SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University softball team opens its 2018 season in a two-day doubleheader matchup in St. Cloud, Minnesota. On Friday, February 2, the Yellow Jackets take on St. Cloud State with first pitch at 2 p.m. Saturday, February 3, they move on to play Upper Iowa University with first pitch set for 3 p.m.

St. Cloud State is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and are predicted to finish sixth overall. The Huskies went 32-23 overall and 15-11 in conference play last season. The 32 victories were the most in program history since 2008, while the 15 conference wins tied for the most in school history. SCSU earned a bid to the NSIC Tournament for the third time last season after rejoining the NSIC.

Maya Keating returns as an infielder for the Huskies. In her freshman campaign, Keating made 54 starts in 55 games played. She finished second on the team for walks (19) and stolen bases (18), third in runs scored (30), and fourth for batting average (.341).

In the circle, Kate Kopeck returns as a starting pitcher for St. Cloud State. Kopeck owned a 14-9 record with a 3.93 ERA. In 162 innings pitched, she tallied 113 strikeouts, 14 complete games, four shutouts, and a save. Kopeck earned Spring All-Academic honors and finished seventh in the conference for strikeouts, ninth in shutouts, and 10^th in wins and innings pitched.

Upper Iowa University is also a member of the NSIC and are projected to finish 12^th in the conference after finishing 19-33 overall and 11-19 in the conference last season.
Shannon Nix returns behind the plate for the Peacocks. She posted a .308 batting average with seven doubles and 12 RBI last year.

Sophomore Emily Kisch returns in the circle. As a freshman, Kisch made 31 appearances with 22 starts. She finished with an 8-15 record and a 3.62 ERA in 150.2 innings pitched. In the 150.2 innings, she struck out 61 batters.

Black Hills State enters the 2018 season predicted to finish in a tie with Fort Lewis College for 11^th. The Yellow Jackets finished 7-37 overall and 5-31 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference last season. The Green and Gold broke the program record for most runs scored in a game, defeating Adams State, 20-4, on Feb. 27.

BHSU returns three key players in Kindall Bethke, Katelyn Odle, and pitcher Alex Wiley. Bethke led the team in batting average (.328), hits (40), and RBI (16). She played in 43 of 44 games, with 43 starts, in her freshman debut as a Yellow Jacket. Odle played and started in all 44 games for BHSU. She finished third on the team with a .307 batting average, second with 11 RBI, and notched 35 hits.

Junior Alex Wiley returns in the circle for Black Hills State. Wiley made 28 appearances and captured a 5-17 record with a 4.44 ERA. She pitched 145.0 innings, making her second on the all-time list for individual season records. She pitched 17 complete games with two shutouts and struck out 73 batters.

"As a coaching staff, we are thrilled with the progress and work ethic shown over the past six months," said head coach Lane Leedy. "The culture, spirit, and production of practices has everyone chomping at the bit to get started. We really are excited to see what this looks like on a field."

Colorado Mesa is predicted to win the conference after taking the RMAC regular season title and claiming RMAC Tournament Champions last season with a 35-4 record in conference and a 48-8 overall record, as announced by the RMAC Coaches on Monday, January 29.

McKenzie Surface and teammate Brooke Hodgson of the Mavericks headline the Preseason Pitcher of the Year and Player of the Year honors.

Following the weekend, the Yellow Jackets will travel to the Music City Invitational in Nashville, Tenn. for a stint of four games in three days to wrap-up nonconference play. Starting on Friday, February 16, the Yellow Jackets will play Trevecca Nazarene University, followed by a doubleheader on Saturday against Davenport University and Ohio Dominican University, and finish with Missouri S&T on Sunday. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. on Friday, 9 a.m and 1 p.m. on Saturday, and 9 a.m. on Sunday, respectively. Black Hills State opens conference play at home hosting a pair of doubleheaders on February 24 and 25 against Adams State. First pitch is scheduled for noon and 11 a.m., respectively.