FARGO, N.D. - North Dakota State (25-19, 7-6 Summit League) softball is scheduled to hit the road for the final time in the regular season on Saturday and Sunday, as the Bison make the short trip north to Grand Forks to take on the University of North Dakota (13-34, 3-12 Summit League) with bragging rights on the line in a three-game Summit League series at Apollo Sports Complex.
 
TICKETS AND PARKING: All seating, while limited, is free and open to the public at Apollo Sports Complex. Parking is also free and available adjacent to the park with access off of S 25th Street.
 
COVERAGE: All three games will be streamed live and free on UND Insider. All games will also include live statistics. Links to the stream and stats will be available on the softball schedule page on gobison.com.
 
THE SERIES: North Dakota State will renew it's second-most played series in program history when the Bison take on North Dakota. The two programs have met 115 times on the softball diamond, dating back to a 15-0 win for the Bison in the first-ever meeting on April 15, 1977 in Grand Forks. The Bison hold the lead in the all-time series, entering the weekend with a 78-36-1 record against the Fighting Hawks.
 
Last season, the Bison took 3-of-5 from North Dakota, but the Fighting Hawks ended NDSU's season in the first round of the Summit League Championship. The Bison held a 30-game win streak over UND when the series stopped after the 2004 season as NDSU made the move to Division I. Since UND moved to D1 in 2015, NDSU holds a 6-4 record over the rivals to the north.
 
FACING UND IN GRAND FORKS: North Dakota State has been quite successful when playing UND in Grand Forks, holding a 26-11-1 record. The Bison will make the trip to Grand Forks looking to extend a 14-game win streak over the Fighting Hawks at their field, having not lost to North Dakota since the 1994 season.
 
The Bison win streak in Grand Forks started on April 23, 1996 with a doubleheader sweep 3-0 and 8-4. NDSU has outscored North Dakota 70-15 during the run, with UND scoring more than two runs just once in the 8-4 victory for NDSU and the Bison have pitched six shutouts.
 
LAST TIME VS North Dakota: No. 6 seed North Dakota rallied back from a 5-0 deficit to defeat No. 3 seed North Dakota State 6-5 in 10 innings in the opening round of the Summit League Softball Championship on Wednesday, May 12. UND worked a leadoff walk to start the 10th and later scored on a fielder's choice.
 
The Bison scored two in the first, two in the third and added a fifth run in the fourth before North Dakota responded. UND added two in the fifth and then tied the game in the sixth with three more runs.
 
NDSU's Paige Vargas pitched five innings of relief allowing just the one run on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts. Ciara Jensen had a big game at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a double, RBI and run scored. Avery Wysong also had a solo home run.
 
VARGAS MOVES INTO TOP 10 FOR ANOTHER CAREER CATEGORY: Pitcher Paige Vargas has moved into the top 10 in career appearances in the circle last week as she made appearance 92. Vargas has been cracking the top 10 in career numbers in several categories this season, including strikeouts for the Bison earlier this season. She currently sits 10th at 361, which is also sixth in D1 history, and is just three strikeouts from reaching Sara Bosch (1996-98) at 364 for ninth overall. Vargas is averaging 5.49 strikeouts per seven innings, which also ranks 10th in Bison history.
 
GIVE ME TWO: North Dakota State has recorded 86 doubles this season, which already ranks six in program history for doubles in a season after just 44 games, averaging 1.954 doubles per game. 86 doubles is also tied for second in the Div. 1 era for NDSU with the 2016 season, and only behind 97 doubles in 2015. The program record is 156 in 80 games in 1998, averaging 1.950 over the season. In comparison, Summit League teams Western Illinois (20), St. Thomas (30) and Kansas City (38) have a combined 88 doubles in 119 games between them.
 
NOTABLE NCAA AND SUMMIT LEAGUE RANKINGS: The Bison lead the Summit League in three major statistical categories offensively, including in doubles with 86 on the year, which is also second in the NCAA and just one off the national lead. NDSU's 1.954 doubles per game is tops in the NCAA. The Bison also lead the league in sacrifice flies with 14 on the year, which ranks 29th in the NCAA.
 
