April 17, 2025

This Week's Preview
MADISON, S.D. (April 17, 2025)—The Dakota State University (S.D.) Trojan softball team (4-30 overall record, 0-12 NSAA conference play) looks for their first North Star Athletic Association victories of the season as they return on the road for another four-game series.  There is a schedule change to the four-game series, which was originally scheduled to be played on Friday-Saturday.

Dakota State visits Mayville State (N.D.) (6-31 overall record, 0-12 NSAA conference record) in the battle of teams searching for their first NSAA conference wins of the season.  They will kick off the doubleheader on Saturday at 12 p.m. and play another doubleheader on Monday afternoon at 2 p.m.  The NSAA softball four-game series will be played at Paul Karlstad Field (801-899 2nd Street) in Portland, N.D., just west of Mayville, N.D.

The Trojans were shut out by the league's leader Dickinson State (N.D.) in the four-game series last weekend at Sanford Sports Complex on Bravera Field, the site of the year's NSAA Conference Postseason Tournament.  DSU returned home on April 15, falling short to in-state rival Mount Marty (S.D.) 4-2 in the final non-conference contest of the season at Thue Field.

Mayville State is coming off from their 0-4 record in the NSAA four-game series at Bellevue (Neb.) last weekend.  The Bruins rolled past the Comets 12-0 and 13-1, both in five innings on April 12.  BU defeated MSU 5-2 and 9-1 in six innings on April 13.

Next Up:  Dakota State plays their final North Star Athletic Association four-game series, playing home-and-away doubleheader with Bellevue (Neb.).  The doubleheader starts in BU on April 25 and return to DSU on April 27.

This Week's Quick Hits
+ Dakota State (S.D.) and Mayville State (N.D.) are seeking for their first North Star Athletic Association victories this weekend after going winless in the first 12 conference games.
+ The Trojans had won 21 times in the last 43 meetings with the Comets (22 wins).  MSU won the most recent meeting on May 3, 2024, in the North Star Athletic Association postseason tournament's opening round in Dickinson, N.D.
+ Dakota State and Mayville State went 2-2 record in last year's North Star's four-game series at Thue Field. The Trojans won the series opener by the score of 8-7 before the Comets took the second game 5-4 on March 14, 2024.  On the next day (March 15, 2024), MSU won the first game 12-6 and closed with a 11-10 9-inning thrilling victory by the Trojans.
+ The last time Dakota State played in Mayville was on April 11, 2021, at the Jerome Berg Field (turf field).
+ There are two weekends remaining in the North Star Athletic Association softball season.  After this weekend's contest, both teams play their traveling partners with home-and-away doubleheader.
+ Dakota State is seeking for their first road victory since March 18, when they rolled past former North Star's conference foe Waldorf (Iowa) 11-0 in five innings.  Mayville State has not played a home contest this season until this weekend.
+ All six North Star Athletic Association members will be playing a double elimination postseason tournament format on May 1-4 at Sanford Sports Complex in Dickinson, N.D.  The top two seeds will receive an opening round bye, while there will be two opening round games on the first day of the tournament on May 1.

Noteworthy...
NORTH STAR UPDATES:   The North Star Athletic Association are entering in their fourth four-game series this weekend.  Dickinson State (N.D.) and Jamestown (N.D.) currently own a tie for first place in the North Star conference with 11-1 record each.  Bellevue (Neb.) is third with 8-4 record, followed by Valley City State (N.D.) fourth with 6-6 record.  Both Mayville State (N.D.) and Dakota State (S.D.) are tied for fifth with 0-12 record each.  This weekend's schedule includes BU at UJ, VCSU at DiSU and DSU at MSU.

TROJANS IN THE NSAA CONFERENCE RANKS:   According to the NAIA-PrestoStats as of Thursday, Hannah McFarland leads the North Star Athletic Association with 21 stolen bases for Dakota State.  Prior to this weekend's contests, McFarland holds a perfect 21-for-21 on stolen bases attempts this season.   She is also 17th in the North Star conference with 33 hits.   Michelle Evdos leads the team with .462 slugging percentage, which ranks her 20th best in the league. 

DSU'S REMAINING HOME CONTESTS:  Dakota State have two home remaining contests at Thue Field this season.  After playing five straight North Star conference road contests on April 19 and April 21 at Mayville State (N.D.) and on April 25 at Bellevue (Neb.), the Trojans return home on April 27 for the final North Star regular season contests versus the Bruins on Senior Day.
 
TROJANS MULTI-HITS GAMES:  Hannah McFarland leads Dakota State with seven multi-hit games this season, accumulating a total of 33 times that she had registered multi-hit games during her career at Dakota State.  Michelle Evdos added seven multi-hit games, racking up a total of 57 multi-hit games during her career.  Jordyn Jeffries recorded five multi-hit games, 11 times in her career she had multi-hit games.

