February 27, 2024

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (Feb. 27, 2024)—The Dakota State University (S.D.) Trojan softball team (1-7 overall record) plays their final preseason tournament tune-up this weekend.  The Trojans play five games in the Friends (Kan.) Tournament, held at Two Rivers Youth Complex (1700 N Ridge Road) in Wichita, Kan.

DSU opens the tournament play Friday morning versus NAIA's nationally-ranked Midland (Neb.) (9-2 overall record, No. 10 ranked in the NAIA Softball Coaches' Preseason Poll) at 11 a.m.  The Trojans face York (Neb.) Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.

Dakota State prepares for a busy Saturday schedule with three games scheduled, starting at 10 a.m. versus Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) (0-0 overall record).  The Trojans continue their action versus the host-team Friends (Kan.) (7-5 overall record, receiving votes in the national poll) at 12:20 p.m., and wrap up the tournament against Saint Mary (Kan.) (6-6 overall record at 2:30 p.m.

Dakota State earned their first win of the season after their 6-1 victory over Morningside (Iowa) in the second Dordt (Iowa) tournament on Feb. 23.  The Trojans fell to the host team Dordt 9-1 in five innings on the same day.  DSU closed out the Dordt tournament with a pair of setbacks, losing to No. 15 ranked Northwestern (Iowa) 9-0 in five innings and College of Saint Mary (Neb.) 9-4 on Feb. 24. 

Next Up:  Dakota State is slated to host in-state rival Mount Marty (S.D.) in their season home opener on March 10 at Thue Softball Complex.  The Trojans then visit their rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) on March 12 and open the North Star Athletic Association play on March 16-17 at home versus Mayville State (N.D.).

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State (S.D.) is playing their ninth straight game against member of the Great Plains Athletic Conference.  The Trojans played a total of eight games against GPAC foes in a pair of Dordt (Iowa) Tournament.
+ The Trojans will be playing in the Friends (Kan.) Tournament for the second straight year.
+ Friday's game will mark the third time this season that the Trojans had faced the NAIA's Top 25 nationally ranked team.
+ York (Neb.) defeated Dakota State in the last meeting in the Dordt (Iowa) Tournament on Feb. 18, 2023.  The Trojans opened with a 4-1 lead through the first-and-half innings before the Panthers scored the next five runs for a 6-4 victory.
+ DSU will play their first all-time meeting with Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) on Saturday morning.  Hannibal-LaGrange is a member of the American Midwest Conference.
+ Friends (Kan.) won the previous four meetings with the Trojans, including last year's meeting in the same tournament.  The Falcons defeated the Trojans by the score of 7-3, thanks to their three-run production in the fifth and sixth innings.
+ DSU will face the second opponent from the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) to close out the tournament.  The Trojans play their first all-time meeting with Saint Mary (Kan.).
+ Dakota State is scheduled to play a total of 12 games during the month of March, including a 10-game home stand at Thue Field in downtown Madison.
+ The Trojans are seeking for their first road victory since March 15, 2023 (defeated at Stephens, Mo., 9-7).

Noteworthy...
DORDT (IOWA) TOURNAMENTS RECAP:   Dakota State (S.D.) completed in a pair of Dordt (Iowa) Dome tournament last weekend, earning their first win of the season with a 6-1 victory over Morningside (Iowa) on Feb. 23.  Jordyn Jeffries led the team batting average of .500 overall through two tournament and drove in four runs.  The Trojans finished with a team batting average of .234 in the tournaments.

CONFERENCES IN FRIENDS (KAN.) TOURNAMENT:  Dakota State will be facing opponents from three different conferences in the Friends (Kan.) tournament Friday and Saturday.  The Trojans will face an opponent from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (Midland, Neb.), three teams from the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (York, Neb., Friends, and Saint Mary, Kan.).  DSU will also face a team from the American Midwest Conference (Hannibal-LaGrange, Mo.).

AROUND THE NORTH STAR SOFTBALL:  The North Star Athletic Association softball teams have not yet post above .500 this season.  Valley City State (N.D.) leads the league with an overall record of 5-6, followed by Bellevue (Neb.) with 4-7 overall record.  Dickinson State (N.D.) is 2-6 overall record, followed by Viterbo (Wis.) with 1-5 overall record.  Mayville State (N.D.) is 2-10 overall record, Dakota State (S.D.) at 1-7 overall record, and Waldorf (Iowa) at 0-6 overall record.
 
NSAA SOFTBALL CONFERENCE OPENER NEARS:  The North Star Athletic Association softball opener is just around the corner.  Dakota State is scheduled to kick off their conference season with eight straight home games at Thue Field, hosting Mayville State (N.D.) in a four-game series on March 16-17 followed by another four-game series versus Dickinson State (N.D.) in a four-game series on March 23-24.