Overall, the Bison rank in the top three in the league in nearly every major offensive categories. NDSU is second in extra base hits (114), which is 47th nationally. NDSU is second in RBIs (222), runs per game (5.39), runs (237) and hits (336), which are 51st, 62nd, 64th and 65th nationally. They also rank second in the league and in the top 100 nationally in total bases (501) and walks (130).
 
Individually, Cameryn Maykut leads the Summit League and rank 38th nationally with 13 doubles. Avery Wysong and Dez Cardenas are second in the league with 12 doubles each. Maykut ranks 26th in the NCAA in RBIs (46) and 40th in RBIs per game (1.05), both of which also sit atop the league. Emilee Buringa and Molly Gates are second and third in the league with .91 and .87 runs per game.
 
In the circle, Paige Vargas leads the league in complete games with 16. The senior ranks second in innings pitched (139.0), second in WHIP (1.094), third in strikeouts (130), third in strikeouts per seven innings (6.547), third in walks per seven innings (1.964), third in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.333), and third in victories (13). Vargas also leads the Summit League in fewest home run allowed per seven innings (0.201) with just four allowed all season.
 
VICTORY MILESTONES: North Dakota State picked up victory No. 200 in league games in the Summit League era with the victory over Western Illinois two weeks ago. The Bison also picked up win No. 1200 in the program's history with a 3-2 win over Maryland at the Capital City Classic on March 18.
 
The Bison are also approaching another milestone victory in the 2022 season. NDSU is averaging over 34 wins a year in the Division I era, which could also see Bison head coach Darren Mueller reach the 700-win milestone. He entered 2022 at 670 and currently sits at 695.
 
SHUTOUTS: Paige Vargas and Mac Schulz teamed up for their second combined shutout of the season in the Bison's series opening win against Western Illinois. Vargas and Schulz have each contributed to shutouts  this season. In Georgia, Vargas tossed a five-inning shutout against UT Martin before Schulz went 5.2 innings and Vargas recorded the final four outs in the finale at Georgia Southern. It was the first combined shutout since 2019.
 
Schulz then tossed a five-inning shutout in a win over Portland State in Oregon. In the game against Virginia, Vargas tossed the fourth shutout of the season for NDSU and she picked up her third complete game shut of the season against Kansas City, as the senior struck out seven and allowed just three hits in a 1-0 victory in the home opener in Fargo. The Bison, who now have six shutouts on the season, had just three shutouts in all of 2021.
 
GOING GOING GONE: In the NDSU's win against Omaha in early April, the Bison hit three home runs in a game for the second time this season. Emilee Buringa hit her sixth home run of the season with a two-run shot in the first of back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning. Buringa was followed up by Molly Gates, who hit her first career home run. In the seventh, Reanna Rudd joined the home run party, as she also hit her sixth of the season.
 
Earlier this year, the Bison hit three against Utah State to close out the opening weekend. Buringa and Rudd also homered in that game. The first was a grand slam from senior Cameryn Maykut in the second inning. Then in the sixth, Rudd and Buringa each hit their first collegiate home run.
 
Prior to this season, the Bison last hit three home runs in a game on April 27, 2019 when NDSU had three against Omaha in Fargo.
 
MAYKUT IN NDSU TOP 10 FOR PUTOUTS: Senior Cameryn Maykut moved into the top 10 for career putouts against Kansas City. Maykut currently sits at 677, 10th all time for the Bison.
 
LIFE ON THE ROAD: In early April the Bison wrapped up a stretch of playing the first eight weekends on the road or at neutral sites to begin the 2022 season, including the first two Summit League weekends. North Dakota State played 37 games (originally scheduled to play 38) away from home, wrapping up with a visit to  Omaha. During the non-conference portion of the schedule, the Bison flew over 15,000 miles between the six weekend invitational events, playing in the pacific time zone three times, eastern time zone twice and mountain time zone once.
 
FANTASTIC FEBRUARY: The Bison had one of the best months of February in the program's 18 seasons in Division I, flipping the script from the 2021 campaign. NDSU was 10-4 this February after going 4-10 the season prior. The .714 win percentage was the fourth best in the D1 era, behind only the 2008 (.800), 2015 (.786) and 2007 (.750) seasons. It is NDSU's best February in the last seven seasons.
 
