FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State softball will wrap up a 34-game road swing to begin the season, as well as non-conference play, with a trip to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to take on No. 6 Alabama in a two-game series Friday and Saturday.
The Bison will open up the weekend at Rhoads Stadium with a 6 p.m. first pitch against Alabama on Friday, March 27. NDSU will then close the short trip on Saturday, March 28, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
Game Coverage
Both games between the Bison and Crimson Tide will be streamed live on SEC Network Plus. A subscription to SEC Network Plus, located within ESPN Plus, will be needed to view the games.
All games will also include live statistics. Game coverage links are available on the softball schedule page on gobison.com.
Series History
NDSU has met Alabama five times in series history, with NDSU holding a 1-4 record all-time against the Crimson Tide. All five meetings came in a span from 2012-16, with four games in early season tournaments at Rhodes Stadium in Tuscaloosa in 2012 and 2016 and one meeting in Cedar Falls, Iowa at the Ramada Inn UNI-Dome Classic in 2013.
The Bison won the last meeting between the two teams, upsetting then No. 2 Alabama 2-1 on March 5, 2016 in the Easton Crimson Classic. All five previous times that NDSU has faced Alabama, the Crimson Tide were ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in the NFCA Coaches Poll.
NDSU Against Ranked Opposition
Since moving to Division I in 2005, North Dakota State has played 114 games against Top 25 ranked programs in the NFCA Coaches Poll. The games vs. Alabama are the only ranked games currently on the schedule this season.
NDSU has 12 wins against ranked opponents, and five against the top 10. NDSU's win over No. 2 Alabama in 2016 is the highest ranked win for the Bison. The last ranked win for the Bison came on March 24, 2018, when the Bison defeated No. 10 LSU 1-0 in nine innings in Baton Rouge, La.
Spring on the Road, the Bison Way
NDSU is set to conclude a stretch of the first 34 games of the season on the road. The Bison traveled to five tournaments, along with midweek games, a non-conference trip at California Baptist and the first Summit League series at Omaha. NDSU concludes the run this week in Alabama. The non-conference swing included 11-day trips to Florida and then to Las Vegas and California and also included non-conference trips to Minneapolis and Boiling Springs, North Carolina.
When The Lights Come On
NDSU is 5-1 this season in night games, outscoring the opposition 33-20.
In the circle,
Jocelyn McClary has made five appearances in night games, including three starts. The freshman has posted a 4-0 record with a 1.22 era. McClary has recorded two shutouts with a win at North Florida, who has received votes in the national polls all year, along with a win at California Baptist, who also ranks in the Top 100 of the RPI.
In six games,
Star Cortez is hitting .500, going 10-for-20 at the plate with a pair of doubles. She also has four walks, posting a .583 on-base percentage. Cortez has two RBI and four runs scored. In the field, she has recorded 12 putouts and one outfield assist. She also robbed a home run at Long Beach State in one of the plays of the season so far for the Bison.
Star is Shining Bright
Junior
Star Cortez has started every game in center field over the last two seasons, including earning all-league honors in 2025. Her starting streak has reach 82-consecutive games.
Cortez picked up in 2026 right where she left off, leading NDSU at the plate. Cortez enters the weekend hitting a team-best .394 with a team high 20 walks, posting a .team high 492 on base percentage. Her 20 walks are already a career best for a single season. She also leads the Bison with 26 runs, another career high, and has nine stolen bases on the campaign.
At UC Riverside, Cortez hit her first career home run. She has also added two triples and three doubles, which tie career high marks. Cortez has recorded five assists and also has 66 putouts. Cortez has 13 career outfield assists including 10 since becoming the every-game starter in center field.
Wihlm Growing Into Key Role In Circle
Entering the season,
Madison Wihlm had tossed 68 innings in the circle over two seasons. The junior surpassed that mark in Omaha, reaching 71 innings pitched this season. Wihlm has become a steady arm for NDSU, posting six wins already in 2026, entering the year with three. Her 3.94 era is also on pace to be a career best.
She has also been key in relief in clutch situations. Wihlm has yet to allow an inherited runner to score, stranding all 12 she has entered with.
Nieto Cementing Place in Left Field
In her first season as an every-game starter in left field,
Lileigh Nieto has grown into a consistent producer at the plate and stability in the field. The sophomore has started all 32 games and is hitting .330 on the season, with 33 hits, seven doubles and one home run.
The Billings, Montana native has driven in 13 runs and also scored 21. She also has 15 walks on the season, for a .417 on base percentage. On the bases, she has five stolen bases. In the field, Nieto has 51 putouts and no errors.
In spot starts and limited appearances as a freshman, Nieto had just seven hits, one double, five RBI and five runs scored, finishing the year with a .152 average and a .939 fielding percentage.
Rounding the Bases
The Bison have 20 home runs this season after having just 13 home runs in all of 2025.
Bella Dean leads NDSU with six home runs, with
Mya Boos and
Zoe King also having multiple home runs.
Five Bison have hit their first career home runs this season, including Boos,
Star Cortez,
Macy Fry,
Lileigh Nieto and
Morgan Zimmerman.
At Omaha,
Jessica Delatorre and
Savannah Henzler hit their first home runs of the season, bringing the total to 11 different Bison with homers on the year.
Throwing Out Runners
Jessica Delatorre threw out three base runners at Bethune-Cookman, the most by a Bison since Alyssa Reina caught four at DePaul on March 18, 2015. Despite splitting time behind the plate, she has thrown out seven this year after two as a freshman.
Bison Streaks
Senior
Bella Dean and junior
Taylinn Warren saw hit streaks reach double digits earlier this season with Dean reaching a career high 10 games, and a few days later, Warren reaching a career high 11 games. They were the 34th and 35th times a Bison reached double digit hitting steaks.
Star Cortez also had a 22-game reached base streak this season, the longest for NDSU since 2016 when Alyssa Reina (29), Logan Moreland (26) and Jackie Stifter (22) all reached 22.
Doubling Down
NDSU has 52 doubles already this season after just 44 doubles in all of 2025. All 13 Bison to have a hit this season have at least one double, with
Bella Dean leading with 12, which is 17th nationally and first in the Summit League.
Swiping Bags
NDSU leads the Summit League in stolen bases (41) and stolen bases per game (1.28). The Bison led the Summit League in both last season, swiping 43 bags and averaging .86 per contest.
Last Week
North Dakota State opened up Summit League play with a series defeat to the defending co-regular season and tournament champions at Omaha. The Bison were shutout in game one and two of the series, falling 8-0 and 2-0. In the third game, the Bison hit two home runs and scored seven runs of offense, but fell 17-7.
Next Up
The Bison jump back into league play and open up the home schedule, welcoming in the defending co-regular season champions St. Thomas for a three-game series at Tharaldson Park. With the series falling on Easter Weekend, the dates are pushed up to a Thursday-Saturday series.
