Setting the Scene

• The NDSU softball team will travel to Palo Alto, Calif., to compete in the Stanford Louisville Slugger Classic March 7-9.
• NDSU will face BYU twice and 22nd-ranked Stanford, UC Davis and Portland State once.
• The Bison are coming off a 1-1 performance in the New Mexico Invite last weekend, falling to Buffalo (N.Y.), 3-2, and defeating Idaho State, 7-4.
• NDSU pitcher Tabby Bayers picked up her first win of the season against Idaho State Feb. 28. She pitched six innings, allowing seven hits and four earned runs while walking four and striking out three.
• Cheyenne Garcia was 2-for-3 at the plate in the Idaho State game, driving in three runs and hit a double.

 
Series History

• BYU:  NDSU's two contests against the Cougars of Brigham-Young will be the second and third meetings in the all-time series. BYU won the inaugural meeting, 6-3, in 2011.
• Stanford: When the Bison battle the Cardinal, it will mark the second meeting in the all-time series. Stanford leads, 1-0, after defeating NDSU, 12-0, during the 2011 season.
• UC Davis:  NDSU's contest against the Aggies will be the fifth meeting in the all-time series. UC Davis and NDSU are currently tied, 2-2. The last meeting occurred in 2011, with the Bison claiming a 2-1 victory over the Aggies.
• Portland State: The showdown between the Bison and Vikings will be the fourth meeting in the all-time series. NDSU currently trails Portland State, 2-1. The last meeting happened in 2010, with the Bison defeating the Vikings, 2-1.

 
Scouting the Opponents

• BYU: The Cougars enter the Louisville Slugger Classic with an overall record of 7-10. BYU, a member of the West Coast Conference (WCC), is paced by Ashley Thompson (.429 avg., 18 H, 42 AB, 2 2B, 1 HR, 16 RBI, .548 SLG%) and Katie Manuma (.298 avg., 14 H, 47 AB, 4 2B, 3 HR, 15 RBI, .574 SLG%). In the circle, the primary pitchers for the Cougars are Ashley Thompson (4.74 ERA, 3-2, 1 CG, 44.1 IP, 49 H, 30 ER, 40 BB, 35 SO, .268 b/avg.) and McKenna Bull (5.67 ERA, 2-5, 3 CG, 1 SHO, 45.2 IP, 60 H, 37 ER, 45 BB, 46 SO, .309 b/avg.).
• Stanford: The Cardinal enter the week with an impressive 17-5 overall record and are ranked 22nd in the latest NFCA/USA Today Division I Top-25 poll. Stanford, a PAC 12 member, is led by Cassandra Rouland (.338 avg., 23 H, 68 AB, 8 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 23 RBI, .618 SLG%), Kayla Bonstrom (.317 avg., 20 H, 63 AB, 3 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 19 RBI, .476 SLG%) and Kylie Sorenson (.421 avg., 24 H, 57 AB, 9 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 18 RBI, .702 SLG%). The main pitcher for the Cardinal is Madi Schreyer (1.29 ERA, 14-3, 11 CG, 2 SHO, 1 SV, 103.1 IP, 68 H, 19 ER, 43 BB, 87 SO, .180 b/avg.).
• UC Davis: The Aggies begin the week at 7-15 overall. UC Davis, a Big West conference member, is paced by Kelly Zboralske (.328 avg., 22 H, 67 AB, 3 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 11 RBI, .612 SLG%), Amy Nunez (.313 avg., 20 H, 64 AB, 6 2B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, .500 SLG%) and Lauren Saunders (.264 avg., 14 H, 53 AB, 5 2B, 2 HR, .472 SLG%). UC Davis' primary pitchers are Andrea Reynolds (3.99 ERA, 2-4, 45.2 IP, 75 H, 26 ER, 12 BB, 16 SO, .355 b/avg.) and Dana Cruse (4.92 ERA, 3-4, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 48.1 IP, 65 H, 34 ER, 40 BB, 26 SO, .320 b/avg.).
• Portland State: The Vikings, a Big Sky Conference member, enter the week at 3-9 overall. They are led by Aubrey Nitschelm (.324 avg., 11 H, 34 AB, 2 2B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, .471 SLG%) and pitcher, Karyn Wright (5.80 ERA, 1-4, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 1 SV, 35.0 IP, 55 H, 29 ER, 14 BB, 14 SO, .350 b/avg.).