RUDD MATCHES SINGLE GAME HR RECORD: Reanna Rudd hit her second and third home runs of the season against Buffalo in New Mexico in back-to-back plate appearances. Rudd became the 18th different Bison to hit two homers in a game. It has been done 30 times overall by a Bison, including 21 times in the Division 1 era.
 
LICEA REACHES BASE 10-STRAIGHT PLATE APPEARANCES: Senior infielder Nicole Licea hit a new milestone in Albuquerque, as the Corona, California native reached base safely in 10-straight plate appearances over three games. Licea had five hits, four walks and a hit by pitch during the span. She also drove in two runs and scored four more as a result of reaching safely in 10-straight at bats.
 
BURINGA SNAGGED FIRST SUMMIT LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Emilee Buringa was named the Summit League Softball Player of the Week on February 21. Buringa hit .636 (7-for-11), with a home run, a double, seven RBIs, and five runs scored. Buringa is the only Bison to earn Summit League softball honors this season and the first Bison to earn player of the week honors since Maddie Hansen won on April 8, 2019.
 
GATES HIT TOP 5 WITH 14-GAME HIT STREAK: Gates recorded a 14-game hit streak to begin the season, which tied for the fifth longest hitting streak in NDSU's Division 1 era and the longest streak for an NDSU player to begin the season. The 14-game streak by the sophomore also tied the longest by a non-senior Bison, matching a 14-game streak by Logan Moreland as a junior in 2015.
 
BISON PICKED RUNNERS UP IN SUMMIT: North Dakota State was picked to finish in a tie as the runners up in The Summit League in 2022 in a preseason poll of the league's eight head coaches. The Bison have won two of the last three regular season crowns and six of the last seven league tournament titles. NDSU had one first-place vote and finished tied for second on 38 points with Kansas City. South Dakota State was a unanimous first-place selection. Omaha, South Dakota, North Dakota, Western Illinois and St. Thomas rounded out the poll.
 
PLAYERS TO WATCH: North Dakota State junior right-handed pitcher Lainey Lyle and senior catcher Avery Wysong were among the Summit League preseason players to watch. Lyle, a 2021 All-Summit League Second Team selection, made 14 appearances last season with a 3.18 ERA. The Middleton, Idaho native tossed a no hitter against South Dakota and recorded six wins in 19.1 innings pitched. Wysong, also a 2021 All-Summit League Second Team selection, started 39 games last year, hitting .278 with a team high eight doubles and eight home runs. She also led the Bison with 27 RBIs.
 
WHO'S BACK: North Dakota State returns 14 of 21 players from last season, including eight of the 12 regular starters from a squad that finished third in the Summit League regular season. The Bison return four of their top seven bats from last season, including sophomore Emilee Buringa, who led the team with a .348 batting average. Senior Avery Wysong, who led the Bison in doubles, home runs, RBIs, and slugging percentage, also returns and provides consistency behind the plate for an experienced pitching staff that includes the return of Lainey Lyle (3.18 era, 79.1 IP) and Paige Vargas (3.84 era, 100.1 IP), who have run the circle a majority of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
 
GRABLE, KOEHN JOIN STAFF: North Dakota State added two new staff members heading into this season with Kayti Grable joining the staff as an assistant coach and former Bison Sam Koehn as a graduate assistant. Grable joins the Bison after her most recent stop as an assistant coach with Valparaiso, where she spent three seasons. Koehn remains in Fargo and joins the staff after wrapping up her three-year career with the Bison, starting 122 of 123 games played at third base.
 
NEW FACES: NDSU welcomed four new comers to the team this season, including three true freshman and a transfer. Carley Goetschius, originally from Sioux Falls, S.D., transferred to the Bison from Northern Illinois. Goetschius played three seasons with NIU and enters 2022 with a .282 career batting average with seven doubles and nine home runs. Faith Daehlin, from Lakeville, Minn., and Chloe Woldruff, from Lispon, Iowa, join the Bison as freshman and will contribute in the field and at the plate. Savy Williams, from McKinney, Texas, is the final freshman and joins the pitching staff.
 
SERIES SWEEPS: Since beginning Summit League play in 2008, NDSU has swept 40 three-game series including a sweep of Western Illinois this season in Omaha. The Bison have 13 sweeps at home and 27 away from Fargo. The Bison have been swept only three times in league play with all three coming on the road against Purdue Fort Wayne (2010), Kansas City (2011) and South Dakota State (four games, 2021).
 
