Summit League competition heats up as South Dakota is set to take on North Dakota State Friday and Saturday at Bowden Field on the campus of Augustana University.
 
The series was originally slated for Fargo, North Dakota, but moved to Sioux Falls due to recent snowfall up north. The two programs have faced off 95 times, but not in Sioux Falls since 1996.

How to follow: Live statistics are available at the following links:
Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
 
South Dakota took two out of three from North Dakota State last year in Vermillion behind two complete game performances from Clara Edwards. She bested NDSU ace Paige Vargas twice as a freshman last year and those two are sure to meet up again at least once this week.
 
The Coyotes (16-15) are 5-0 in Summit League play with series wins against North Dakota and Kansas City. The Bison (21-12) have also swept Kansas City and went 2-1 at Western Illinois last week for a 5-1 conference record.
 
In addition to the pitching matchups, the series features two of the top hitters in the League and both play third base. USD's Aleesia Sainz is the reigning Summit League Player of the Week after driving in eight runs last weekend in Missouri. She leads the Coyotes with a .897 OPS and 21 RBIs. NDSU's Carley Goetschius is having a terrific senior season. The former Northern Illinois starter enters with a .419 batting average and five home runs with 29 RBIs. Both are tops in the Summit.
 
Pitchers Kori Wedeking (USD) and Lainey Lyle (NDSU) are also expected to play a large role this week. Wedeking is the reigning Summit Pitcher of the Week after not allowing an earned run in 10 innings against Kansas City. Lyle is a senior veteran with 23 career wins and more than 260 innings. She tossed a two-hitter against South Dakota last season.
 
Grand Canyon transfer and shortstop Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage has been a key addition for an NDSU team that had to replace five bats from last season. Aguilar-Beaucage is batting .324 with four home runs and is also 9-for-11 on the base paths. A freshman, Bella Dean, leads the Bison with six home runs.
 
Tatum Villotta and Courtney Wilson have been hot at the top of the Coyotes' lineup to begin Summit play and freshman Delaney White has turned it on as well. White is 6-for-12 through two series with a double and four RBIs. South Dakota has eight starters hitting better than .300 through five Summit games. They face an NDSU pitching staff that has allowed 12 runs thru six Summit games.