Update at 11 p.m. (CT) Wednesday: Thursday's game against Colgate has been cancelled. Friday's and Saturday's games are on as scheduled.

Three games against Colgate and two against San Diego round out South Dakota's California swing Thursday thru Saturday. All five games will be played at San Diego's Softball Complex. They are the final non-conference matchups ahead of Summit League play which begins March 25 against North Dakota.
 
The Coyotes are 1-4 on their spring break trip, albeit against good competition. South Dakota (9-13) dropped a 2-0 decision to (No. 24 RPI) Cal State Fullerton and lost two other games against top-100 foes Long Beach State and LMU. Colgate, San Diego and South Dakota all sit in the middle of those rankings which should make for competitive weekend series.
 
Clara Edwards, Kori Wedeking and the Coyote defense have done their part in keeping South Dakota within striking distance, but the bats on the trip have been as cold as the weather in California. USD beat Columbia 8-1 Sunday in its first game, but has totaled two runs on 14 hits in the four games since. The Coyotes have struck out 37 times in those 30 innings and boast just two extra base hits.
 
Good news came Tuesday when center fielder Courtney Wilson returned to the lineup against UC San Diego and she logged one of South Dakota's four hits in a nine-inning game. Wilson has a seven-game hitting streak going, the longest on the team this season.
 
Alecea Mendoza is batting .308 (4-for-13) on the trip and Bela Goerke also has four hits in five games. Aleesia Sainz has three hits including her team-leading fourth home run of the season. Goerke (1.065) and Sainz (.808) have the highest OPS percentage on the team.
 
How to Watch: All games will be streamed on YouTube here.
How to Folllow: Live Stats are provided here.
 
The Schedule
Thursday, March 16
USD vs. Colgate | 11 a.m. PT | 1 p.m. CT
 
Friday, March 17
USD vs. Colgate | 2 p.m. PT | 4 p.m. CT
USD vs. San Diego | 4 p.m. PT | 6 p.m. CT
 
Saturday, March 18
USD vs. Colgate | 9 a.m. PT | 11 a.m. CT
USD vs. San Diego | 2 p.m. PT | 4 p.m. CT
 
Colgate (8-12, 148 RPI)
The Raiders boast an opening week win against Minnesota and beat LMU 3-1 Sunday the day before South Dakota lost to them 6-0. Senior pitcher Bailey Misken started both of those games and her performance Sunday was one of her best of the season. She struck out eight and allowed two hits in seven innings. Misken has a career record of 30-30. She is 5-4 this year with a 4.70 ERA.
 
Freshman pitcher Alexa Acker has started six games this season and pitched in 10. She got the win in relief against Minnesota and is 2-6 on the year with a 5.25 ERA. She has 16 strikeouts and 19 walks in 32 innings. Sophomore Mia Edwards is a third pitcher who has totaled 15 innings this season.
 
Designated player Adrienne Nardone leads Colgate offensively. She is a two-time all-Patriot League honoree batting .283 with three home runs and 11 RBIs. Second baseman Jillian Herbst was the Rookie of the Year in the Patriot League last year and an all-region performer. She is off to a slower start in year two, batting .217 with a .529 OPS. Veteran shortstop Rachel Carney bats leadoff and has nine stolen bases this season.
 
Colgate has two games at California Baptist Wednesday night before facing South Dakota. South Dakota beat Colgate 6-1 in Florida in 2020, the only meeting between the two teams.
 
San Diego (9-17-1, 143 RPI)
The Toreros have played all but one game in their home state this season. Losses have come against Cal (three times), UCLA (twice), Northwestern and Wichita State. San Diego's best wins are against Long Beach State, who South Dakota met Monday, and San Diego State. The Toreros are 8-7-1 following a 1-10 start that included some of those top teams.
 
Third baseman Izzy Owen and a pair of veteran pitchers lead San Diego. Owen earned all-WCC honors last season after hitting .309. She's batting .375 this season with a team-high six doubles and 14 RBIs. Courtney Rose was also an all-WCC honoree. The redshirt junior is 1-4 in the circle with a team-best 2.83 ERA. She shutout San Diego State 4-0 back on March 3 for her first win in eight starts. Redshirt senior pitcher Madison Earnshaw has a 4-3 record and a 4.07 ERA. Earnshaw is nearing 300 strikeouts and has surpassed 400 innings.
 
Senior outfielder Alexia Torculas was a preseason all-WCC honoree but has yet to take the field in 2023. Freshman Taylor Johnson is playing first base and helping to fill that void offensively. Johnson is batting .305 with a double and a triple. Kelsey Tadlock is one of two freshmen pitchers working behind Rose and Earnshaw. The other is Emma Giaime who is also batting .355 (11-of-31) with a homer.
 
San Diego leads the battle of the USD's 2-1. The teams split two games in Arizona back in 2018.