SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—South Dakota softball is picked to finish second in the Summit League standings and outfielder
Camille Fowler and pitcher
Alexis Devers were named Coyote Players to Watch the conference office announced Thursday.
Defending champion North Dakota State was deemed preseason favorites in the poll conducted by the league's seven head coaches. South Dakota was runner-up to the Bison both in the 2019 regular season standings and the Summit League Tournament.
Fowler is a three-time all-conference outfielder who has started all 170 games for the Coyotes over the last three seasons. She has hit .309 with 170 hits, 46 RBIs and 102 runs scored during her career. Fowler also has 15 outfield assists and stolen 27 bases. She led off for South Dakota in all but two games last season.
Devers is coming of an all-Summit season in which she led the league in appearances (37) and games started (32) and was second in innings pitched (172.2). Devers was 13-15 in the circle last year with a 3.65 ERA and had a team-high 90 strikeouts. She threw four shutouts and combined on another.
South Dakota enters 2020 with six returning starters – four hitters and two pitchers – from last year's team that won 33 games and earned the right to compete in the NISC Tournament. In addition to Fowler and Devers, the Coyotes boast all-Summit performers in junior shortstop
Lauren Eamiguel and junior third baseman
Lauren Wobken.
Head Coach
Robert Wagner begins his fourth season with the program. The Coyotes open 2020 Feb. 7-9 in Cedar Falls, Iowa, at a tournament hosted by University of Northern Iowa. The opener is Feb. 7 at 1:30 p.m. against UNI. The Coyotes face Drake later that day at 6 p.m.
2020 Summit League Softball Preseason Poll
Place Team (First-Place Votes) Points 2019 Record
1. North Dakota State (6) 34 42-16, 16-2 SL
2. South Dakota 28 33-28, 12-6 SL
3. South Dakota State (1) 27 37-19, 11-7 SL
4. North Dakota 22 22-34, 7-11 SL
5. Western Illinois 12 20-20, 12-6 SL
Purdue Fort Wayne 12 10-39, 3-15 SL
7. Omaha 10 4-43, 2-16 SL
