University of South Dakota Athletics

South Dakota will get a look at some of the top teams in the nation as the Coyotes compete in a tournament hosted by Arizona State University Friday thru Sunday to wrap up their Spring Break trip. Three nationally-ranked teams are on the docket including James Madison (No. 21), Michigan (No. 23) and Arizona State (No. 16). USD will also take on Lehigh (Friday) and New Mexico State (Saturday).
 
USD is 3-5 since leaving campus last week and is wrapping up a stretch of 13 games in 10 days. The runs have been tougher to come by as the competition has improved. That won't change this weekend with the lineup of pitchers set to go against the Coyotes. Execution in advancing runners and getting crucial hits with runners in scoring position will be key.
 
An encouraging sign for coach Robert Wagner continues to be the performance of his pitching staff. Despite a 3-5 record on the trip, USD hurlers have combined for a 1.55 ERA. What hasn't held up as well is the defense on balls in play. USD has committed 15 errors in its last eight games, leading to 12 unearned runs.
 
Offensively, senior infielder Jamie Holscher was named Summit League Athlete of the Month for February and is off to a solid start in March. She is batting a team-best .409 (9-for-22) on the trip with three doubles and two RBIs. Leadoff Camille Fowler is batting .357 (10-for-28) on Spring Break with four runs scored.
 
The schedule and a look at the five foes follow:
 
Friday, March 7
USD vs. Lehigh | 9 a.m. (MT) | Live Stats
USD vs. James Madison | 11:30 a.m. (MT) | Live Stats
 
Saturday, March 8
USD vs. Michigan | 9 a.m. (MT) | Live Stats
USD vs. New Mexico State | 4:30 p.m. (MT) | Live Stats
 
Sunday, March 9
USD at Arizona State | Noon (MT) | Live Stats | Watch
 
Lehigh (5-2)
The Mountain Hawks are just two years removed from an NCAA tournament appearance. With a full weekend washed out to weather, Lehigh has played just seven games to date. The team features all-Patriot pitcher Parker Boyd, a 19-game winner as a sophomore last year, and freshman Gabriella Nori who is 2-1 in three starts to begin her career. If that's not enough, senior Emily Sorem was a first-team choice as a sophomore but was just 5-12 in 2018. Lehigh's top offensive returnee is junior Mary-Hannah Smith, a two-time second-team all-Patriot pick who batted .301 with 30 RBIs last season.
 
No. 21/No. 21 James Madison (8-5)
The Dukes have wins against nationally-ranked Oregon and Tennessee, and Thursday, they downed Michigan 3-0 in extras. James Madison is led by All-American pitcher/hitter Odicci Alexander, a junior who batted .374 last year with a team-high 56 RBIs. She also went 25-8 in the circle with 15 complete games and eight shutouts. The Dukes also return 2017 National Player of the Year Megan Good, who missed last season due to a knee injury. Good led the nation with 38 wins in 2017 and had a 0.63 ERA. If that's not impressive enough, she hit .383 that year with 12 home runs and 58 RBIs.
 
No. 23/No. 25 Michigan (9-9)
Wins last week over #2 UCLA and #5 Washington have the Wolverines back in the top 25 this week. Michigan features two young and talented pitchers in freshman Alex Storako (5-6, 2.08 ERA) and sophomore Megahn Beaubien (4-3, 2.63 ERA). Together, they help the Maize and Blue hold foes to a .178 average and fewer than three runs per game. There's another freshman, Lexie Blair, who is hitting .339 with a homer, five doubles and 10 RBIs. Natalia Rodriguez, just a sophomore, leads the team with a .372 average and 13 runs scored.
 
New Mexico State (9-7)
The Aggies are looking for a top-25 win of their own this week after dropping a 3-1 game with Oregon recently. New Mexico State has belted 20 home runs on the young season. Seniors Victoria Castro and Kelsey Horton – both three-time all-WAC performers – have six round trippers each and Castro has a team-best .378 average. Horton hit .402 a year ago with 25 homers and 64 RBIs. The Aggies graduated their ace, but Samaria Diaz and Analise De La Roca are back. Diaz is 3-3 with a 3.12 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 40 innings.
 
No. 17/No. 16 Arizona State (16-6)
It is business as usual at Arizona State. The Sun Devils are hitting .322 with 31 homers and averaging nearly eight runs per game. Their outfield trio sets the pace. All-region honoree Kindra Hackbarth has a .424 average, five home runs and 23 RBIs. Senior Skylar McCarty is hitting .383 with three homers and 21 RBIs. Senior Morgan Howe is at .349 with three homers and 26 RBIs. The Sun Devils lost all four pitchers from a year ago and brought in a pair of transfers in Cielo Meza (Long Beach State) and Samantha Mejia (Fresno State). Mejia is 9-2 with a 3.09 ERA.