GRAND SLAMS: The Bison have hit 14 grand slams in the Division I era, including two this season. The first came by Cameryn Maykut against Utah State. The second came by Carely Goetschius against Western Illinois. Fellow current Bison Avery Wysong hit a grand slam last season at Kansas City. Former Bison Melissa Chmielewski holds the lead for NDSU with four grand slams from 2007-10. Maritza Lopez-Portillo and Vanessa Anderson are the only other Bison with multiple grand slams in their career. NDSU has just one grand slam at home, Alyssa Reina against Fort Wayne on April 9, 2016. The Bison have three on the road and nine in neutral site games.
 
WIN STREAKS: The Bison have strung together win streaks of at least five games on 37 occasions since beginning Division I play in 2005, including three times this season. North Dakota State had a 20-game win streak during the 2019 season that stands as the program's division I era record. NDSU has reached 10-game win streaks six times (2007, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019), with the streaks in 2013 (15 games) and 2019 being the longest. Over the program's history, the Bison have eight win streaks of at least 15 games and four that reached 20, including the program record of 27 wins in April of 2000 when the Bison went on to claim the NCAA DII National Championship.
 
EXTRA INNINGS: NDSU is 1-3 in extra innings this season and the Bison have a 42-34 record in extras since beginning Division I play in 2005, including three 12-inning games against Colorado State in 2006 (W, 3-2); Kansas City in 2012 (L, 4-6) and Georgia Tech in 2017 (W, 8-6). The Bison are 7-2 in games that go at least 11 innings in the Division I era.
 
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE: North Dakota State historically plays The Summit League's toughest non-conference schedule in preparation for league play. The Bison have another tough schedule lined up in 2022 that includes six tournaments, two hosted by Power 5 programs, and seven games against NCAA Tournament teams from last season.
 
NATIONALLY RANKED OPPONENTS: North Dakota State beat at least one nationally ranked opponent in seven straight seasons from 2012 to 2018 with the most recent Top 25 victory coming in 2018 over 10th-ranked LSU by a 1-0 score in nine innings. That is one of five Bison wins over Top 10 opponents including a 2-1 victory at No. 2 Alabama in 2016, the highest-ranked opponent NDSU has beaten. NDSU's first win over a nationally ranked Division I program came in 2009 with an 11-inning 1-0 victory at No. 9/10 Oklahoma en route to the NCAA regional championship.
 
NO-HITTERS: North Dakota State pitchers have thrown 31 no-hitters including 14 against Division I opponents with Lainey Lyle's April 10 no-no last season being the first since 2019 when KK Leddy blanked South Dakota State 5-0. There have been eight perfect games by NDSU pitchers with the last one in 2015 by Krista Menke at Purdue Fort Wayne. There have been six no-hitters pitched against NDSU in Division I play since 2005. Illinois State's Morgan Day struck out 16 and walked one in the last no-hitter against North Dakota State in the championship game of the Middle Tennessee State University Invitational on March 14, 2021.
 
FIELD OF THE YEAR: Tharaldson Park, the on-campus home softball stadium for North Dakota State, was named the NCAA Division I winner of the 2020 Netting Professionals NFCA Field of the Year award, which recognizes the top fields/stadiums in the nation for their flawless grounds maintenance and exceptional playing surfaces. Tharaldson Park was dedicated in 2018 after a $2 million renovation including installation of a FieldTurf playing surface and seating for 735 spectators.
 
TOURNEY TOWN: North Dakota State has hosted the Summit League softball tournament nine times since becoming eligible for the NCAA Division I postseason in 2009. Western Illinois (2009, 2011) and Kansas City (2012) are the only other teams to have hosted the tournament over those 12 seasons. NDSU has won seven of the nine tournaments held in Fargo. Fort Wayne in 2013 and South Dakota State in 2021 are the only teams to have won the tournament in Fargo.
 
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY: North Dakota State has advanced to NCAA regional play 10 of the past 12 seasons as the Summit League tournament champion. NDSU qualified for its first NCAA Division I tournament in 2009, the school's first year of Division I postseason eligibility, and the Bison swept through the Norman Regional that year to advance to Super Regional play at Arizona State. NDSU made seven NCAA Division II postseason appearances from 1998-2004 including a national championship in 2000.