Wednesday, May 6
Jane Sage Cowles Stadium | Minneapolis, Minn.
4 p.m.
North Dakota State Athletics
vs
South Dakota State
Photo by: Zachary Lucy
NDSU Softball Heads to Summit League Championship
5/5/2026 6:09:00 PM | Softball
FARGO, N.D. - North Dakota State softball travels to Minneapolis, Minnesota for the Summit League Championships, hosted at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium May 6-9.
NDSU will open up the championships on Wednesday as the No. 3 seed, taking on No. 6 seed South Dakota State in the first round, with first pitch against the Jackrabbits set for 4 p.m.
Seeds 3-6 begin the tournament on Wednesday with a single-elimination play-in game to reach Thursday, when the double elimination portion begins.
Game Coverage
All games of the Summit League Championships will be streamed live on The Summit League Network. A subscription to the Summit League Network, which can be accessed on the Midco Sports Plus App, is needed to view all games. All games will also include live statistics. Game coverage links are available on the softball schedule page on gobison.com.
Championship History
Including 2026, North Dakota State has played in all 17 Summit League Tournaments since becoming eligible for the tournament in 2009. The Bison have compiled a 40-14 record in 14 tournament appearances. NDSU has served as host for the postseason tournament eight times.
The Bison have won 10 Summit League tournament championships earning the automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA tournament. NDSU's last tournament title came in Fargo in 2019, winning three straight out of the loser's bracket, lifting the trophy after a 3-1 win over South Dakota.
Eight Bison Earn Summit League Honors
North Dakota State had eight Bison earn All-Summit League accolades on Tuesday, including three first-team selections. Star Cortez (OF), Bella Dean (INF) and Jessica Delatorre (C) were all named to the first team for the first time in their careers. Amai Hanta (DP/UTL) and Jocelyn McClary (P) were named to the second team, with Zoe King (INF) Lileigh Nieto (OF) and Taylinn Warren (INF) receiving honorable mention accolades.
Eight selections is tied for the second most in program history. Three first-team selections are the most since 2019.
Boos Named Final Peak Performer of the Week
Mya Boos grabbed the final Summit League Peak Performer of the Week after she homered in each game of the series with South Dakota State. Boos hit four home runs in total, including a pair of grand slams, and two home runs in the same inning.
For the series, Boos was 5-for-10, with 11 RBI, six runs, a 1.700 slugging percentage and 2.200 ops. It is the first Summit League Peak Performer honor for Boos in her career and eighth Summit League Peak Performer/Pitcher accolade of the season for NDSU.
NDSU Ties Program Record for Runs in Series
The Bison outscored South Dakota State 41-18 in a series sweep to close the regular season. NDSU's 41 runs is the most in a series this season, surpassing 35 runs in a series sweep at South Dakota. It also tied the most for NDSU in a league series, equaling 41 in a sweep of Fort Wayne in April of 2015.
Boos Powers Way to New Bison First
Mya Boos entered new territory in the regular season finale, becoming the first Bison in 51 years of NDSU Softball to hit two home runs in the same inning. Of the 36 multi-home run games in program history, none had been done in the same inning.
In the first inning, Boos hit a two-run home run in her first at bat to give the Bison a 4-0 lead. After NDSU batted around in the inning, Boos came up with the bases loaded and smashed a grand slam to make it 13-0 and cap the inning.
A Baker's Dozen to Set Runs in Inning Record
In Saturday's win over SDSU, the Bison set a new program record with 13 runs in an inning. The inning, which included 12 runs with two outs, passed the previous record of 12 in the third inning of an 18-4 win over Nicholls State on February 22, 2014.
Bison Racking Up Peak Performer/Pitcher Honors
NDSU has earned eight Summit League Peak Performer/Peak Pitcher accolades this season, the most since the Bison won 11 in 2016. Freshman Jocelyn McClary has won the Peak Pitcher honor three times, while Madison Wihlm has one. In the Peak Performer category, Bella Dean has scooped up two honors, with Jessica Delatorre and Mya Boos also winning one each. NDSU has swept the weekly honor twice this season.
Star Set to Hit Century Mark In Tournament Opener
Junior Star Cortez is set to make her 100th consecutive start for the Bison in Wednesday's Summit League Championship opener. Cortez has started every game over the last two seasons, including 50 last year and 49 this season, with all 99 coming in centerfield.
