Softball welcomes Mastodons to town

GAMES 39-41: South Dakota State (26-12, 5-4) vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (8-30, 3-9)

When	Saturday, April 20 \| 2 & 4 p.m. Sunday, April 21 \| 11 a.m. * Please note schedule adjustments from prior release
Where	Jackrabbit Softball Stadium \| Brookings, S.D.
Live Video	Jackrabbit All-Access
Live Stats	GoJacksLive.com
Game Notes	South Dakota State
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook \| #GRIT

Game Day Outlook
South Dakota State returns to Brookings this weekend for a three-game set against Purdue Fort Wayne, though weather has slightly altered the schedule. Due to wet field conditions at Jackrabbit Softball Stadium, the teams will now play a doubleheader Saturday at 2 p.m., followed by a single game Sunday at 11 a.m.

SDSU will honor its seniors prior to Saturday's doubleheader with an on-field ceremony. Saturday is also Junior Jacks Day, with discounted tickets available to parents/guardians of Junior Jack club members.

The Jackrabbits are 17-16 all-time against Purdue Fort Wayne with a 6-3 mark in Brookings. Since Krista Wood's arrival in 2015, however, SDSU holds a 12-1 record against the Mastodons and have won the last six matchups.

Recapping the Weekend
The Jackrabbits dropped two of three on the road at North Dakota State last weekend, falling 5-0 and 1-0 in a Sunday doubleheader before bouncing back for a 6-2 victory Monday.

Both teams were locked into pitcher duels throughout the weekend, with a combined 14 runs being scored between the two teams with only 26 hits (11 for SDSU). The Jacks hit .149 as a team with two doubles, but turned in a 1.11 team ERA in the circle with only three earned runs allowed.

Kerigan Torres, Ali Herdliska, Lyndsey Crist and Peyton Daugherty each had two hits for South Dakota State, while Megan Rushing drove in the game-winning runs Monday in a three-RBI appearance.

Morgan DeMarais (0-1) allowed just one unearned run in her start, throwing six innings without allowing a walk. Kendra Conard (1-1) started the first and final game of the series, scattering 10 hits over 12.1 innings with four strikeouts, three walks and three earned runs allowed.

Scouting the Jackrabbits
South Dakota State sits at 26-12 on the season, matching last year's record through 38 games in its best start at the Division I level, and the 1996 team's (which finished with a program-record 43 wins) mark through the same amount of games. The Jacks reached the 20-win mark on March 16, marking the earliest they've done it (date-wise) in program history. SDSU has now won 25 games in back-to-back seasons for just the fourth time in school history.

The Jackrabbit offense is hitting .281/.381/.445 on the year with 217 total runs, outscoring opponents by 2.2 runs per game. The Jacks have 100 extra base hits and have worked 148 walks, less than 40 away from the school record for total free passes in a year (187, set last year).

Ali Herdliska leads the Jackrabbits with a slash line of .381/.532/.733, pacing the Summit League in on-base and slugging percentages while posting a 1.265 OPS. The senior has a team-high 40 hits in 105 at-bats, hitting 10 home runs, five doubles and a triple with 34 walks. She has driven in 34 and scored 24 runs.

Yanney Ponce has been hot of late, raising her average to .304 in the last two weeks to sit second in team hits (35), just ahead of Julia Andersen (34). Ponce has five doubles, two triples and a pair of home runs with 21 runs batted in, working 10 walks. Baily Janssen (.293) is 29-of-99 with three doubles and 10 walks, Lyndsey Crist (.283) has six home runs, five doubles and 24 RBIs, and Andersen (.281) leads the way with 11 two-baggers, driving in 27 to go with five home runs.

The Jackrabbit pitching staff has a 3.22 combined ERA over 250.1 total innings, allowing 133 runs (115 earned) on the season with 116 strikeouts.

Kendra Conard (10-2) has tossed six complete games in 12 starts (15 appearances), striking out 30 with 16 earned runs allowed. She has given up 49 hits and 27 walks and holds a 1.157 WHIP.

Morgan DeMarais (6-3, 1.41 WHIP) has made 14 appearances with eight starts in her freshman campaign, tossing 61.2 innings with 27 strikeouts, walking only eight batters (0.57 per game).

Taylor Compton (6-4, four saves) has transitioned into a relief role midway through the season, holding opponents to a .241 batting average against over 20 appearances (eight starts). Compton's 1.38 WHIP is second-best among Jackrabbits, as she has tossed 72 innings with 36 strikeouts.

Jacks Honored by Summit League
South Dakota State's Julia Andersen and Kendra Conard swept Summit League's Player and Pitcher of the Week awards for the week of March 11.

Andersen led the Jacks with 13 hits over 10 games, racking up a pair of triples and four home runs. She accounted for 22 of South Dakota State's 55 total runs for the week, driving in 14 and scoring eight. She had a team-best four multi-hit and five multi-RBI contests. Additionally, the outfielder had nine putouts and one assist in the field and swiped two bases.

Conard went 4-0 in the circle last week, posting a 1.05 ERA over 20 total innings. She tossed one complete game and allowed just three runs while walking only two batters. The sophomore threw all seven innings in a 1-0 win over Western Michigan, scattering four hits without a walk while rolling up 16 ground outs for the Jackrabbit defense.

