Southwest Minnesota State University Women's Softball

Bouman vs. Opponents Bailey Bouman is in her eighth season as the head softball coach in 2026 and has an overall record of 141-174, including 75-97 in NSIC play.   Bouman, the 11th head coach in program history, was named to the position on Aug. 8, 2018. The 2025 season saw the Mustangs finish with a 29-26 record, its highest victory total since 2011, and also qualify for the NSIC tournament. SMSU recorded a 14-game winning streak during the season, tying the program's longest winning streak (2007) during the Division II era.     Despite taking over the program just prior to the 2018-19 academic year, Bouman helped SMSU to a 19-26 overall record in 2019 and a spot in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament. SMSU compiled a record of 9-7 in 2020 before the season was canceled in mid-March due to COVID-19. SMSU returned to the NSIC tournament once again in 2021 finishing with an overall record of 27-20, including 17-13 in the NSIC. The 27 victories were the program's highest total since the 2015 season, while the seventh-place regular season finish in the NSIC standings was its highest since the 2011 season. Bouman led a young Mustang club back to the NSIC Tournament in 2022, finishing with an overall record of 21-31, including 12-14 in the NSIC with just one senior on the roster. SMSU finished eighth in the NSIC regular season and won a conference tournament game for the third consecutive season.  The 2023 season saw SMSU earn a doubleheader sweep over St. Cloud State and also earn victories over Minnesota Duluth and Augustana, but fell just shot over earning a spot in the NSIC tournament. The Mustangs suffered several close losses during the 2024 season and just missed qualifying for the league tournament. Bouman has had four All-NSIC honorees during her tenure, including Bailey Johnson, who was named All-NSIC first team in 2019. A total of seven different players have earned Academic All-District accolades since 2019. A native of Pipestone, Minn., Bouman was an assistant coach with the SMSU women’s basketball program from 2015-17 and was also an assistant women’s basketball coach at Dordt College (Iowa) before returning to SMSU.    Bouman is no stranger to softball in the NSIC having played four seasons at the University of Sioux Falls. She played in 115 career games and finished with 110 hits. As a pitcher, she led the Cougars in innings pitched twice and closed her career with 32 victories, while tossing 450 innings. During her senior season in 2014 she was named second team All-NSIC, batting .351 with six doubles and three home runs, while compiling a record of 11-7 in the circle with a 3.45 ERA in 113 2/3 innings. She was also a four-year member of the USF women's basketball team.   Bouman served as head coach for two seasons (2014-15) of the Pipestone 18U softball team and was also an active member of the Sioux Falls Fastpitch Softball Association in 2016. She was a standout player for Pipestone High School, earning all-conference honors five times and was a three-time all-state honoree. She finished her career holding 12 single-season and career records for Pipestone.   Bouman is a 2014 graduate of the University of Sioux Falls with a degree in exercise science. She earned her master’s degree from SMSU in physical education and coaching in 2018. Bailey and her husband, Brad, an athletic trainer at SMSU, live in Marshall.    Bailey Bouman Year-by-Year at SMSU Year School Overall Conference Conference Finish 2019 SMSU 19-26 13-17 9th 2020 SMSU 9-7 - - 2021 SMSU 27-20 17-13 7th 2022 SMSU 21-31 12-14 8th 2023 SMSU 17-32 12-18 11th 2024 SMSU 19-32 10-18 11th 2025 SMSU 29-26 11-17 9th Overall 7 years 141-174 75-97    

