NDSU Returns to League Play and Tharaldson with SDSU Series

Saturday, April 13

Fargo, N.D.

12 p.m.

North Dakota State Athletics

South Dakota State

Photo by: Zachary Lucy

NDSU Returns to League Play and Tharaldson with SDSU Series

4/11/2024 3:08:00 PM | Softball

NDSU Notes

FARGO, N.D. - North Dakota State softball jumps back into Summit League play this weekend, and returns to Tharaldson Park, with a three-game series against South Dakota State. The Bison will open with a doubleheader against the Jackrabbits on Saturday, April 13, beginning at noon. The teams will close the series on Sunday at 11 a.m.

Game Coverage
All three games of the series between the Bison and Jackrabbits will be streamed live on The Summit League Network and will also include live statistics. A subscription to the Summit League Network will be needed to view the games. Links to the streams and stats will be available on the softball schedule page on gobison.com.

Tickets and Seating Information
All seating is general admission and tickets can be purchased at the gate on game day. Adult General Admission tickets are $10. Youth General Admission (3-17 yrs) tickets are $5. All youth tickets on Saturday will be $3. Gates will open at Tharaldson Park 60 minutes prior to game time. No pets or outside food or beverage are allowed in the complex.

Parking
Parking for softball all softball games at Tharaldson Park will be available in Lot NQ and along 17th Avenue, with overflow parking available in Lot RP.

Bison 1660
Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's single game will be broadcast live on Bison 1660, with the audio simulcast on the Summit league Network stream. Grant Hubbard will call the action from Tharladson Park.

The Series
North Dakota State holds a 76-57 record all time against South Dakota State, including a 44-19 record in the Division I era. However, the Bison have lost 11 straight to SDSU with four losses last season. Prior to COVID, which wiped out the 2020 league schedule, NDSU had gone 25-2 against the Jackrabbits from 2012 to 2019, including a span of 19-straight wins, the longest in the series for either team.

Buringa Approaching 150 Consecutive Starts
Senior Emilee Buringa made her 163rd start for the Bison last weekend and continues her run of consecutive games started, up to 145-straight games. Buringa has started every game for the Bison in the '22, '23 and now '24 seasons. Buringa has played in 174 career games for the Bison.

Home Runs Sparking Run for Woldruff
Junior outfielder Chloe Woldruff hit her first career home run in the series opener at Omaha, sparking one of the strongest runs of her career. Woldruff has reached base in nine-straight games, a new career best, and has a six-game hitting streak entering the series. Woldruff hit her second home run in the St. Thomas series and is hitting .385 over the last nine games with an ops of 1.083.

Dean Toward the Top of the League
With her seventh home run of the season and first in league action in the St. Thomas series, Bella Dean sits near the top of the Summit League in total home runs on the year in a tie for second. Last season, Dean led the league with nine home runs as a freshman, including seven in league play.

Buringa Leads League in Stolen Bases
Senior Emilee Buringa has 12 stolen bases so far this season, going 12-for-13 overall. Buringa's 12 stolen bases not only leads the Bison, but also leads the Summit League by one heading into the weekend. She swiped her 30th career bag in the series against St. Thomas.

Home Run Numbers Up from '23
The Bison have hit 25 home runs this season. Nine different Bison have at least one home run, with six Bison hitting multiple home runs this season. Last season, the Bison hit a total of 29 home runs, 13 in non-conference and 16 in league play. NDSU finished non-conference play with 20 home runs and have five in league play with four league series remaining.

Speedy Bison Swiping Bags
North Dakota State has been aggressive on the base paths over the opening two months of the season, stealing 38 bags after just 37 last season. NDSU's 38 stolen bases leads in the Summit League, while 38-for-46 (.826) overall is up considerably from a 37-for-53 (.698) campaign last year.