Upcoming Event: Softball versus Georgia Tech on April 11, 2026 at 10 a.m.
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10 a.m.
Softball
vs Georgia Tech
South Dakota State University Athletics
Saturday, April 11
Iowa City, Iowa
10 a.m.
South Dakota State University
vs
Georgia Tech
Abby Gentry
Photo by: Jesus Ayala
SDSU TREKS TO IOWA FOR DR. CHRISTINE GRANT CLASSIC
4/10/2026 10:14:00 AM | Softball
| Games 44-47: South Dakota State (20-23, 5-4) at Dr. Christine Grant Classic | |
| When | Saturday, April 11 (10 AM / 4 PM)Â - Sunday, April 12 (10 AM / 12:30 PM) |
| Location | Iowa City, Iowa (Pearl Field) |
| Stream | Big Ten Plus (vs. Iowa Only) |
| Live Stats | GoJacksLive.com |
| South Dakota State | Game Notes |
| Opponents | Iowa | Georgia Tech |
South Dakota State takes a break from Summit League play at the conference schedule's midway point as the Jackrabbits travel to Iowa City to participate in Iowa's Dr. Christine Grant Classic. The Jackrabbits play host Iowa in two games and will face Georgia Tech in another two. The action for the Yellow and Blue begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday against the Yellow Jackets at Iowa's Pearl Field.
SDSU is 20-23 overall heading into its four-game stay in Iowa. The Jackrabbits are most recently coming off a set of three losses to Kansas City last week. The three defeats featured the first series sweep for the Roos against the Jacks since 2017. Prior to the series, SDSU had held a 13-game win streak over Kansas City between the two sides.
South Dakota State takes on Georgia Tech for just the second time ever. The Jacks lost 8-1 to the Yellow Jackets in a neutral site meeting in 2006. SDSU and Iowa have met 16 times with the Hawkeyes holding a 13-3 edge in the all-time series. The Hawkeyes earned a pair of victories over the Jackrabbits in a doubleheader in Iowa City a season ago. The Jacks have lost four straight to Iowa with their last win coming in 2020. Â
The Jackrabbits have been carried by the top of their lineup as of late. Emma Christensen recently moved into SDSU's leadoff spot and in her last four games has hit 8-for-12 (.667) and scored four runs in that stretch. She's now second on the team in hitting with a .369 batting average.Â
Another big climber on SDSU's batting charts has been junior Abby Gentry. The 2025 Summit League Player of the Year, Gentry is now hitting .353. She was at a .278 average in the middle of March. Gentry is in the midst of a 10-game hitting streak.Â
Bria Riebel has provided a boost with a strong freshman season so far. She's currently batting .331 having started in every game for the Jackrabbits this season playing at either shortstop or second base. Riebel has recorded multiple hits in five of her last six games at the plate.
Akayla Barnard has been one of SDSU's most consistent bats during the 2026 season. She ranks among The Summit League's top 10 individuals in seven different categories. She ranks second in the conference in hits (44), runs scored (44) and home runs (12). She also ranks statistically among the top pitchers in the SDSU rotation. She has a team-best 4.22 ERA while accruing a 5-4 record. She has a team-best four complete games and two shutouts.
South Dakota State is hitting .311 as a team through 43 games. Hitting over .300 include Amanda Vacanti (.377), Christensen (.369), Gentry (.353), Riebel (.331), Barnard (.328) and Emma Vike (.306).Â
The Jacks have three series remaining after their stretch in Iowa. They are still scheduled to play at Omaha (April 17-19), versus St. Thomas and at North Dakota State (April 30-May 2).
Coverage Information
South Dakota State's games versus Iowa will be streamed on Big Ten Plus. Live stats for all four games the Jackrabbits play in Iowa City are available on GoJacksLive.com. For more information about Jackrabbit softball, you can follow the team social media accounts (@GoJacksSoftball) or visit the team page at GoJacks.com.
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-GoJacks.com-
Players Mentioned
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