University of South Dakota Athletics

Head coach Robert Wagner and the South Dakota Coyote softball team open the 2019 season Friday with the first two of five games at Charleston Southern's Willie Jewell Invitational held at the CSU Softball Complex.
 
USD will face Dayton and Charleston Southern Friday, Dayton and Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday and Charleston Southern again on Sunday. The full schedule with game times is below:
 
Friday, Feb. 8
South Dakota vs. Dayton – 11:30 a.m. (Live Stats)
South Dakota vs. Charleston Southern – 4:30 p.m. (Live Stats)
 
Saturday, Feb. 9
South Dakota vs. Dayton – 9 a.m. (Live Stats)
South Dakota vs. UMES – 11:30 a.m. (Live Stats)
 
Sunday, Feb. 10
South Dakota vs. Charleston Southern – 1 p.m. (Live Stats)
 
Note: All times listed are Eastern Time
 
About South Dakota (17-38, 5-9 Summit, RPI: 204)
The Coyotes return their top five hitters and all of their pitching from last year's team. USD led the Summit in home runs and had the second-best batting average, but were last in team ERA and fielding percentage. Senior catcher Jessica Rogers is an all-region performer who hit .376 with a Summit-best 15 home runs a year ago. Other all-Summit returners include center fielder Camille Fowler, shortstop Lauren Eamiguel and second baseman Alyssa Fernandez. Senior Dustie Durham won 11 games in the circle a year ago and hit .390 in conference play.
 
About Dayton (31-25, 15-8 Atlantic 10, RPI: 176)
The Flyers, under 12^th-year coach Cara LaPlaca, are picked to finish second in the Atlantic 10 behind conference favorite Massachusetts. Dayton returns five positional starters headed by senior catcher Kyle Davidson who hit .351 with 19 doubles and 39 runs scored a year ago. Sophomore Abby Ehrenborg, another catcher who usually filled the DP role, hit .338 with team-highs for homers (7) and RBIs (34). The Flyers lost their ace, Manda Cash, but Jessica Weaver (6-9, 3.30 ERA) and Jessica Gilliam (9-7, 3.99 ERA). Gilliam started Thursday night's opener so perhaps Weaver will get the ball Friday morning.
 
About Charleston Southern (26-30, 7-14 Big South, RPI: 163)
Venus Taylor, a standout softball player at Western Illinois and a member of its Hall of Fame, is back in the Division I coaching ranks with Charleston Southern. She won her debut Thursday, downing Dayton 9-1 in five innings. Taylor inherits a team that features all-region first baseman Jade Gandara, a senior who hit .395 with 14 homers a year ago. Three returning pitchers who combined to win all but four of CSU's games last season are back. Senior Arizona Pilgrim took the ball Thursday and allowed three hits in five innings.
 
About Maryland Eastern Shore (4-35, 1-17 MEAC, RPI: 296)
The Hawks promoted long-time assistant and alum Allen Davenport to interim head coach prior to this season. Davenport returns five position starters and both pitchers in 2019. Infielders Sara Jo Whaley and Breana Florez hit .294 and .280, respectively, last season. UMES hit just .217 as a team last year with four home runs in 39 games. Pitcher Nasya Goodman won all four games in the circle as a freshman last year for the Hawks. She was 4-17 overall with 108 strikeouts in 135 innings of work.