NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The third-seeded St. Olaf College softball team will host sixth-seeded St. Catherine University to begin the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Softball Playoffs on Thursday afternoon.

St. Olaf (23-15, 14-8 MIAC) earned the right to host an opening-round game with its third-place finish during the regular season and will match up with St. Kate's (18-22, 10-12 MIAC) on Thursday, May 8 at 4:30 p.m. at Mabel Shirley Field. The game will mark the third year in a row the Oles have hosted a playoff game.

Per conference policy, tickets will be required for each day of the MIAC Softball Playoffs and all sales will be conducted online via HomeTown Ticketing. There will not be cash sales at the venue, but spectators can purchase tickets using a mobile device while at the venue. Ticket prices (plus fees) are $12 for general admission, $3 for students (with ID), and children five and under get in free. MIAC passes will be accepted. The St. Olaf Athletic Department will cover the cost of tickets for all St. Olaf students in attendance (must show ID). Live video and live statistics will be provided for those unable to attend.

The winner of Thursday's quarterfinal will advance to face the second-seeded College of Saint Benedict on Saturday, May 10 at 1:30 p.m. at Saint Mary's University in Winona. Thursday's other opening-round game will see fourth-seeded Macalester College host fifth-seeded Bethel University at 4:30 p.m., with the winner moving on to take on top-seeded Saint Mary's at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The championship game is set for 4 p.m. on Saturday in Winona.

St. Olaf qualified for the MIAC Playoffs for the seventh consecutive season and the ninth time since the tournament began in 2004. The Oles are 8-13 all-time in the tournament and have won at least one game in seven of their previous eight appearances. St. Olaf is 3-3 all-time at home in the MIAC Playoffs.

St. Kate's is making its ninth appearance in the MIAC Playoffs and qualified each season from 2016-23 before missing out last season. The Wildcats are 10-10 all-time in the postseason and won their lone tournament title in 2017, making them one of just four current MIAC members who have won a MIAC Playoff title.

Thursday's game will be just the second meeting between St. Olaf and St. Kate's in the MIAC Playoffs. As the No. 4 seed, the Oles topped the second-seeded Wildcats, 4-1, on day two of the tournament in 2019. In the first MIAC series of the season for St. Olaf, the two teams split their doubleheader in St. Paul on April 5, with the Wildcats winning game one, 14-12, and the Oles taking game two, 11-5.