These are the first weekly honors for both Jackrabbits, and the first of the season for South Dakota State.

Scouting the Mastodons
Germaine Fairchild is in her fifth season leading Purdue Fort Wayne with a 53-186 record. The Mastodons have increased their win total each of the previous four years under Fairchild.

Purdue Fort Wayne (8-30, 3-9 Summit League) dropped a midweek game against Western Michigan earlier this week, but is coming off a Summit League series that saw the 'Dons take two of three against Omaha.

Lacey Wilzbacher (.324) leads the offense with eight doubles and a pair of triples, driving in 13 runs. Lauren Watson leads the team in hits (38) alongside a .314 average, while Morganne Denny's 17 RBIs, three doubles and four home runs lead the team in power numbers.

PFW is hitting .234/.318/.304 as a team while scoring 2.4 runs per game.

The Mastondon's staff has a 4.56 combined ERA over 244 total innings, logging 109 strikeouts. Shaina Eyre (3.60 ERA) is 1-12 with a team-high 105 innings logged and 52 strikeouts, while Alyssa Malicki (5.20 ERA, 3-10) and Lauren McConnell (5.37 ERA, 4-8) have each made 20 appearances.

Jackrabbit Quick Hits

A look at the Jackrabbit offense has provided the clearest picture of SDSU's outcome throughout the season, as the Jacks are 21-1 while matching or out-hitting opponents, and 5-11 when trailing in hits. Additionally, when the Jacks strike first, SDSU is 20-6 and just .500 in games when opponents score first.
South Dakota State has shown patience at the plate all season, working 148 total walks through 38 games at a rate of 3.9 per contest. SDSU started strong with 32 total walks in its season-opening weekend. On Feb. 9 against Drake, the Jacks worked 10 free passes against Drake to match the second-most in a game for South Dakota State. The record of 11 walks has occurred four times in SDSU's history.
SDSU swiped seven bags in a 9-7 win over Colgate (Feb. 15), tying the school's Division I single-game record. It was the sixth occurrence of the record and first since the 2014 season. SDSU has stolen two or more bags in eight games this year.
Julia Andersen became the school's all-time leader in doubles (currently with 40) on March 16, breaking a tie with previous record-holder Shelly Brandel, who originally set the record between 1995-98. Ali Herdliska is second all-time with 35 two-baggers.
Ali Herdliska became the school's all-time leader in career home runs with her solo shot in the first inning against Colgate (Feb. 16). She broke a tie with Devan Larsen after drawing even with the top spot on Feb. 15. She now has 42 career bombs (tied for second in Summit League history). Lyndsey Crist is tied for fourth at SDSU with 20.
Taylor Compton took a no-hitter late into the sixth inning of the season opener against Saint Louis, striking out six in the performance and going 5.2 frames before allowing a hit.
The Jackrabbits' offense has scored five or more runs in 23 of 38 contests this season, and has broken the 10-run barrier five times.
SDSU has held opponents to three or fewer runs in 19 games, and one or fewer 14 times with six shutouts. The Jacks have allowed five or more in only 13 games.
South Dakota State's 293 team hits has included 100 extra base hits, with 60 doubles, nine triples and 31 home runs.
Taylor Compton moved into a tie for first in Jackrabbit history with six career saves, alongside 2018 graduate Madison Hope.
Ali Herdliska has 114 career walks to sit first in the Jackrabbit record books, and second in Summit League history while Lyndsey Crist is second in SDSU history with 78 free passes.

Triple Crown Chaser
Jackrabbit senior Ali Herdliska broke the school's career home run, runs batted in and total base records during SDSU's stay in Jacksonville, Florida (Feb. 15-17). Additionally, she already held the program's career walks record and is closing in on doubles and runs scored.

Should Herdliska match her season average in hits from the last two seasons (54 in both), she would end up with 210 total hits as a Jackrabbit, placing her fifth in SDSU history. She is currently sixth on the list.

A look at the latest Jackrabbit records to watch is on page five of the game notes.

2018 Season Recap
South Dakota State is coming off a historic season that saw the program reach the postseason for the first time in its Division I history, earning an automatic bid to the 2018 National Invitational Softball Championship, where the team reached the championship round and forced a winner-take-all at the regional in Greeley, Colorado.

The Jackrabbits finished second in the 2018 Summit League standings and broke the 35-win mark for the second time in history and won all four of their three-game Summit League series' a year ago, splitting a two-game, weather-shortened set with NDSU.

SDSU hit .322 as a team last season and set new school records for doubles (94), runs batted in (324) and runs scored (356).

In the circle, the Jackrabbits put together a 3.89 team ERA with 194 strikeouts over 352.2 total innings.

This year's South Dakota State softball program brings a roster of nine seniors, 14 total returners and nine newcomers into the 2019 campaign with high hopes of building on the achievements.

Jacks Tabbed Second in Summit League Poll
The Jackrabbit softball program earned three first-place votes and sat second in the 2019 Summit League Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll, released Feb. 1 by the league office.