 
Catching-up with the Bison: The Bison begin the week with an overall mark of 10-6 after going 1-1 in the New Mexico Lobo Invitational last week. NDSU is led by Cheyenne Garcia (.378 avg., 17 H, 45 AB, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 13 RBI, .556 SLG%, 6-6 SB), Alex Sobrero (.386 avg., 17 H, 44 AB, 6 2B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, .591 SLG%), Logan Moreland (.327 avg., 17 H, 52 AB, 1 2B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, .404 SLG%, 4-6 SB), Amanda Grable (.286 avg., 12 H, 42 AB, 1 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, .452 SLG%, 3-3 SB) and Maritza Lopez-Portillo (.238 avg., 10 H, 42 AB, 3 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI, .524 SLG%). In the circle, the Bison's primary pitchers are Krista Menke (1.78 ERA, 7-2, 7 CG, 2 SHO, 1 SV, 63.0 IP, 50 H, 16 ER, 26 BB, 60 SO, .221 b/avg.) and Tabby Bayers (6.70 ERA, 2-3, 1 CG, 31.1 IP, 37 H, 30 ER, 20 BB, 30 SO, .294 b/avg.).
 
Balanced Production: Through 16 games, NDSU has seven players with at least seven RBI.
 
Power Hitters: The Bison have hit a combined 13 home runs in their first 16 games. Alex Sobrero, Cheyenne Garcia, Logan Moreland, Brandi Enriquez, Jenna Isbel and Dani Renner each have one long ball while Jenina Ortega and Amanda Grable have gone yard twice. Maritza Lopez-Portillo leads the team with three round-trippers. 
 
Base Stealers: NDSU has seven players who have stolen at least two bases through 16 games. Cheyenne Garcia leads the team, stealing a perfect 6-of-6 bases, while Logan Moreland is second with four successful attempts in six tries. Brandi Enriquez (3-3), Amanda Grable (3-3), Jenina Ortega (2-2), Alex Sobrero (2-4) and Jenna Isbel (2-2) round out the Bison with at least two stolen bases.
 
Bison in The Summit League Statistics
Relevant Team Statistics:

• Batting Average: 2nd (.305)
• Home Runs: 2nd (13 HR)
• RBI: 2nd (81)
• Stolen Bases: 2nd (25 SB)
• Slugging Percentage: 2nd (.460)
• Innings Pitched: 3rd (99.2 IP)
• Hits: 4th (94)
• Earned Runs: 6th (51)
• ERA: 5th (3.58)
• Strikeouts: 2nd (91)

Bison Tabbed First in Summit League Softball Preseason Poll
        Two-time defending regular season champion, North Dakota State was tabbed as the favorite to win the 2014 Summit League Softball Championship in a poll of the league's seven head coaches.
        The Bison tallied 33 total points and four first-place votes after winning their second-consecutive regular season title and third in the last six years.
        NDSU returns 13 players from last season's team that went 33-16 and 17-1 in league play, including first team all-league honoree Jenina Ortega and second team selections Brandi Enriquez, Amanda Grable and Cheyenne Garcia.
        Omaha was picked second and received one first-place vote. The Mavericks welcome back a quartet of all-league members, including the 2013 Summit League Freshman of the Year Campbell Ditto. Joining Ditto are Dana Elsasser, Amber Lutmer and Allie Matthewson.
        Fort Wayne, the 2013 Summit League Tournament champion, was tabbed third and collected two first-place votes. The Mastodons return four all-league performers in Alex Bousquet, Ashleigh Bousquet, Larissa Franklin and Miranda Kramer.
        South Dakota and Western Illinois tied for fourth while IUPUI and South Dakota State rounded out the poll at sixth and seventh.
 
Up Next
        NDSU will travel to Champaign, Ill., to play five games in the University of Illinois Tournament March 14-16.