ST. PAUL, MINN. – It's no secret that the St. Catherine University softball team has achieved a lot of "firsts" in recent history. On Thursday, the team can add another to the list as it will host a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) playoff game for the first time in program history. After Tuesday's doubleheader, the Wildcats clinched the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament and will host No. 6 seed Carleton College at 4:30 p.m. at St. Kate's Field in St. Paul, Minnesota.
 
Due to the elongated April, the MIAC Softball Tournament will feature six teams in a play-in, double elimination format. The tournament will feature the top-teams in the conference standings with two single-elimination playoff games before returning to the traditional double-elimination format Friday through Sunday. The single-elimination playoff games will be on Thursday, May 3, with the No. 3 seed hosting the No. 6 seed and the No. 4 seed hosting the No. 5 seed. The winners of the two play-in games will advance to the double-elimination tournament, hosted by the No. 1 seed, the University of St. Thomas.
 
The Wildcats, who enter the tournament as the defending playoff champions, finished the regular season with an overall record of 24-13 and a 17-5 conference record to earn the No. 3 seed in the MIAC playoffs. No. 6 seed Carleton enters the tournament with a 16-16 overall record and an 11-11 mark in MIAC play.
 
Tickets for Thursday's game will be $8 for adults and $3 for students. All children under the age of five will get in for free, and MIAC passes will be accepted at the gate.  
 
Live stats will be available for Thursday's game, and score updates can be found on St. Kate's Athletics official Twitter page (@stkateswildcats).
 
Here are five things to know before the Wildcats host their first MIAC playoff game:
 
3 – This is the third consecutive year St. Kate's has qualified for the conference tournament. The Wildcats made their first appearance in 2016, when they forced a game seven against eventual champ St. Thomas. The next year was a little bit better for St. Kate's, as it claimed the MIAC Playoff Title for the first time in program history. The Wildcats defeated Hamline on Friday, St. Thomas Saturday, and Hamline again on Sunday to win the title and earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
 
5 – St. Kate's gave up only five runs and just one earned run in its split with Carleton earlier this season. In game one's 11-3 victory, the Wildcats were powered by 3-run home runs off the bats of Jenna George (Ellsworth, Wis. / Ellsworth) and Sammie Galvez (Gilbert, Ariz. / Williams Field) and a dominating performance from Krista Flugstad (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) on the mound where she gave up one earned runs in seven innings of work. First year pitcher Kathryn Proper (St. Paul, Minn. / Como Park) also put together a stellar performance in game two as she surrendered only two runs, one of which was earned in six innings. Unfortunately, the Wildcats had multiple rallies end when outfield hits skimmed the top of the dome and they fell 2-0.
 
187 – With her infield single in yesterday's doubleheader against Saint Ben's, senior shortstop Kylie Macziewski (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) broke the school record for career hits, previously held by standout Alyssa Luedtke at 185. Macziewski extended the record to 187 in her next at bat when she hit a towering double off the top of the right center fence. Her double officially broke the record for career doubles (37), for which she had been tied with Ashley Sis (Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Osseo) since April 21.
 
23 – Seven current Wildcat student-athletes hold 22 of 33 St. Kate's single season and career records, with 11 of the records being tied or broken in the 2018 season. Along with career hits and career doubles, Macziewski also set the school record in career at bats (508), runs (120), and home runs (21) in 2018. Fellow seniors Flugstad and Sis broke the career records for games pitched (117) and runs batted in (113) respectively. The dangerous George broke her own single-season record in walks (26) while breaking the career walks record as well (70). Anna Hinderaker (Rosemount, Minn. / Rosemount) also made a little history, as she tied her record for fielding percentage in a season (1.000). Finally, senior Claire Woebke (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) set the nicest record with 169 career games played.
 
.333 – First year Alyssa Wicks (Blaine, Minn. / Anoka) hit for an impressive .333 in her first season with the Wildcats. Wicks is third on the team in batting average, on base percentage (.422) and slugging percentage (.487). She had the go ahead RBI single in St. Kate's 6-4 win over St. Mary's and hit her first career home run, a 3-run blast, against St. Olaf.
 
BONUS NUMBER:
 
93.1 – Wildcat pitching ace, Krista Flugstad is second in the MIAC in conference innings pitched at 93.1 innings of work. Of the pitchers in the top-10 in innings pitched, Flugstad has given up the least amount of runs with 27, only 19 earned. Flugstad also leads the conference in MIAC wins with 12, is second in strikeouts with 69, and third in conference ERA at 1.43.