The last Bison to make 100 consecutive starts was Emilee Buringa in 2023, who also did it as a centerfielder for NDSU.
Dean Closing in On 40/40 Multi Club
Entering the Summit League Championships, Bella Dean is sitting on 39 career multi-hit games and 40 multi-RBI games.
Dean has 30 career two-hit games, eight three-hit performances and one four-hit performance that came against Kansas City this season. The senior has 21 career two-RBI games, along with 12 three-RBI games, six games with four RBIs and one five RBI game, which also came vs. Kansas City.
In the Career Charts
Bella Dean moved into the top 10 in career home runs and RBIs for the Bison this season. Dean has 29 home runs, passing Logan Moreland (28) and moving into a tie with Alyssa Reina (29) for eighth. Cheyenne Garcia is in seventh with 30. Dean is also eighth in RBI with 146, surpassing Jess Christensen (135), Kelly Cantrell (142) and Sarah Schmitz (145). Nikki Almquist (153) sits in seventh.
Amai Hanta also ranks in the top 10 for the Bison in career triples with eight, including four already this season. The sophomore sits in a tie for 10th with Sarah Schmitz and Mindy Zorn. Hanta is just one triple shy of tying the NDSU Division I era record of nine, held by Cheyenne Garcia.
Rounding the Bases
Heading into the postseason, the Bison have 32 home runs, well surpassed 13 home runs in 2025.
Mya Boos took over the lead in home runs after hitting four against SDSU. She paces the Bison with nine on the year, including three grand slams. Bella Dean is second for NDSU with seven home runs, including a walk off grand slam against Kansas City. Jessica Delatorre, who added two home runs against South Dakota State, has six in the season, while Amai Hanta and Zoe King also have two each.
Five Bison have hit their first career home runs this season, including Boos, Star Cortez, Macy Fry, Lileigh Nieto and Morgan Zimmerman. In total, 11 of the 13 Bison to record a hit this season have also hit a home run on the year.
Bison Seeing Double
The Bison have 74 doubles this season, over 60 percent more than last year's 44 doubles. All 13 Bison to record a hit this season have at least one double. Bella Dean leads the way for the Bison with 15, which is 73rd nationally and second in the Summit League. Lileigh Nieto is also in double figures with 11.
Turning Two
Once again, the Bison sit near the top of the league in double plays turned. Defensively, the Bison have turned 23 double plays, second in the league. The .47 per game average also ranks second in the league and is 37th nationally. NDSU finished second in the Summit League last season with 25 double plays turned.
Swiping Bags
The Bison continue to lead the Summit League in stolen bases, repeating as the top team in the league this season with 71, averaging 1.45 per game. NDSU also leads the league in Summit League play with 33 stolen bases in 34 attempts.
The Bison have successfully stolen 48 of the last 50 overall and are 71 of 79 (.899) overall this season. NDSU's stolen base numbers are considerably higher than in 2025, when NDSU led the league in both categories, swiping 43 bags, averaging .86 per game.
Cortez Matches Outfield Assists Record
Star Cortez tied the NDSU single season outfield assist record against Kansas City, recording her eighth of the season to match Erin Troup from 2007. Cortez also moved into third on the career with 13. Troup owns the Division I era record with 16. With eight from Cortez, along with four from Lileigh Nieto and two from Ella Claus, the Bison have 14 outfield assists this season, tying the single season team record of 14 in 2007 and 2025.
Bison Set Record for Runs in Summit League Game
NDSU's 21 runs in game two of the Summit League series sweep at South Dakota in April is the most all-time for the Bison in Summit League play and the second most in the Division I era. 21 runs is also the most in any Summit League game since April of 2022.
Bison Streaks
Amai Hanta enters the tournament on a 15-game reached base streak, the longest of her career. The streak included a career long nine game hit streak.
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.
Last Week
North Dakota State wrapped up the regular season with a three-game series sweep of South Dakota State at home, including a 15-2 win in the finale at Tharaldson Park on senior day. NDSU combined for 41 runs, including offensive outputs of 13, 13 and 15 runs scored, tied for the most by the Bison in a Summit League series all time.
The Bison had six home runs in the series, the most in a weekend all season. NDSU also set weekly bests for batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, hits and RBIs
Next Up
With the Summit League Championship on tap this weekend, the winner of the tournament in Minneapolis will earn the Summit League's automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.
