South Dakota softball heads to Conway, Arkansas, to compete in Central Arkansas' Adam Brown Memorial Shamrock Classic Friday and Saturday. The Coyotes will face Iowa, Central Arkansas (twice) and Alcorn State at Farris Field.
 
The Schedule
Friday, March 5
10:30 a.m. vs. Iowa | Live Stats
2:30 p.m. vs. Central Arkansas | Live Stats | ESPN+
 
Saturday, March 6
9:30 a.m. vs. Alcorn State | Live Stats
11:30 a.m. vs. Central Arkansas | Live Stats | ESPN+
 
How to Follow
Central Arkansas is providing live stats for all four games. The two games against the host team, Central Arkansas, will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
Series History
-South Dakota lost to Central Arkansas in Tennessee a year ago and is 0-3 overall (2019, 2020, 2022)
-USD and Iowa have met once since 2011 (2017). Iowa has won all seven meetings with all games played in Iowa City.
-USD is 3-0 against Alcorn State (2014, twice; 2018). All three matchups took place in Louisiana.
 
South Dakota (5-8, 0-0 Summit)
The Coyotes went 2-3 last week in Arizona and played six games in Texas the weekend before that. South Dakota is led offensively by catcher Bela Goerke and right fielder Gabby Moser, who boast averages near .370 and have combined for 20 RBIs. Courtney Wilson leads the team with 16 hits and Tatum Villotta has a team-high nine runs. Clara Edwards won 16 games as a freshman a year ago and has started seen of the Coyotes' 13 games this season. Five starts have been made by Kori Wedeking who was an NJCAA All-American at Kirkwood a year ago. Kirkwood rests 20 minutes north of Iowa City.
 
Iowa (8-6, 0-0 Big Ten)
Inside the Hawkeyes' 8-6 record this year is a 2-1 loss to then-No. 1 UCLA and another 2-1 loss to Oregon State. Those took place in Palm Springs, California, last weekend. It was freshman pitcher Jalen Adams that went toe-to-toe with the Bruins and she boasts a 0.79 ERA in a team-high 26 innings. Just eight strikeouts in that tally, but only three walks as well. Junior Denali Loecker led Iowa with 10 home runs last year, second-most in program history, and was also Iowa's top pitcher. She has four home runs and a .478 average through 14 games and is 1-0 in the circle with a 2.88 ERA in 17 innings.
 
Central Arkansas (11-3, 0-0 ASUN)
The Bears made their first and only NCAA tournament appearance in 2015 and have been oh so close to returning these past few years. Central Arkansas was runner-up to conference champion Liberty last year, but brings back all the best pieces from last year's 37-win team. At the heart are veteran pitchers Kayla Beaver and Jordan Johnson. Both carry sub-2.00 ERAs this year. Beaver has won 21 games in each of the last two seasons. Outfielders Tremere Harris and Jenna Wildeman combined to steal 47 bases last year while Morgan Nelson and Jaylee Engelkes combined for 23 home runs. UCA is batting .227 as a team and so are its opponents.
 
Alcorn State (3-9)
Eugenia Fernandez was named head coach at Alcorn State back in early November after previously serving as an assistant at Florida A&M from 2014-16. Fernandez played professionally for Columbia for more than a decade. Fernandez's Lady Braves competed in Mississippi the first two weekends of the season. A doubleheader at Nichols State back on Feb. 22 was their last competitions. Alcorn State's returners include pitchers Kiri Parker (1-4, 6.70 ERA) and Alexa Veamoi (1-3, 5.33 ERA). Kristian Edwards hit .324 last year with nine triples and two home runs. She was also 28-of-28 on the base paths for a team that stole 77 bases. Edwards has five of Alcorn's 19 steals this season.