VERMILLION, S.D. — South Dakota softball treks to Louisiana this weekend for its second weekend of games. The Coyotes went 3-1 in their opening slate of games at the East Texas A&M Leadoff.
 
Due to projected inclement weather expected Saturday evening, the weekend's slate of game was slightly altered. The most up to date schedule can be found below or HERE.
 
The Schedule
Friday
11:00 a.m. (CT) vs. Mississippi Valley State | First Meeting
1:00 p.m. (CT) vs. UTSA | USD leads 2-1
Saturday
11:00 a.m. (CT) vs. UTSA | First meeting
3:30 p.m. (CT) vs. Southeastern Louisiana | Southeastern Louisiana leads 5-1
Sunday
10:00 a.m. (CT) vs. Southeastern Louisiana leads 5-1
 
ABOUT THE YOTES

• The Coyotes went 3-1 in their opening slate of games.
• The South Dakota bats were led by Tatum Villotta who tallied six hits on 12 at bats with three runs, one double and two RBIs.
  • Villotta went 3-for-4 at the plate in the season opener to help the Yotes to a 9-2 win. She also went 2-for-4 from the plate against Stephen F. Austin.
• Delaney White (.462) and Brooke Carey (.429) also recorded batting averages above .400 last weekend.
  • Both White and Carey tallied three games with two hits, and each recorded two RBIs in the win over Texas Southern.
• Autumn Iversen notched five hits over the weekend and recorded her first home run of the season in a 5-3 win over Stephen F. Austin. Iversen led the Yotes with four RBIs over the four games. Iversen closed out the weekend with back-to-back games with two hits and two RBIs.
• Freshman Ella McGee recorded her first collegiate hit, a double, and scored two runs in the season opener.
• Clara Edwards appeared in three games, making two starts, and threw a team-high 13.2 innings. Edwards recorded a 2-0 record with a 1.54 ERA and 12 strikeouts.
• Edwards held opposing bats to a .188 batting average and carried a .73 WHIP.
• Edwards tossed her first complete game of the season in a 5-2 win over East Texas A&M. She allowed just two runs, four hits and struck out six.
• Freshman Madison Evans made two appearances, including her first career start, and pitched 5.0 innings.
  • Evans struck out four and allowed two runs (one earned) for a 1.40 ERA.
• McKenna Young holds a 0.00 ERA through 4.2 innings pitched with strikeouts and .176 opponents' batting average. Young has allowed just one unearned run on the season.
• South Dakota was picked to finish third in the Summit League Preseason Poll, as announced by the league office.
• The Coyotes finished fifth in the Summit League a season ago with a 7-10 conference record and a 23-30 mark on the season.
• USD returns a trio of All-Summit League selections from a season ago in Tatum Villotta (second team), Clara Edwards (HM) and Delaney White (HM).
• Villotta and Edwards were named as USD's players to watch in the conference preseason poll.
• Villotta was one of three Yotes to start in all 53 games a season ago, splitting time in both middle infield positions. She tallied a team-high 54 hits, 23 runs and a team best 10 game hitting streak during the season. Villotta had 12 multi-hit games in 2024 and has 39 multi-hit games in her career.
• Edwards made 28 starts in 29 appearances as the No. 1 pitcher in 2024 and recorded an 8-13 record, 2.76 ERA, and 121 strikeouts in 157.1 innings pitched. Edwards struck out a career-high 13 batters in a complete game shutout, one of five shutouts she had on the season, in a win over Abilene Christian.
• McKenna Young begins her sophomore season after pitching 79.0 innings in her freshman campaign, making 27 appearances and nine starts. She tallied 75 strikeouts and held opponents to a team-low .246 batting average.
• Rounding out the pitching staff is freshmen Madison Evans and Campbell German. Evans was named the South Dakota Gatorade Players of the Year last year after leading Sioux Falls Lincoln to a state title, while German was a three-time First Team All-State selection in Iowa.
• The combination of Villotta, White and Rylie Jones in the infield combined to start all but three games in 2024.
• White was tied for second on the squad in 2024 with 45 hits, second with eight doubles and drove in the second most runs (23) while holding a .278 batting average. White led the team with 13 multi-hit games and had five games with multiple RBIs.

 
ABOUT MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE

• MVSU holds a 1-3 record after the first weekend of competition.
• Across four games, the Devilettes have scored 30 runs but have surrendered 48 runs.
• MVSU's lone win of the early season was a 17-13 victory over Arlington Baptist.
• MVSU has three players with a .300 or better batting average led by Breeauna Troup's .500 average.
• Aulora Edwards carries a .333 batting average and has a team leading four RBIs.
• The MVSU pitching staff has allowed double-digit hit totals in three games and 10 or more runs in three contests.

 
ABOUT UTSA

• UTSA carries a perfect 5-0 record into this weekend's slate of games.
• The Roadrunners were walk off winners in both of their season opening wins last week.
• Makayla Madrid had a stellar opening weekend with a .462 batting average, six hits, three doubles, one home run and eight RBIs.
• Skylar Rucker and Sabrina Wick hold .429 and .421 batting averages, respectively and have combined to scored 11 runs.
• Katia Reyes has thrown a team high 11.2 innings in three appearances in the circle with two starts.
• Reyes holds a 2-0 record, 0.60 ERA with 10 strikeouts.

 
ABOUT SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA

• Southeastern Louisiana enters the weekend with a 2-3 record.
• Shelby Morris carries a .417 batting average into the weekend with five hits, one RBI and three runs. Chloe Magee is hitting at a .400 clip with six hits, one double and six runs scored.
• Maria Detillier has recorded a hit in four straight games, holds a .385 batting average and leads the squad with six RBIs.
• Macie LaRue threw a team-high 15.0 innings last weekend, making three appearances and two starts in the circle.