SIOUX FALLS — South Dakota State has been picked to finish second in the upcoming Summit League softball race, according to a preseason poll conducted among the league's seven head coaches that was announced Tuesday.
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North Dakota State, which has won the last six Summit League championships, claimed the top spot with six first-place votes and 36 points. The Jackrabbits claimed the other first-place vote to finish second with 31 points. South Dakota was third with 25 points, followed by Omaha with 19 points.
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Rounding out the preseason poll were Kansas City (16), North Dakota (12) and Western Illinois (8).
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The Jackrabbits compiled a 15-8 record in an abbreviated 2020 season that was canceled before the start of league play and return a solid nucleus led by Summit League Players to Watch Grace Glanzer and Cylie Halvorson.
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A native of Sioux Falls, Glanzer burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2020, leading the league with 74 strikeouts and a 12-2 record. She finished with a 1.73 earned run average and held opponents to a .215 batting average.
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Halvorson, also a Sioux Falls native, paced the Summit League with seven doubles while hitting .406 with 19 runs batted in in 22 games. She notched eight multi-hit games and recorded a .641 slugging percentage in 2020.
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SDSU opens the 2021 season Friday with games against Iowa State (11:15 a.m.) and Drake (6 p.m.) at the Doc Halverson UNI-Dome Classic in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Summit League play for the Jackrabbits begins March 27 at Kansas City, with the four-team Summit League Softball Championship scheduled for May 12-15 in Fargo, North Dakota.
 SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL
1. North Dakota State (6) – 36
2. South Dakota State (1) – 31
3. South Dakota – 25
4. Omaha – 19
5. Kansas City – 16
6. North Dakota – 12
7. Western Illinois – 8
 PLAYERS TO WATCH
North Dakota State – Paige Vargas, Jr., Pitcher
North Dakota State – Montana DeCamp, Grad., Infielder
South Dakota Sate – Grace Glanzer, Fr., Pitcher
South Dakota State – Cylie Halvorson, So., Infielder
South Dakota – Camille Fowler, Grad., Outfielder
Omaha – Sydney Hampton, Sr., Pitcher
Omaha – Jamie Whiute, Jr., Infielder
Kansas City – Delainey Fenoglio, Jr., Infielder/Designated Player
Kansas City – Mia Hoveland, Jr., Pitcher
North Dakota – Jannay Jones, Jr., Pitcher
North Dakota – Ashlynn Uvila, Sr., Outfielder
Western Illinois – Abby Carlin, Sr., Pitcher/First Baseman
Western Illinois – Alyssa Ealy, Sr., Outfielder
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