South Dakota and Kansas City will play a doubleheader Saturday at noon and a single game Sunday at 11 a.m. at Urban Youth Academy in Kansas City, Missouri, as the Summit League slate enters week two.
 
South Dakota (13-15) is 2-0 in conference play after a pair of wins against North Dakota last weekend. Kansas City (5-27) went 0-3 at home against North Dakota State.
 
Kansas City swept South Dakota in a three-game series in Missouri a year ago, but the Coyotes avenged those losses by eliminating the Roos in the first round of the Summit League Tournament. Kansas City maintains an 18-16 edge in the all-time series which dates back to 2009.
 
How to Follow: Live stats are provided here.
 
The Coyotes
South Dakota has faced cancellations, sudden venue changes and the elements all season long it seems. But despite those "uncontrollables", the Coyotes have a chance to get their overall record back above .500 for the first time since February.
 
To do so, USD will need more of what they got last week against North Dakota. Clara Edwards tossed all 13 innings last week and didn't allow an earned run. She has allowed two earned runs or fewer in seven of her last eight starts dating back to early March. Edwards leads the Summit with 99 innings pitched, but has walked just 15, the fewest among Summit pitchers who qualify.
 
North Dakota pitched around Aleesia Sainz, but she came around to score four runs anyway. Jordyn Pender had three hits in the two games and Gabby Moser drove in four runs and had a pair of doubles. All nine Coyote starters contributed offensively and USD outscored North Dakota 12-1 in the two games.
 
Kori Wedeking will likely get the ball in game two Saturday, which would mark her first Summit League appearance. Wedeking has a 1.63 ERA in 30 innings of work in March after going 2-3 with an 8.45 ERA in February.
 
The Roos
Kansas City is trying to stop a 14-game losing streak that dates back to March 5. The Roos have been shut out eight times during the streak and scored one run three times. On the other side of the coin is a defense that has allowed close to eight runs per game during the streak.
 
The Roos lost three of their top four hitters and ace pitcher Mia Hoveland to graduation and is trying to fill the holes. Two-time all-Summit infielder Ally Vonfeldt, a senior, leads the team in nearly every offensive category including average (.330), OPS (.877), runs (15) and RBIs (11). She was 5-for-13 with a double, homer and five RBIs in four games against USD last season. Katie Noble is a freshman pitcher/first baseman who is batting .264 with an OPS of .728. In the circle, she is 2-8 with a 5.11 ERA in eight starts and 11 appearances.
 
Noble was one of three starting pitchers Kansas City trotted out last week against North Dakota State. Junior Camryn Stickel, who beat the Coyotes during last year's series, was another. Stickel was 4-10 in the circle last year. She is 1-7 this year with a 5.24 ERA in 50 innings of work.
 
Upper Iowa transfer Amelia Fitzgerald is the Roos' new catcher. She was 4-for-7 last week against the Bison and is batting .253 with 10 RBIs on the year.
 
Kansas City stole 43 bases and allowed just 32 steals last season behind outfielder Kloe Hilbrenner and catcher Alexis D'Ambrosio. Without those two, the Roos are 3-of-5 on the base paths in 32 games while foes have swiped 68-of-75.