To say this softball season has been a roller coaster ride so far would be insulting to roller coasters. The team is back from Spring Break trip in Florida in which half its roster wasn't available. Those players return this weekend at a tournament hosted by Kansas, though they haven't taken the field in more than a month.
 
The split roster, which featured pitchers and catchers featured in a variety of ways, scrapped to win three games on the trip and had several other near misses to its credit. The reality, though, is the team is still trying to find the right combination to slow opposing offenses and avoid the big innings.
 
Senior Sarah Lisko has emerged as the team's ace and indeed has logged more than half the team's innings. Freshman Peyton Maher (1-2, 4.50 ERA) had a solid debut on the Florida trip and is the only other pitcher on the roster who has amassed double-digit innings.
 
Offensively, the Coyotes get back five players from their opening-day lineup. They rejoin all-Summit players Camille Fowler, Lauren Wobken and Lauren Eamiguel. Jadyn DeWitte had the Coyotes' second-best average in Florida. She hit .324 with two doubles and a triple. Only Fowler, who hit .419 in those 13 games, was better.
 
The Schedule
Friday
10 a.m. – South Dakota vs. North Dakota State | Live Stats
12:30 p.m. – South Dakota vs. Tulsa | Live Stats
 
Saturday
10 a.m. – South Dakota vs. Tulsa | Live Stats
12:30 p.m. – South Dakota at Kansas | Live Stats
 
Sunday
12:30 p.m. – South Dakota at Kansas | Live Stats
 
The Opponents
 
North Dakota State (4-11)
It's likely not the start defending Summit champion NDSU envisioned, but to be fair, the Bison's slate has included all top-150 programs from last year's rankings. Still, NDSU is batting .190 as a team with four home runs and seven stolen bases in 15 games. The Coyotes haven't seen pitcher Paige Vargas since she rescued the Bison as a freshman in the championship series against USD in 2019. She is 2-5 this season with a 4.24 ERA and had a 4-9 record with a 3.94 ERA in 11 appearances as a sophomore. Senior Kara O'Byrne heads a trio of other pitchers who have been handed the ball in 2021.
 
Tulsa (4-4)
The Hurricane have won the last three American Conference Tournaments, though one has hasn't been completed since 2018 due to weather (2019) and COVID-19 (2020). Tulsa returns nearly everyone from last year's 13-11 squad. The team has lost a three-game set at Texas A&M, swept New Mexico and Omaha in doubleheaders, and lost at nationally-ranked Oklahoma State this spring. Junior pitcher Samantha Pochop had a 0.87 ERA in 51 innings in 2020, but has surrendered 12 earned runs in 13 innings this season. Second baseman Kylie Norwood is off to a hot start with a .464 average and four doubles. Fifth-year senior third baseman Alexis Perry hit a team-best .318 with 15 RBIs last season.
 
Kansas (11-8)
The Jayhawks have been in Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas in recent weeks. They dropped two out of three to South Dakota State last week at home before splitting with UNI. The team has hit 28 home runs and scored 107 runs in 19 games. Junior infielder Morgyn Wynne is batting .291 with eight homers and 20 RBIs. All-American catcher Shelby Gayre hit 11 home runs in just 24 games last season and has six this year to go with a .333 average. Sophomore Tatum Goff (4-1, 2.23 ERA) highlights a quartet of pitchers who have seen significant time in the circle this season.