February 20, 2025

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (Feb. 20, 2025)—The Dakota State University (S.D.) Trojan softball team (1-7 overall record) play their third and final preseason tournament at the American State Bank Sports Complex (1080 7th Street NE) in Sioux Center, Iowa.  The schedule had changed for this weekend's contests, due to additional teams added to the tournament (11 different teams compared to originally scheduled with seven teams).  The two-day tournament is being hosted by Dordt (Iowa) of the Great Plains Athletic Conference.

The Trojans are facing a team outside of the GPAC conference for the first time on Friday afternoon.  DSU takes on York (Neb.) (4-8 overall record) of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference in the first game Friday at 12 noon.  Dakota State then takes on in-state rival Mount Marty (S.D.) (3-5 overall record) at 4 p.m.

DSU closes out the preseason indoor tournament on Saturday late afternoon, facing a pair of Great Plains Athletic Conference.  The Trojans face College of Saint Mary (Neb.) (1-3 overall record) at 4 p.m., followed by another contest versus Hastings (Neb.) (1-1 overall record) at 6 p.m.

Dakota State earned their first win of the season last weekend, holding off Briar Cliff (Iowa) 6-5 on Feb. 14.  The Trojans fell short to Mount Marty 7-4 on the same day.  DSU was unable to come out with a victory on Feb. 15, falling to No. 11 ranked Northwestern (Iowa) and rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.).

Next Up:  Dakota State will play their first contests outdoors next Friday with a doubleheader at Sterling (Kan.).  The Trojans then play four games in the Friends (Kan.) Invitational in Wichita, Kan., against three teams from the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference and a team from the Great Plains Athletic Conference.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State (S.D.) concludes their indoor preseason tournaments, playing in their third American State Bank Sports Complex Softball Classic this weekend in Sioux Center, Iowa.
+ A total of 11 teams are scheduled to compete in the preseason tournament this weekend from four different conferences.  Dakota State and Mayville State (N.D.) of the North Star Athletic Association, Briar Cliff (Iowa), College of Saint Mary (Neb.), Dordt (Iowa), Hastings (Neb.), and Mount Marty (S.D.) of the Great Plains Athletic Conference, and Ottawa (Kan.), Saint Mary (Kan.) and York (Neb.) of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, along with William Penn (Iowa) of the Heart of America Athletic Conference.
+ York won the previous two meetings with the Trojans, with the last win in the Friends (Kan.) Tournament on March 1, 2024.
+ Mount Marty (S.D.) is meeting DSU for the second time in seven days in the same venue, with the Lancers holding off the Trojans 7-4 in the last meeting on Feb. 14.  Both teams are scheduled to play home-and-away later this season.
+ College of Saint Mary (Neb.) defeated the Trojans in the last two meetings, both held at American State Bank Sports Complex in Sioux Center, Iowa.  The Flames won the last meeting by the score of 9-4 on Feb. 24, 2024.
+ Hastings (Neb.) and Dakota State will be playing their first meeting since March 15, 2022, where they met in the Tucson (Ariz.) Invitational.  DSU defeated the Broncos on March 7, 2021 in the Friends (Kan.) Tournament.
+ DSU's first 12 games of the season are held indoors, while the Trojans play their first outdoors next weekend in Kansas.

Noteworthy...
FOR THE RECORDS:   Gabrielle Ortega-Alves leads Dakota State (S.D.) with an eight-game hitting streak to start the season.  She recorded at least a hit in all eight games this season, including a multi-hit game with three hits in the recent game versus rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) on Feb. 15.  Michelle Evdos leads the Trojans with 52 career multi-hits games, while adding 31 multi-RBI games.  Hannah McFarland recorded 26 multi-hits games during her career at DSU prior to the games this weekend.

TROJANS TO PLAY OUTDOORS FOR FIRST TIME:  After this weekend's indoor softball tournament in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dakota State will be playing their first outdoor contests for the remainder of the season.  The Trojans play a doubleheader at Sterling (Kan.) next Friday, followed by a four-game Friends (Kan.) Invitational next weekend in Wichita, Kan.  DSU then return to South Dakota for a doubleheader at Mount Marty (S.D.) on March 11 and Waldorf (Iowa) on March 18 before returning home on March 25 at Thue Field.

DSU IN THE NORTH STAR RANKS:  According to the PrestoStats-NAIA statistical website as of Thursday, Gabrielle Ortega-Alves ranks third in the North Star conference in batting average of .500.  Hannah McFarland ties for fourth most stolen bases in the conference with three stolen bases.  Michelle Evdos ranks fifth in the league with one home run.  

TROJANS' HOME SCHEDULE:  Dakota State's first softball home schedule kicks off in just one month.  The Trojans play their first home games on March 25, kicking off their 10-game home stand at Thue Field versus Waldorf (Iowa).  DSU opens their NSAA season with eight games at home, with four games versus Valley City State (N.D.) on March 29-30 and four games versus Jamestown (N.D.) on April 5-6.

