Softball opens 2020 season at UNI Dome

GAMES 1-4: South Dakota State (0-0) at Doc Halvorson / UNI Dome Classic

When	Friday, Feb. 7 \| vs. DePaul (9 a.m.); vs. Murray State (11:15 a.m.) Saturday, Feb. 8 \| at Northern Iowa (5 p.m.); vs. Drake (7:15 p.m.)
Where	UNI Dome \| Cedar Falls, Iowa
Live Video	Not Available
Live Stats	UNIPanthers.com (All Games)
Game Notes	South Dakota State
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook \| #GRIT

South Dakota State begins its 2020 season at the Doc Halvorson / UNI Dome Classic this weekend, playing four games over a two-day stay in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Jackrabbits will battle DePaul and Murray State Friday morning before wrapping up the event Saturday evening against host-school Northern Iowa and Drake.

The Jackrabbits are making their fifth-straight appearance at the invitational. SDSU is 11-21 all-time at the UNI Dome Tournament over seven total appearances (2007-09, 2015-19).

The Jacks are 26-24 all-time in season openers at 7-9 at the Division I level (since 2004).

Scouting the Jackrabbits

South Dakota State has won 37 games the past two years, matching its best two-year total all-time. The 74 wins are the most over two years as a Division I program, and are tied with SDSU's 1996-97 record (43 wins in 1996, 31 wins in 1997).
The Jackrabbits have made two consecutive postseason appearances, earning a trip to regionals of the National Invitational Softball Championship in Greeley, Colorado (2018) and Ames, Iowa (2019).
Paige Gerdes is the only senior on a team with 17 underclassman. SDSU's junior class includes four letterwinners. Gerdes has appeared in 99 games as a Jackrabbit with nine doubles and a pair of home runs.
Peyton Daugherty, Caelyn Christiancy and Allison Beaudry are the primary position starters back from last year's team. Daugherty made 55 starts (52 as designated player) and racked up 43 hits in her rookie campaign with six doubles. Christiancy started 29 games in the outfield and tallied 36 putouts. Beaudry logged 14 starts, hitting .237 in 38 at-bats.
Eight newcomers are slotted to make their Jackrabbit debuts: Hannah Loving, Cylie Halvorson, Grace Glanzer, Mia Elliott, Jocelyn Carrillo, Lindsey Culver, Chiara Bassi and Isabel Martinez.
This year's group returns its entire pitching staff, including 2019 All-Summit League First Team selection Kendra Conard. Conard won 18 games a year ago with a team-best 1.35 WHIP and 2.87 earned run average. The South Lake Tahoe, California native is joined by Morgan DeMarais (3.36 ERA, 38 strikeouts) and Taylor Compton (4.10 ERA, 46 strikeouts, five saves) as pitchers who made 20 or more appearances. Jadelyn Johnson (5.1 innings pitched), Olivia Douglas (nine appearances, 15 strikeouts) and Emma Hardin (3-1, 14 appearances) fill out the returning staff.

Opponent Capsules

DePaul will provide a staunch opponent out of the gate for the Jackrabbits after being picked first in this year's BIG EAST preseason poll. The Blue Demons' roster includes seven returns from the 2017, 2018 and 2019 NCAA Tournament teams. Jessica Colthern hit .343 a year ago with nine doubles and nine round-trippers, while Krista Dalgarn is back in the circle after posting a 3.59 ERA with 106 strikeouts in 2019.
Murray State went 26-27 in 2019 and was picked fourth in this year's Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll. The Racers finished just one-game out of first in the 2019 league standings with a 16-6 OVC mark, and return a core group of starters this year. That includes 2019 All-OVC pick and league freshman of the year Hannah James, who went 12-11 in the circle and struck out 120 in 157.2 innings. Jensen Streigel is the top offensive returner with a .288 average in 51 games.
Northern Iowa was picked second in the 2020 Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll and saw three Panthers named to the preseason team after a successful 2019 season: Adara Opiola (37 starts, 26 hits, 19 RBIs), Sammey Bunch (.395 average, 50 RBIs, 17 home runs) and Jaclyn Spencer (11-5, 97 strikeouts, 1.81 ERA). Bunch was the league's 2019 player of the year while helping her squad to a 28-23 (16-10 MVC) finish.
Drake was tabbed as the top choice in the Missouri Valley Conference's preseason poll for the second-straight year after earning a trip to last year's NCAA Tournament. Although all-time great Nicole Newman is no longer a Bulldog, DU returns its top two offensive starters, Mandi Roemmich (.380 average, 83 hits, 15 doubles) and Libby Ryan (.338 average, 48 hits, 34 RBIs). In the circle, Nicole Timmons will take the lead after posting a 2.95 ERA and 14-9 record in 2019.

-GoJacks.com-

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Players Mentioned

Chiara Bassi

Allison Beaudry

Jocelyn Carrillo

Caelyn Christiancy

Kendra Conard

Lindsey Culver

Peyton Daugherty

Morgan DeMarais

Olivia Douglas

Mia Elliott

Paige Gerdes

Grace Glanzer

Cylie Halvorson

Emma Hardin

Jadelyn Johnson

Hannah Loving

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