The Jackrabbits received 33 votes in the poll, just one tally behind North Dakota State, who had 34 points and four first-place votes. Western Illinois sat third in the poll with 25 points, while the next four featured South Dakota (19 points), Omaha (14), North Dakota (11) and Purdue Fort Wayne (nine).

Andersen, Compton Named to League Watch Lists
Julia Andersen and Taylor Compton were announced as a Player and Pitcher to Watch, respectively, by The Summit League for the 2019 season, announced in February alongside the coaches' poll.

A 2018 NFCA All-Midwest Region Second Team performer, Andersen is back after starting all 55 games for the Jackrabbits a year ago. She finished second on the team with a .397 average, tying the school's single-season hits (77) and doubles (19) records en route to being named an All-Summit League First Team pick.

Compton started 20 games last year and posted a 9-8 record, tossing 111.2 total innings with a 4.51 ERA. She threw six perfect innings of relief in the National Invitational Softball Championship to help the Jacks reach the title game.

Smarty Jacks
South Dakota State was one of 107 Division I softball programs to earn a spot on the 2018 Easton / National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Academic Teams award list, announced this fall. The rankings recognize the academic prowess of softball teams within the NFCA.

The Jackrabbits had a 2017-18 team grade point average of 3.478 with 17 team members boasting grand point averages above the 3.00 mark, finishing 39th nationally in team GPA. Julia Andersen, Taylor Compton, Lyndsey Crist, Olivia Douglas, Ali Herdliska, Madison Hope, Mallory McQuistan, Erin Mullen, Abbey Murphy, Danielle Steffo and Kerigan Torres earned 3.50 or above GPAs and were honored as NFCA scholar-athletes in the same release. Herdliska (who was also named to the Academic All-Summit League team in 2017 and 2018), Mullen, Murphy and Steffo are repeat selections from the 2017 team.

SDSU posted a 3.44 team GPA this fall with six student-athletes achieving 4.0 GPAs, nine at or above a 3.7 and 19 with a 3.0 GPA or higher.

A Look in the Dugout
Krista Wood returns for her fifth season as head coach of the Jackrabbits alongside second-year assistant Kristi Villar, rookie assistant Kiki Stokes and volunteer coach Jeff Lewis.

Wood holds a 105-118 record at South Dakota State and a 375-272 mark in her 13th season of overall head coaching experience. She won her 100th game at SDSU during the 2018 National Invitational Softball Championship last year and is 38 victories shy of becoming the winningest coach in Jackrabbit softball history.

Villar came to SDSU in the summer of 2017 after seven years as head coach at Northern State University. In her first season as the primary hitting coach for the Jackrabbits, Villar helped the team reset season records in total bases, runs and doubles while tallying the second-highest totals in home runs, at-bats and wins. All told, Villar helped the Jacks raise their team batting average by sixty points (.322) in her first season at State.

Stokes was hired in August of 2018 after a standout career at Nebraska. The former Husker had a career .350 average, was a two-time All-American (2015, 2016) and holds the school record in runs scored (200). From Olathe, Kansas, Stokes was the No. 6 overall pick by the Houston Scrap Yard Dawgs in the 2016 National Pro Fastpitch league and led the team to its first NPF Championship in 2017. She recently completed her third season with the professional franchise.

Jeff Lewis in his second season as volunteer assistant coach for the Jackrabbit softball program, joining them in the fall of 2018. He is a member of the USA Junior Men's National Fastpitch Softball team, competing in the WBSC in 2016 and 2018 and received an invitation to try out for the USA Men's National Fastpitch Softball team in January 2019.

Six Sign NLIs with Jackrabbit Softball
South Dakota State softball coach Krista Wood announced six signees to the Jackrabbit softball program as part of November's national signing day: Jocelyn Carrillo (Palmdale, California), Lindsey Culver (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), Mia Elliot (Des Moines, Iowa), Grace Glanzer (Sioux Falls), Cyle Halvorson (Sioux Falls) and Isabel Martinez (Oak Lawn, Illinois).

All six additions will enroll at SDSU for the 2019-20 school year as incoming freshman and be eligible to play immediately for the Jacks.

-GoJacks.com-

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Players Mentioned

Julia Andersen

Taylor Compton

Kendra Conard

Lyndsey Crist

Peyton Daugherty

Morgan DeMarais

Olivia Douglas

Ali Herdliska

Madison Hope

Baily Janssen

Devan Larsen

Mallory McQuistan

Erin Mullen

Abbey Murphy

Yanney Ponce

Megan Rushing

Danielle Steffo

Kerigan Torres

Completed Event: Softball versus Augustana on October 5, 2025 ,

Completed Event: Softball versus Minnesota Crookston on September 28, 2025 ,

Completed Event: Softball versus Sioux Falls / Morningside on September 21, 2025 ,

Completed Event: Softball versus SMSU on September 14, 2025 ,

Completed Event: Softball versus #3 South Dakota on May 9, 2025 , Loss , 2, to, 3 , 8 Inn.

Completed Event: Softball versus #1 Omaha on May 9, 2025 , Loss , 6, to, 8 , 9 Inn.

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