The South Dakota softball team will conclude its regular season with a three-game home series against Summit League leader Omaha, beginning Thursday, April 30. The games at Nygaard Field in Vermillion mark a rematch of last year’s Summit League tournament championship.
This series holds significance as the Coyotes have already secured a spot in the upcoming Summit League Tournament after winning their last two league series. South Dakota currently sits fourth in the standings and can finish no lower than fifth due to holding the tiebreaker over Kansas City.
Recent performances have seen key contributions from players such as Kiya Johnson, who batted .545 last week, and Autumn Iversen, who is on a seven-game hitting streak. Madison Evans led the pitching staff with a career-high 12 strikeouts in her latest outing and has made 27 appearances this season. Brooke Carey leads the team with a .364 batting average, placing her among the top ten hitters in the conference.
Omaha enters this weekend having clinched at least a share of the league title and was previously ranked No. 1 nationally by D1Softball.com’s mid-major poll earlier this year. The Mavericks feature standout pitcher Maddia Groff, who leads both wins and strikeouts in the conference and recently threw her second no-hitter of the season.
Historically, Omaha has dominated this matchup since it began in 1979, leading the all-time series 105-26. However, South Dakota has earned more victories over Omaha at home than any other venue.