Trojans earn first win, split on first day of DU dome tournament
Sioux Center, Iowa (Feb. 23, 2024)—Dakota State (S.D.) erupted for five runs in the bottom first inning on the first day of the second Dordt (Iowa) Dome Tournament.  The Trojans shut down Morningside (Iowa) 6-1 for the first win of the 2024 season at American State Bank Sports Complex.

DSU highlighted the first inning with back-to-back 2-RBI doubles by Delany Barrett and Gabriella Ortega-Alves for a 5-0 lead.  The Trojans made it 6-0 in the bottom fourth after Mackenzie Sims' sacrifice fly.  The Mustangs scored a run in the top seventh inning, but DSU held on to the victory.

Barrett and Ortega-Alves finished with a double and two RBIs for Dakota State.  Jordyn Jeffries added a hit and an RBI.  Hannah McFarland, Rosie Philop, and Alexus Foster each had a hit.  Barrett tossed a complete game victory, yielding the Mustangs to one run on five hits in seven innings.

Dakota State was unable to overcome Dordt's fast start in the second game of the day.  DU earned a season series sweep with the Trojans by the score of 9-1 in five innings.

McFarland and Jeffries each had a double for Dakota State.  Sims and Foster each added a hit.  Maycee Bricker took the defeat in the pitching circle.  Mason Usselman and Jada Brown also pitched in relief.

DSU drops two games on final day of tournament
Sioux Center, Iowa (Feb. 24, 2024)—Dakota State (S.D.) dropped the final two games of the Dordt (Iowa) Dome Tournament held at the American State Bank Sports Complex. 

No. 15 ranked Northwestern (Iowa) swept the season series with the Trojans with a 9-0 five-inning victory.  DSU was unable to record a hit in the game.  Hannah McFarland had a walk.  Jada Brown took the defeat in the pitching circle.  Mason Usselman and Maycee Bricker also pitched in relief for DSU.

College of Saint Mary (Neb.) poured in six runs in the top second frame to hold off Dakota State in the final dome tournament game.  The Trojans scored three times in the bottom third inning and could not come back.  Both teams registered eight hits in the game.

Jordyn Jeffries had two hits and two RBIs in the game for Dakota State.  Rosie Philop added two hits and an RBI.  McFarland, Mackenzie Sims, Delany Barrett, and Usselman each tallied a hit.  Barrett collected an RBI and pitched in the game for 5 2/3 innings.  Usselman and Maycee Bricker also tossed in relief in the pitching circle for the Trojans.

Trojans in the North Star conference ranks
Madison, S.D. (Feb. 27, 2024)—According to the NAIA-PrestoStats as of Tuesday, Dakota State (S.D.) ranks fifth in the North Star Athletic Association in batting average with .234.  The Trojans are third in the league with 13 doubles.

DSU is tied for third most runs scored in the North Star conference with 22 runs with Dickinson State (N.D.) and Mayville State (N.D.).  The Trojans are second in the league with 11 stolen bases.  DSU is tied for fourth in the conference with .943 fielding percentage. 

Jordyn Jeffries leads the North Star conference with .500 batting average for Dakota State.  Hannah McFarland is tied for second most stolen bases in the league with four stolen bases.  Delany Barrett ranks fifth in the NSAA conference in earned runs average with 3.13 ERA.  She is also tied for third most pitching win in the conference with one victory.

2024 Dakota State Softball Team Leaders

· Hits:  Jordyn Jeffries—8 hits

· Batting Average:  Jordyn Jeffries—.500 batting average (8-of-16 at-bats)

· Slugging Percentage:  Jordyn Jeffries—.688 slugging percentage (5 singles, 3 doubles)

· Runs Batted In (RBIs):  Delany Barrett, Jordyn Jeffries—4 runs batted in (RBIs)

· Doubles:  Jordyn Jeffries—3 doubles

· Triples:  N/A—0 triples

· Home Runs:  N/A—0 home runs

· Total Bases:  Jordyn Jeffries—11 total bases

· Runs Scored:  Alexus Foster, Hannah McFarland—4 runs

· Walks:  Hannah McFarland—6 walks

· Hit-by-Pitch:  Michelle Evdos, Hannah Feser, Ally Morrissey—1 hit-by-pitch

· Stolen Bases: Hannah McFarland—4 stolen bases

· On-base percentage:  Jordyn Jeffries—.526 on-base percentage

· Innings Pitched:  Delaney Barrett—22 1/3 innings

· Earned Runs Average (ERA):  Delaney Barrett—3.13 ERA (10 earned runs in 22 1/3 innings)

· Strikeouts (Pitching):  Delaney Barrett—5 strikeouts

· Complete Games (Pitching):  Delaney Barrett—1 complete games

· Wins:  Delaney Barrett—1 win

· Saves:  N/A—0 saves

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