Marty Wahle is in his seventh season as head women's swimming and diving coach in 2025-26 after he was hired to start the program on July 20, 2018. SMSU completed its first season of competition in 2019-20 winning three dual meets and placing eighth at the NSIC Championships. Wahle also coached Natalie Bohnert, who earned All-NSIC honors in both the 100 and 200 yard backstroke. The 2020-21 season saw the program with a limited meet schedule and earn an eighth place finish at the NSIC Championships. Bohnert once again earned All-NSIC honors in the 100 and 200 yard backstroke, while senior Gabriela Reis earned the NSIC's Elite 18 award which is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NSIC's 18 Championships. In 2021-22, Bohnert earned All-NSIC honors in the 200-yard backstroke, while SMSU finished 9-2 in dual meets. The 2022-23 season had SMSU earn its highest finish at the NSIC meet, finishing in seventh place, while Juliana Villa was named the NSIC Elite 18 award winner and was a CSC Academic All-American third team honoree.  SMSU once again earned a seventh place finish at the NSIC Championships in 2023-24 with a school record high 275 points. Freshman Carla Nevi earned All-NSIC honors in both the 100-yard backstroke and 200-yard backstroke. The Mustangs earned 261 points at the NSIC meet in 2024-25 to finish in seventh place.    Wahle came to SMSU after spending four seasons as the head men's and women's swimming and diving coach at NCAA Division III Hendrix College in Conway, Ark.   During Wahle's tenure at Hendrix, he helped the program's roster size double in three seasons, helped the two teams set 17 school records and coached several all-conference honorees.   Prior to Hendrix, Wahle spent two seasons as the head men's and women's swimming coach at Ripon College in Ripon, Wis. During his tenure, the team broke 17 school records, while both programs had their highest finishes at the Midwest Conference meet since 2006.   Wahle began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant men's and women's swimming coach at Misericordia University in Dallas, Penn., where he was also the men's team recruiting coordinator. In his two years at Misericordia, Wahle saw his squads break 32 school and four conference records.   Wahle had a standout four-year collegiate career at Minnesota State University, leaving the program as one of the most decorated swimmers in program history. Wahle was a 16-time NCAA Division II All-American and was named the school's Most Valuable Male Athlete during the 2008-09 school year. A team captain, he was named the NSIC Swimmer of the Year in both 2008 and 2009 and was also a two-time Scholar All-American. In the summer of 2020, MSU announced that Wahle will be inducted into the MSU Hall of Fame. During the summer of 2008, Wahle participated in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials competing in the 200-yard backstroke. Wahle is a 2009 graduate of Minnesota State with a degree in elementary education and earned his master's degree in education from Misericordia in 2012. Marty and his wife, Charlotte, live in Marshall with son, Reece, and daughter, Austen.

Emily Strasser is in her second season as an assistant coach with the SMSU program in 2025.   Strasser, who earned her bachelor’s degree from Northwestern College (Iowa) in 2023, transferred to SMSU in the fall of 2023 and was a member of the Mustang volleyball team. She played in all 30 matches and collected 172 digs and 31 assists in helping the Mustangs earn a spot in the 2023 NCAA Tournament and finish with a 23-7 record.     Strasser played softball for five seasons at Northwestern and batted .363 during the 2023 season with 48 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. She earned All-GPAC first team honors, while helping the team to the 2023 NAIA National Tournament. Strasser was named All-GPAC second team in 2021.   Strasser, who also served as an assistant with the SMSU volleyball team in 2024, is pursuing her master’s degree at SMSU.  

Quincie Klein, who competed four seasons for the SMSU swimming & diving program, begins her first season as an assistant coach in 2025-26 and will work with the program's swimmers.  Klein was a four-year letter winner for the Mustangs, while earning Academic All-NSIC honors three times and CSC Academic All-District accolades twice.  Klein is a 2025 graduate of SMSU and is pursuing her master's degree. 

Kate Robbins begins her first season as an assistant coach in 2025-26 and will work with the program's divers.  Robbins was a member of three straight NSIC championship teams while competing at Augustana University. She finished second in 1-meter diving at the NSIC Championships in 2025 with a score of 409.75 points, while placing seventh in 3-meter diving with 377.85 points. She competed in 1-meter diving at the NCAA Championships and placed 18th. She competed one season at the University of South Dakota in 2021-22.  Robbins, a two-time Academic All-NSIC honoree, is a 2025 graduate of Augustana University with a degree in elementary education and is pursuing her master's degree at SMSU.