Blue Hawks sweep Trojans in NSAA four-game series
Dickinson, N.D. (April 11-12, 2025)—Dickinson State (N.D.) shut down Dakota State (S.D.) in the North Star Athletic Association four-game series at Sanford Sports Complex on Bravera Field.

The Blue Hawks defeated the Trojans with a pair of identical scores of 8-0 on the first day of the four-game series.  Maycee Bricker tossed a complete game in the pitching circle, despite the setback for Dakota State.

Hannah McFarland and Torrence Clelland each recorded a single in the second game of the four-game series for Dakota State.  Gabrielle Ortega-Alves and Michelle Evdos each registered a walk.

Dickinson State earned another doubleheader sweep over Dakota State on the second day, winning 9-0 and 8-0.  McFarland and Jordyn Jeffries each tallied a hit for the Trojans.  McFarland had a walk and a stolen base.  Katie Hansen added a walk. 

Evdos had a walk in the four-game series finale for DSU.  Ortega-Alves and Hannah Feser each was hit-by-pitch.  Analicia Burgos and Mason Usselman each worked in the pitching circle for the Trojans.

MMU edges DSU 4-2 in final non-conference game
Madison, S.D. (April 15, 2025)— Dakota State (S.D.) was unable to hang on to their 2-1 lead at Thue Field, falling 4-2 to Mount Marty (S.D.) in the final non-conference contest of the season.  The Lancers used a three-run production in the sixth inning to secure the victory over the Trojans.

After MMU took a 1-0 early lead after a solo home run, DSU's Quincy Hartley tied the game with a solo home run in the bottom third.  The Trojans added a run in the bottom third after a sacrifice fly RBI by Gabrielle Ortega-Alves for a 2-1 lead.  Mount Marty scored three runs with two outs in the top sixth inning and held on to the victory.

Michelle Evdos tallied two hits in the game for Dakota State.  Hartley added a home run and an RBI.  Julia Maldonado and Hannah McFarland each added a single.  Maldonado registered two walks.

McFarland swiped two bases in the game for the Trojans.  She extended her all-time school record of 59 stolen bases.  Analicia Burgos took the setback after tossing 5 1/3 innings in the pitching circle for DSU.  Maycee Bricker also worked 1 2/3 innings in relief.

NSAA postseason tournament set in early May
Madison, S.D. (April 10, 2025)—The final ever North Star Athletic Association softball postseason tournament will be held on May 1 through May 4 (rain date on May 5) at Sanford Sports Complex on Bravera Field.  The conference postseason tournament is being hosted by Dickinson State (N.D.) for the third straight year.

The postseason tournament opens on Thursday, May 1 with the No. 4 seed taking on No. 5 seed, as well as No. 3 seed versus No. 6 seeds.  The top two seeds will receive the opening round bye and won't play until Friday, May 2.

The NSAA championship game is set for Sunday, May 4, with the second championship game if needed on the same day.  The winner of the NSAA Softball Postseason Tournament will receive the league's automatic bid to the NAIA Softball Opening Round, which is set on May 12-15 at campus sites.

2025 Dakota State Softball Team Leaders

· Hits:  Hannah McFarland—33 hits

· Batting Average:  Hannah McFarland—.340 batting average (33-of-97 at-bats)

· Slugging Percentage:  Michelle Evdos—.462 slugging percentage (14 singles, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs)

· Runs Batted In (RBIs):  Michelle Evdos—17 runs batted in (RBIs)

· Doubles:  Hannah McFarland—9 doubles

· Triples:  Jordyn Jeffries. Michelle Evdos—2 triples

· Home Runs:  Michelle Evdos, Qunicy Hartley—2 home runs

· Total Bases:  Michelle Evdos, Hannah McFarland—42 total bases

· Runs Scored:  Hannah McFarland—23 runs

· Walks:  Michelle Evdos—14 walks

· Hit-by-Pitch:  Hannah Feser—4 hit-by-pitches

· Stolen Bases: Hannah McFarland—21 stolen bases

· On-base percentage:  Hannah McFarland—.423 on-base percentage

· Innings Pitched:  Maycee Bricker—81 1/3 innings

· Earned Runs Average (ERA):  Maycee Bricker—6.02 ERA

· Strikeouts (Pitching):  Maycee Bricker—40 strikeouts

· Complete Games (Pitching):  Maycee Bricker—3 complete games

· Wins:  Maycee Bricker—3 wins

· Saves:  Maycee Bricker—1 save

Follow Trojan Softball

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· Dakota State Softball Twitter:  @DSUSoftball

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