have claimed the MIAC Playoff title, winning the tournament in 2015 as the No. 3 seed.

Thursday's meeting will be the third postseason matchup between the Oles and Gusties, with Gustavus winning the previous two. In 2010, the second-seeded Gusties downed the fourth-seeded Oles by a 5-2 score in the consolation bracket. In 2013, fifth-seeded Gustavus claimed an 11-2 win over third-seeded St. Olaf in the double-elimination portion of the tournament.