Mother Nature has delayed the start of South Dakota's season, but the UNI-Dome ensures a Super Sunday start for the Coyotes who face Drake (2 p.m.) and Northern Iowa (4:30 p.m.) in Cedar Falls.
 
Robert Wagner enters his seventh season as the Coyotes' skipper and is coming off a 28-win season – 10^th-most in program history and second-most in his tenure. He returns his top six hitters and an ace in the circle in Clara Edwards, a 16-game winner as a freshman last season.
 
Here are five headlines ahead of Sunday's first pitch:
 
Seven all-Summit players are back
South Dakota led the league with seven all-conference performers a year ago and they are all back. First-teamers and seniors Aleesia Sainz (third base) and Jordyn Pender (designated player) are on the list as is two-time all-Summit outfielder Courtney Wilson (center field). Catcher Bela Goerke, outfielder Gabby Moser, infielder Tatum Villotta and Edwards round out the honorees.
 
Sainz was a legit MVP candidate last year when she led the Summit with a 1.166 OPS and 11 home runs with 43 RBIs. Moser had a 1.185 OPS in 21 conference games. Edwards pitched more innings than any Summit player a year ago.


 
New Shortstop
Lauren Eamiguel has been the starting shortstop at South Dakota the last five seasons. Villotta, who showed good range and instincts as a true freshman at second last year, is expected to fill that void. Delaney White, a highly-touted freshman from Lincoln, Nebraska, is penciled in at second. Newcomer Alivia Conte is an experienced shortstop at the collegiate level and freshman Brylee Hempey starred at short for Sioux City East.
 
That leaves an opening at first base and Wagner has plans for Pender and Edwards to work there. Edwards had a home run, eight walks and five RBIs in 36 plate appearances last year. Expect those opportunities to expand in year two. Tatum Brown has worked in at first following a redshirt season. Grace Hamling started three games at short her freshman year and can fill in anywhere in the infield.


 
Help for Edwards
Speaking of Edwards, approaching 200 innings in the circle again this season seems unlikely. Kori Wedeking was a NJCAA All-American last season at Kirkwood where she racked up 410 strikeouts over two seasons. Wedeking helped the Eagles to third- and seventh-place finishes at nationals. She had a solid fall campaign and is expected to get the ball early and often for the Coyotes.
 
Kynlee Marquez was a star out of the gate last year, holding an ERA under 1.00 in 28 innings spanning the first half of last season. She threw a complete-game shutout at St. Thomas in conference play and totaled 52 innings on the year. Madi Mangulis is a true freshman from Mankato, Minnesota, who prepped at Mankato East.


 
Flanking Wilson
Wilson is a veteran outfielder with one of the strongest arms in the game. She also boasts a career .314 average that spans 176 games and 168 starts. Moser found a home in right field last year and truly poured it on offensively down the stretch. She led the Summit with 15 doubles and ended the year on a 10-game hitting streak, second-longest streak of the season to Villotta's 12.
 
Charis Black is a senior with 90 games and 29 starts under her belt. She is working back to form from an injury sustained during the offseason. Alecea Mendoza starred alongside Wedeking at Kirkwood these past two seasons and adds tremendous speed. She also hit .380 with 16 home runs in two seasons. Alexia Terrazas earned NFCA all-America honors at Palomar last season in California after batting .340 with four home runs.


 
Rogers Rejoins
South Dakota alumna Jessica Rogers has joined Wagner's staff this season. She replaced fellow alumna Christy Warnock who is head coach at Wayne State. Rogers is working mainly with the catchers, the position she played at USD, while assisting with the offense. Wagner is focusing more on hitting and offense. Chelsea Qualls is back in year two as the pitching coach. She saw the staff ERA fall from 6.00 to 3.88 in 2022. Caylyn Wagner is focusing on defense and Miranda Southall begins her second season as the graduate assistant.
 
Goerke homered in her first at bat as a Coyote last year and twice on opening day. She started 35 games behind the plate a year ago and threw out 8-of-30 would-be base stealers. She also picked off two others. Pender started 17 games behind the plate. Jaden Gaja is coming off a redshirt season. Mia Kraimer has started at catcher, shortstop, third base and right field in her first three seasons.