The 2026 NCAA DI Softball Championship selection show will air at 6 p.m. CT on Sunday, May 10 on ESPN2, when the 64-team bracket will be revealed.
NDSU will open up the championships on Wednesday as the No. 3 seed, taking on No. 6 seed South Dakota State in the first round, with first pitch against the Jackrabbits set for 4 p.m.
Seeds 3-6 begin the tournament on Wednesday with a single-elimination play-in game to reach Thursday, when the double elimination portion begins.
Game Coverage
All games of the Summit League Championships will be streamed live on The Summit League Network. A subscription to the Summit League Network, which can be accessed on the Midco Sports Plus App, is needed to view all games. All games will also include live statistics. Game coverage links are available on the softball schedule page on gobison.com.
Championship History
Including 2026, North Dakota State has played in all 17 Summit League Tournaments since becoming eligible for the tournament in 2009. The Bison have compiled a 40-14 record in 14 tournament appearances. NDSU has served as host for the postseason tournament eight times.
The Bison have won 10 Summit League tournament championships earning the automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA tournament. NDSU's last tournament title came in Fargo in 2019, winning three straight out of the loser's bracket, lifting the trophy after a 3-1 win over South Dakota.
Eight Bison Earn Summit League Honors
North Dakota State had eight Bison earn All-Summit League accolades on Tuesday, including three first-team selections. Star Cortez (OF), Bella Dean (INF) and Jessica Delatorre (C) were all named to the first team for the first time in their careers. Amai Hanta (DP/UTL) and Jocelyn McClary (P) were named to the second team, with Zoe King (INF) Lileigh Nieto (OF) and Taylinn Warren (INF) receiving honorable mention accolades.
Eight selections is tied for the second most in program history. Three first-team selections are the most since 2019.
Boos Named Final Peak Performer of the Week
Mya Boos grabbed the final Summit League Peak Performer of the Week after she homered in each game of the series with South Dakota State. Boos hit four home runs in total, including a pair of grand slams, and two home runs in the same inning.
For the series, Boos was 5-for-10, with 11 RBI, six runs, a 1.700 slugging percentage and 2.200 ops. It is the first Summit League Peak Performer honor for Boos in her career and eighth Summit League Peak Performer/Pitcher accolade of the season for NDSU.
NDSU Ties Program Record for Runs in Series
The Bison outscored South Dakota State 41-18 in a series sweep to close the regular season. NDSU's 41 runs is the most in a series this season, surpassing 35 runs in a series sweep at South Dakota. It also tied the most for NDSU in a league series, equaling 41 in a sweep of Fort Wayne in April of 2015.
Boos Powers Way to New Bison First
Mya Boos entered new territory in the regular season finale, becoming the first Bison in 51 years of NDSU Softball to hit two home runs in the same inning. Of the 36 multi-home run games in program history, none had been done in the same inning.
In the first inning, Boos hit a two-run home run in her first at bat to give the Bison a 4-0 lead. After NDSU batted around in the inning, Boos came up with the bases loaded and smashed a grand slam to make it 13-0 and cap the inning.
A Baker's Dozen to Set Runs in Inning Record
In Saturday's win over SDSU, the Bison set a new program record with 13 runs in an inning. The inning, which included 12 runs with two outs, passed the previous record of 12 in the third inning of an 18-4 win over Nicholls State on February 22, 2014.
Bison Racking Up Peak Performer/Pitcher Honors
NDSU has earned eight Summit League Peak Performer/Peak Pitcher accolades this season, the most since the Bison won 11 in 2016. Freshman Jocelyn McClary has won the Peak Pitcher honor three times, while Madison Wihlm has one. In the Peak Performer category, Bella Dean has scooped up two honors, with Jessica Delatorre and Mya Boos also winning one each. NDSU has swept the weekly honor twice this season.
Star Set to Hit Century Mark In Tournament Opener
Junior Star Cortez is set to make her 100th consecutive start for the Bison in Wednesday's Summit League Championship opener. Cortez has started every game over the last two seasons, including 50 last year and 49 this season, with all 99 coming in centerfield.
The last Bison to make 100 consecutive starts was Emilee Buringa in 2023, who also did it as a centerfielder for NDSU.
Dean Closing in On 40/40 Multi Club
Entering the Summit League Championships, Bella Dean is sitting on 39 career multi-hit games and 40 multi-RBI games.
