VERMILLION, S.D. — The Coyotes return to Nygaard Field for the second week in a row to host St. Thomas on Thursday and Friday. The Yotes are 2-1 at home after earning a series win over North Dakota last weekend.
 
The Schedule vs St. Thomas
Thursday @ 4:00 p.m.
Friday @ 2:00 & 4:00 p.m.
 
ABOUT THE YOTES

• The Coyotes continue Summit League play this week after earning a 2-1 series win over North Dakota last weekend at Nygaard Field.
• Following strong performances against the Fighting Hawks, McKenna Young and Ella McGee swept the Kwik Star Summit League Peak Performer of the Week honors.
  • McGee collected the first weekly honor of her career. Posted a .500 batting average across three games against UND.
  • Scored two or more runs in all three games against the Fighting Hawks. Extended her hit streak to nine games.
  • Young captured her second career weekly accolade. She earned a pair of a complete-game victories in the series win over North Dakota.
  • Threw 12.0 innings in two starts while posting a 0.58 ERA with 16 strikeouts. Allowed just one earned run and seven hits.
  • It's the second time this season that the Yotes have swept the Summit League weekly awards as Clara Edwards and Tatum Villotta were named the Peak Performers of the Week on March 3.
• The Coyotes lead the Summit League in a number categories including batting average (.306), hits (255), triples (9), ERA (2.47) and shutouts (7).
• The Yotes rank No. 2 in the conference in runs (166), on-base percentage (.385), doubles (47) and No. 3 strikeouts (183).
• Tatum Villotta leads the Summit League with 44 hits on the season and has the second highest batting average at .427.
  • Villotta has hit safely in 25 of 31 games to start the season and has 13 multi-hit games.
  • Villotta also leads the Yotes with three triples on the season, has 10 extra-base hits and is second with 17 RBIs.
• Delaney White follows Villotta with a .423 batting average and has a team high nine doubles. White is the Yotes leader with 23 RBIs.
  • After tallying multiple hits in two games against UND, White has 13 multi-hit games on the season. White went 5-for-6 from the plate against the Fighting Hawks and had four RBIs.
  • White has drove in two or more runs three straight games and in five of the last six contests she's played in.
• McKenna Young earned her second Summit League Peak Pitcher of the Week honor and carries the lowest ERA in the Summit League (1.32).
  • Young is No. 2 in the conference and leads the Yotes with 97 strikeouts on the season.
  • She carries an 8-4 record in 18 appearances and with 12 starts. Young has five complete games with two shutouts and is holding opposing bats to a .185 batting average.
• Clara Edwards has started in the pitcher's circle in 116 of her 17 appearances and has a 10-6 record with 98.2 innings of work.
  • Edwards has tossed a conference leading 10 complete games and has struck out 61 batters.
  • Edwards also holds a .277 batting average with one home run and 15 RBIs.
  • In her complete game shutout of Norfolk State, Edwards also went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double and an RBI. She followed that with a 4-for-4 game at the plate with four RBIs in the second game of the doubleheader against the Spartans.
• Autumn Iversen is third on the team with 15 RBIs and is fourth with a .317 batting average. She has eight extra base hits with five doubles, two triples and a home run.
• Ella McGee is third with a .324 hitting percentage with four doubles, two triples and tallied her first inside-the-park home run against the Fighting Hawks.
• 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 ST. THOMAS

• The Tommies enter the series with nearly an identical record as the Yotes, as they sit at 17-10 on the season and are 2-1 in Summit League play.
• St. Thomas took the series over preseason favorite Omaha in Omaha last weekend. After dropping the first game of the series 5-1, the Tommies shut out the Mavericks in the final two games 1-0 and 6-0.
• St. Thomas is 7-6 on the year in true road games.
• Ella Cook has pitched a team leading 54.0 innings on the season in 16 appearances while making four starts in the circle. Cook has a UST leading 46 strikeouts and holds opponents to a .259 batting average.
• Ava Kleinfeldt is 6-0 on the year and has made nine starts in 12 appearances. Kleinfeldt holds a 3.00 ERA in 51.0 innings of work. Christina Crawford has also made 12 appearances and nine starts and holds a 4.58 ERA in 53.0 innings pitched.
• The Tommies bats are led by a trio of hitters with a .350+ batting average.
  • Kaitlyn Raymond is batting .370 and has five doubles, three triples and 12 RBIs.
  • Cook bats at a .358 clip and has a team leading 19 RBIs and nine doubles. Cook's tallied three home runs and 10 runs.
  • Cassidy Carby paces the Tommies with five home runs and has drove in 16 runs to go with her .352 batting average.