Weather and ongoing construction at Nygaard Field has forced this weekend's series between South Dakota and North Dakota to move to Omaha, Nebraska. The Coyotes and Fighting Hawks will play a single game Saturday at 7 p.m. and a doubleheader Sunday at 4 p.m. at Connie Claussen Field on the campus of University of Nebraska-Omaha.
 
How to Follow: Live statistics will be provided here. You can also follow the team on Twitter @SDCoyotesSB.
 
It is the opening weekend of Summit League play. South Dakota and North Dakota were both Summit League Tournament participants a year ago. The Coyotes were the No. 4 seed and the Hawks were No. 6.
 
The Coyotes
South Dakota (11-15) is back from a weeklong trip to San Diego, California, over Spring Break where the team played nine games in seven days. The Coyotes allowed two runs or fewer in six of those nine games, but came away with just three wins.
 
The pitching staff has been led by sophomore Clara Edwards and junior Kori Wedeking. They have started all but one game this season. Both posted ERA's just above 2.00 in California. Edwards was 2-2 in five starts there and held opponents to a .236 average.
 
South Dakota is led offensively by junior catcher Bela Goerke and senior third baseman Aleesia Sainz, who have combined for seven home runs and 25 RBIs. Sainz has drawn 14 walks and leads the team with a .364 on-base percentage. Senior center fielder Courtney Wilson leads the team with a .338 average and seven stolen bases.
 
The Fighting Hawks
No team is more anxious for a fresh start than North Dakota, which stands 3-27 on the year. The Hawks feature first-team all-conference center fielder Madi Moore and the pitching staff returns sophomore Jackie Albrecht, but it has yet to all come together for UND this season. The defense is allowing more than seven runs per game and the offense is generating less than three.
 
Moore bats leadoff and enters with a six-game hitting streak. She leads the team with a .302 average. Behind her in the three and four spots are catcher Cassie Castaneda and first baseman Madison Pederson who have combined for six home runs and 34 RBIs. The first five batters for North Dakota are returning starters from a year ago.
 
Albrecht was 5-11 in the circle as a freshman last year, but is 1-9 this year with a 6.44 ERA as the ace of this year's staff. The Hawks added Makaela Carr from Florida International and freshman Camryn Lasota who played high school ball in Wisconsin, but the staff ERA sits at 7.26.
 
The Series
South Dakota swept all three games last season and is 9-1 against North Dakota since the Hawks joined the Summit League in 2019. All 10 games of those games were played in Vermillion.
 
The Coyotes have a 65-37 lead in a series that dates back to 1980. This will be the fourth time the teams have competed in Omaha. The last time was 1998.