Dean has 30 career two-hit games, eight three-hit performances and one four-hit performance that came against Kansas City this season. The senior has 21 career two-RBI games, along with 12 three-RBI games, six games with four RBIs and one five RBI game, which also came vs. Kansas City.
In the Career Charts
Bella Dean moved into the top 10 in career home runs and RBIs for the Bison this season. Dean has 29 home runs, passing Logan Moreland (28) and moving into a tie with Alyssa Reina (29) for eighth. Cheyenne Garcia is in seventh with 30. Dean is also eighth in RBI with 146, surpassing Jess Christensen (135), Kelly Cantrell (142) and Sarah Schmitz (145). Nikki Almquist (153) sits in seventh.
Amai Hanta also ranks in the top 10 for the Bison in career triples with eight, including four already this season. The sophomore sits in a tie for 10th with Sarah Schmitz and Mindy Zorn. Hanta is just one triple shy of tying the NDSU Division I era record of nine, held by Cheyenne Garcia.
Rounding the Bases
Heading into the postseason, the Bison have 32 home runs, well surpassed 13 home runs in 2025.
Mya Boos took over the lead in home runs after hitting four against SDSU. She paces the Bison with nine on the year, including three grand slams. Bella Dean is second for NDSU with seven home runs, including a walk off grand slam against Kansas City. Jessica Delatorre, who added two home runs against South Dakota State, has six in the season, while Amai Hanta and Zoe King also have two each.
Five Bison have hit their first career home runs this season, including Boos, Star Cortez, Macy Fry, Lileigh Nieto and Morgan Zimmerman. In total, 11 of the 13 Bison to record a hit this season have also hit a home run on the year.
Bison Seeing Double
The Bison have 74 doubles this season, over 60 percent more than last year's 44 doubles. All 13 Bison to record a hit this season have at least one double. Bella Dean leads the way for the Bison with 15, which is 73rd nationally and second in the Summit League. Lileigh Nieto is also in double figures with 11.
Turning Two
Once again, the Bison sit near the top of the league in double plays turned. Defensively, the Bison have turned 23 double plays, second in the league. The .47 per game average also ranks second in the league and is 37th nationally. NDSU finished second in the Summit League last season with 25 double plays turned.
Swiping Bags
The Bison continue to lead the Summit League in stolen bases, repeating as the top team in the league this season with 71, averaging 1.45 per game. NDSU also leads the league in Summit League play with 33 stolen bases in 34 attempts.
The Bison have successfully stolen 48 of the last 50 overall and are 71 of 79 (.899) overall this season. NDSU's stolen base numbers are considerably higher than in 2025, when NDSU led the league in both categories, swiping 43 bags, averaging .86 per game.
Cortez Matches Outfield Assists Record
Star Cortez tied the NDSU single season outfield assist record against Kansas City, recording her eighth of the season to match Erin Troup from 2007. Cortez also moved into third on the career with 13. Troup owns the Division I era record with 16. With eight from Cortez, along with four from Lileigh Nieto and two from Ella Claus, the Bison have 14 outfield assists this season, tying the single season team record of 14 in 2007 and 2025.
Bison Set Record for Runs in Summit League Game
NDSU's 21 runs in game two of the Summit League series sweep at South Dakota in April is the most all-time for the Bison in Summit League play and the second most in the Division I era. 21 runs is also the most in any Summit League game since April of 2022.
Bison Streaks
Amai Hanta enters the tournament on a 15-game reached base streak, the longest of her career. The streak included a career long nine game hit streak.
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.
Last Week
North Dakota State wrapped up the regular season with a three-game series sweep of South Dakota State at home, including a 15-2 win in the finale at Tharaldson Park on senior day. NDSU combined for 41 runs, including offensive outputs of 13, 13 and 15 runs scored, tied for the most by the Bison in a Summit League series all time.
The Bison had six home runs in the series, the most in a weekend all season. NDSU also set weekly bests for batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, hits and RBIs
Next Up
With the Summit League Championship on tap this weekend, the winner of the tournament in Minneapolis will earn the Summit League's automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.
The 2026 NCAA DI Softball Championship selection show will air at 6 p.m. CT on Sunday, May 10 on ESPN2, when the 64-team bracket will be revealed.
Players Mentioned
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INF
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C
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P/OF
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INF
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