FARGO, N.D. - North Dakota State opens up the 2026 season with five games in Jacksonville, Florida at the River City Leadoff, co-hosted by Jacksonville University and the University of North Florida.
 
The Bison face Colgate and Jacksonville on Friday at the Debbie & Fred Pruitt Softball Complex. NDSU faces Colgate again, along with North Florida on Saturday at the UNF Softball Complex. The Bison close the weekend at North Florida a second time on Sunday.
 
This is the first-ever appearance at the River City Leadoff for NDSU.
 
River City Leadoff Coverage
All games of the River City Leadoff will include live statistics. Links to the stats will be available on the softball schedule page on gobison.com.
 
Season Openers/Opening Weekend
The Bison are 28-22 all-time in season openers, including a 12-9 mark in the Division I era. However, NDSU has lost two-straight season openers, falling to Furman in 2024 in Wilmington, N.C., and a to #17 Virginia Tech last year in Charleston, S.C.
 
The Bison won 8 of 9 season openers from 2007 to 2015 and have traded losses and wins in season openers in sets of two since, with wins in 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023.
 
NDSU is 100-124 all-time on season opening weekends and 50-51 on opening weekends since the move to Division I in 2005.
 
Florida Bound to Open the Year
The Bison start the season in Florida for just the second time in the Division I era. North Dakota State's last trip to Florida to open the year was the official start to the Division I era in 2005, going 2-3 at the UCF Tournament in Orlando.
 
NDSU makes their 17th overall trip to the state of Florida since making the first trip in 1996. The Sunshine State has been good to the Bison, holding a 124-40 record entering 2026. It is the first-ever trip to Jacksonville for the Herd.
 
Series History - Colgate
The Bison will meet Colgate for the fourth and fifth times in program history. NDSU has won all three previous meetings. The Bison defeated the Raiders 3-1 in DeLand, Florida in the first-ever meeting in March of 2017. NDSU claimed victories of 7-1 and 8-7 at two different tournaments in California in March of 2018.
 
Series History - Jacksonville
North Dakota State will meet Jacksonville for the first time on the softball diamond.
 
Series History - North Florida
NDSU will face North Florida for the third and fourth times in series history. The Bison and Ospreys have each won one game, splitting the two meetings that came at the College of Charleston Tournament in South Carolina in February of 2007. NDSU claimed a 6-1 victory over UNF in the first-ever meeting. A day later, North Florida won 6-5 in the second contest.
 
Spring on the Road, the Bison Way
Bison softball is scheduled to play the first 34 games of the season on the road. NDSU will travel to five different tournaments, along with several midweek games, non-conference trips to California Baptist and Alabama. The Bison also begin Summit League play on the road, with the first series at Omaha.
 
The non-conference swing includes two 11-day trips, with the first to Florida and then to Las Vegas and Southern California. The non-conference schedule also includes trips to Minneapolis and Boiling Springs, North Carolina.
 
Magic Numbers
In 2025, the magic number for the Bison was 6. NDSU was 11-2 (.846) when scoring at least six runs. Since 2021, the Bison are 57-8 (.877) when scoring at least six runs in a game. In the program's history, the Bison are 695-70-1 (.908) when hitting the six-run mark.
 
The undefeated line for the Bison is 13. NDSU is 76-0 all-time when scoring at least 13 runs in a game.
 
Bison Picked Sixth in Summit League
NDSU was picked sixth in the Summit League preseason poll, receiving 13 points. The Bison finished in sixth in 2025, going 6-12 in league play.
 
Omaha led the poll with 35 points and five-first-place votes, edging out St. Thomas, who had 32 and two first-place votes. South Dakota State (25) and South Dakota (20) were picked third and fourth. North Dakota was selected in fifth (16) and Kansas City was selected last (6) to round out the poll.
 
Dean, Reed Tabbed Summit League Players to Watch
Seniors Bella Dean and Piper Reed have been tabbed as Players to Watch by the Summit League ahead of the 2026 season.
 
Dean is the active leader in home runs for the Bison with 22 for her career and is coming off of an All-Summit League Tournament Team performance last season.
 
Reed is coming off of her first full season in the circle for the Bison after making 22 appearances and 15 starts last year, with five complete games, including a four-hit shutout over South Dakota.
 
Star, Dean All-League Returners
With several departures, the Bison have just two All-Summit League honorees returning. Star Cortez was named Honorable Mention in 2025. Bella Dean earned All-League Second Team in 2023.
 
Tough Outs
In 2025, the Bison led the Summit League in fewest strikeouts per plate appearance, striking out just 11.7 percent, or 3.32 times per game. The league average was 14.4 percent.
 
Zoe King led the Bison and the Summit League in Toughest to Strikeout Ratio, at one per 23.8 trips to the plate (4.2 pct), which also ranked 66th nationally. Bella Dean was second in the league and 150th nationally at one per 17.4 trips to the plate (5.7 pct).
 
Turning Two
North Dakota State ranked 19th nationally and second in the Summit League last season in Double Plays Turned per game at .50. The Bison turned two 25 times overall, which was 32nd most in Division I.
 
Swiping Bags
The Bison led the Summit League in stolen bases and stolen bases per game last season, swiping 43 bags and averaging .86 per contest.
 
Freshman Amai Hanta led the way for NDSU, recording a league-best 20 stolen bases and .43 per game, with both ranking in the top 100 nationally.
 
50+ Years of Bison Softball
North Dakota State completed the program's 50th season in 2025, after officially beginning in 1976. North Dakota State holds a career program record of 1280-977-2 (.567). The Bison are 639-475 (.574) in the Division I era.
 
North Dakota State claimed the Division II National Championship in 2000. The Bison have claimed 23 conference championships in program history. NDSU has 10 NCAA Division I Tournament Appearances, including a Super Regional in 2009.
 
Next Up
NDSU remains in Florida for the second half of an 11-day trip to start the season. The Bison start the week at Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Florida on Wednesday. NDSU then closes the week at the Hatter Classic in DeLand, Florida on February 12-14.