The Jacks have finished their non-conference schedule at 16-18 and look onto Summit League play starting on the road with a doubleheader on Saturday and a final game on Sunday against South Dakota.
Their first game against USD starts at noon on Friday, followed by their second game at 2 p.m. The first pitch on Sunday is scheduled for 11 a.m. All games can be streamed on the Summit League Network.
“I think this team is exactly where it needs to be,” said head coach Kristina McSweeney. “It has been quite a challenging, yet growth season so far. There have been moments that have been great and moments that have not been obviously but all and all, this team is ready to go.”
Non-conference overview
South Dakota State played their last of 34 non-conference games, going 3-0 in their last three, recovering from an 0-4 run just days before.
The Jackrabbits have taken the field against six nationally ranked softball teams, going 1-10 against them. Their sole victory came back in February against the No. 15 ranked Arkansas Razorbacks where the Jacks rallied from a deficit to win 7-3.
No. 3 Duke (March 8) and No. 3 Oklahoma State (Feb. 27) were the highest-ranked teams South Dakota State faced this season. SDSU lost both doubleheaders. Two total points were scored in all four games with both of them coming from game 1 against Oklahoma State. Duke and Oklahoma State scored a combined total of 31 times on the Jacks.
Currently, all six ranked teams (Missouri, Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Duke, Florida State and Kentucky) all sit within the Top 15 ranked teams in the Nation. Duke and Oklahoma State are in the Top 10.
SDSU’s own Tori Kniesche has made her presence known on the mound this season. The senior has appeared in 15 games and has struck out 91 batters (16th most in the nation).
Catcher Brooke Dumont joins Kniesche as another Jackrabbit near the top of a stat line. In her 28 games, Dumont has thrown out eight runners attempting to steal, which she ranks 15th in.
Summit League
The Jackrabbits sit second in the Summit League behind the Omaha Mavericks who have a record of 21-7. With their 21 wins, the Mavericks haven’t played a single ranked team this season.
“There is a little bit of vengeance coming into this Summit League play and a little bit of ‘alright let’s bring it’ that we are excited about,” said McSweeney. “We have been looking forward to this moment [Summit League play].”
Though owning a losing record, South Dakota State has rallied 161 total runs this season (86 more runs than 5-27 North Dakota). The 156 points scored against them are tied for the 3rd most with rival to the north NDSU.
Four of the seven Summit League teams have over 10 wins in Omaha, South Dakota State, South Dakota and North Dakota State.
SDSU key players
Kniesche has been one of the most impactful players on this Jackrabbit team this season. The two-time Summit League Pitcher of the year is 7-5 on the mound this season and has 31 more strikeouts than Shannon Lasey (2nd most strikeouts on the team).
Lindsay Culver’s .385 batting average is the best on the team. In her 96 at-bats (4th most on the team), she has hit the ball 37 times, amounting to eight doubles, two triples and seven home runs (most on the team).
Mia Jarecki follows Culver closely with an average of .381 and has 40 hits, which is the most this season of any Jackrabbit. The Junior has six home runs, three triples and has scored 25 times (tied for first this season with Culver and Emma Osmundson).
In the field, catcher Dumont has 150 putouts to her name this season. The junior on first base, Alli Boyle has 103 to her name (2nd most on the team).
