The South Dakota State softball season kicks off this weekend down in Commerce, Texas where the Jackrabbits will play six games.
This tournament which features teams such as East Texas A&M, Stephen F. Austin and Texas Southern will be the first of six tournaments SDSU will hit the road for.
“Excited for the season to get rolling,” said SDSU head coach Kristina McSweeney. “Long time coming. I feel like we have been practicing for ages so it’s time to get out there, time to see what we got. I’m excited to put these Jackrabbits on the field.”
This season, the Jackrabbits will face off against a plethora of P4 foes including No. 15 Mizzou, No. 4 Oklahoma State, No. 16 Nebraska, No. 22 Michigan and Iowa.
In 2024, South Dakota State finished 32-22 on the year with a notable victory over No. 15 Arkansas as well as a 14-2 conference record.
The Jackrabbits went into the 2024 Summit League Softball Championship with the No. 1 spot before losing to Omaha in the championship.
Tori Kniesche, South Dakota State’s standout on the mound last season now joins the staff as a graduate assistant coach along with former infielder Rozelyn Carrillo.
A new addition to the Jackrabbit roster is Madi Mangulis, a right-handed pitcher from Mankato, Minnesota. Mangulis spent the last two seasons of collegiate softball with conference rival South Dakota. In her tenure there, the junior posted a 2.53 ERA and earned 12 strikeouts. At the plate, Mangulis batted a .246.
Mia Jarecki is one of four seniors returning for the 2025 season. The 2024 Summit League Player of the Year averaged a .398 last season with a 1.085 OPS. Jarecki started in all 55 games for the Jacks last season and 171 at-bats, she tallied 67 hits, nine home runs, 28 RBIs and 48 runs.
At second base, the Nebraska native had a 97.6% fielding percentage, 75 putouts and 86 assists.
Brooke Dumont returns behind the plate for South Dakota State. The senior appeared in 49 games last season and batted .288 in 2024. Dumont hit 36 pitches last season and tallied 27 RBIs.
East Texas A&M Leadoff
The Jackrabbit will face three teams in six games in the East Texas A&M Leadoff tournament with two games each day from tomorrow to Sunday.
“It puts us in a situation where we’re really get to see what we have very early,” said McSweeney. “Six games is going to challenge us, but I think it’s the caliber that we need to face right away to challenge us and to put us in a situation where we know what to be when it comes to Summit League play which is all that matters.”
Tomorrow, the Jackrabbits will take on Stephen F. Austin at 11:30 a.m. and East Texas A&M at 4:30 p.m.
Last season, the Lumberjacks of SFA finished 16-39 (9-17, Southland Conference). Ellie Vance produced solid numbers for SFA last season, batting .308 on 44 hits. Vance’s talents transitioned to the field as she finished the 2024 season with a 98.1% fielding percentage and 85 putouts.
For East Texas A&M, Isabella Arzola finished the season with a .230 batting average on 122 at-bats. As a freshman in 2024, Arzola earned 116 putouts and 130 catches as a utility player.
The Lions finished 9-45 in 2024 and 2-22 in conference action. One of their 45 losses in 2024 came from the Jackrabbits, losing 0-2 at the Tracy Beard College Classic.
After another Jacks/Jacks (SDSU vs SFA) matchup, South Dakota State will play two games against Texas Southern.
The Tigers finished 21-19 (14-8, SWAC) last season and were led by Paris Johnson. In 2024, Johnson made her presence at the plate known as she ended the season hitting .411 with 95 at-bats. The outfielder corralled 24 runs and tallied just five strikeouts.
Up Next
Next week, the Jacks will head back to Texas for five games in the Whataburger Invitational hosted by Tarleton State.