Trojans earn first win of the season in Sioux Center
Sioux Center, Iowa  (Feb. 14, 2025)—Dakota State (S.D.) earned their first win of the season during their second American State Bank Sports Complex Softball Tournament, hosted by Dordt (Iowa).

The Trojans scored the first six runs of the game against Briar Cliff (Iowa) and held off the Chargers' late comeback for a 6-5 victory.  DSU outhit BCU 11-10 in the game.  Dakota State scored at least a run from the second through the fifth innings (2 runs in the top second and fifth innings each).

Katie Hansen went 3-of-3 at the plate with two RBIs.  Gabrielle Ortega-Alves, Michelle Evdos, and Lara Dolezal each added two hits.  Hannah McFarland had a single and swiped two bases.  Quincy Hartley had a double and drove in two runs. 

Mason Usselman (W, 1-1) collected her first victory this season in the pitching circle for the Trojans.  Makenna McGee worked in relief, while Maycee Bricker (S, 1) earned her first save of the season after tossing 2 1/3 innings in relief.

Dakota State tallied four doubles in the game, with a double each by Ortega-Alves, Evdos, Hansen, and Hartley.  Ally Morrissey and McFarland each registered a walk. 

DSU falls to in-state rival Mount Marty (S.D.)
Sioux Center, Iowa (Feb. 14, 2025)— Dakota State (S.D.) was unable to overcome Mount Marty's (S.D.) fast start in the second game of the American State Bank Sports Complex Softball Classic, hosted by Dordt (Iowa).

The Lancers scored a pair of three-runs innings in the top first and second innings to open a 6-1 lead over the Trojans.

MMU extended their lead to 7-1 after four innings before DSU mounted a late comeback with a run in the bottom fifth and two runs scored in the bottom sixth inning.  Mount Marty held on to win 7-4.

Mason Usselman led the Trojans with two hits.  She recorded the defeat in the pitching circle.  Gabrielle Ortega-Alves and Michelle Evdos each had a hit and an RBI.  Quincy Hartley tallied a single.  Jordyn Jeffries and Ortega-Alves each recorded a walk.

Maycee Bricker worked for three innings in relief for Dakota State.  Analicia Burgos also tossed in relief, shutting down the Lancers in three innings of work.

(11) NWIA and DWU defeat Trojans on second day
Sioux Center, Iowa (Feb. 15, 2025)—Dakota State (S.D.) faced the same two opponents from the first American State Bank Sports Complex Softball Complex on Feb. 1, taking on NAIA's No. 11 Northwestern (Iowa) and Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) on the second day of the tournament at the same venue.

The Red Raiders exploded for six runs in the first inning and never trailed in the game as they defeated the Trojans 11-1 in five innings.  Hannah McFarland, Gabrielle Ortega-Alves, Michelle Evdos, and Jordyn Jeffries each had a hit.  Jeffries had an RBI.

DSU was unable to score in the final game of the ASBSC, falling to rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 8-0 in six innings.  The Tigers outhit the Trojans 14-5 in the game.

Ortega-Alves went perfect at the plate, going 3-of-3 with three singles for Dakota State.  Jeffries added a single and a walk.  Katie Hansen recorded a walk.  Mason Usselman, Maycee Bricker, and Analicia Burgos worked in the pitching circle for the Trojans.

2025 Dakota State Softball Team Leaders

· Hits:  Gabrielle Ortega-Alves—11 hits

· Batting Average:  Gabrielle Ortega-Alves—.500 batting average (11-of-22 at-bats)

· Slugging Percentage:  Gabrielle Ortega-Alves—.542 slugging percentage (8 singles, 3 doubles)

· Runs Batted In (RBIs):  Michelle Evdos—5 runs batted in (RBIs)

· Doubles:  Michelle Evdos, Gabrielle Ortega-Alves—3 doubles

· Triples:  Lara Dolezal—1 triple

· Home Runs:  Michelle Evdos—1 home run

· Total Bases:  Gabrielle Ortega-Alves—14 total bases

· Runs Scored:  Michelle Evdos, Jordyn Jeffries—3 runs

· Walks:  Jordyn Jeffries—4 walks

· Hit-by-Pitch:  Hannah Feser—2 hit-by-pitches

· Stolen Bases: Hannah McFarland—3 stolen bases

· On-base percentage:  Gabrielle Ortega-Alves—.542 on-base percentage

· Innings Pitched:  Maycee Bricker—17 innings

· Earned Runs Average (ERA):  Mason Usselman—5.38 ERA

· Strikeouts (Pitching):  Maycee Bricker—7 strikeouts

· Complete Games (Pitching):  N/A

· Wins:  Mason Usselman—1 win

· Saves:  Maycee Bricker—1 save

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