SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University softball team (12-19, 11-15 RMAC) returns to Yellow Jacket Field this weekend for a four-game Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) series with the Fort Lewis Skyhawks (10-27, 8-20 RMAC) on Saturday and Sunday, April 13-14. With the success already seen on the home diamond this season, Black Hills State could set a number of program records with a couple wins this weekend.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Black Hills State (12-23, 11-19 RMAC) vs. Fort Lewis (10-27, 8-20 RMAC)
Date: Saturday-Sunday, April 13-14
Time: 12:00 PM (MT) (DH) // 11:00 AM (MT) (DH)
Location: Spearfish, S.D. (Yellow Jacket Field)
Watch: rmacnetwork.com // Live Stats: bhsuathletics.com
 
AROUND THE HORN

• BHSU returns to the home diamond this weekend for a four-game set with the Fort Lewis Skyhawks, as Mother Nature is cooking up a pair of beautiful mid-70s days.
• Black Hills State holds a 9-3 record on the home field this season.
• The Yellow Jackets have hit multiple home runs now in three-straight series.
• Five doubles as a team will set an all-time single-season record for most doubles in one season.
• Ashlynn Pauwels needs just two doubles to set a new single-season program record for an individual.
• Four Yellow Jackets have posted 30+ hits this season, as 44 hits will crack the program's single-season top-10 list.
• Lily Simmons brings an 11-game on-base streak back to Yellow Jacket Field this weekend, which is the longest on-base streak for BH this season.
• BHSU continues to sit third in the RMAC in stolen bases with 50 as a team; led by Tyler Whitlock's 14.
• Shayla Tuschen continues to lead the team with her 51 strike outs.  
• Alyssa Wong leads the team with her 10 multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games; with her and Pauwels tied for the team lead with eight multi-RBI games each.

STILL CHASING PROGRAM RECORDS

• Black Hills State hunts for a new NCAA Division II era for wins in a season, the record being 13 back in 2022.
• The all-time program record for wins in a season is 17 in 2009 when the Jackets finished with a 17-16 record, the only winning season in program history.
• The 12 wins already this season is just the fourth season in the Division II era the Yellow Jackets have posted double-digit wins.
• The most wins in RMAC play in program history is 11, done back in 2022 – which was tied against Colorado Mines.
• One win this weekend will also set a single-season program record for most wins at Yellow Jacket Field.

THE JACKETS WHEN…

• When scoring 6-9 runs in a game, BH is 5-4 this year & 4-0 when scoring 10+ runs.
• When holding opponents to 0-2 runs, BHSU is a perfect 8-0.
• Out-hitting opponent tends to lead to victories, sitting 8-1 when doing so in 2024.
• BH is 9-3 at Yellow Jacket Field.

SWIPIN' BAGS!

• Only three players in program history have recorded 20+ stolen bags in a single season (see page 7 of the game notes for more).
• BHSU is 50-for-55 (90.9%) in stolen bases this season, still third in the RMAC.
• In league games only, BH sits second the RMAC with 43 stolen bases (43-for-48).
• The single-game high this year for BH has been five stolen bases, done twice against CSU Pueblo (March 1) and Adams State (March 9).
• Tyler Whitlock continues to lead the team in stolen bases with her 14 stolen bags (14-for-15).
• The single-season record is 36 stolen bases held by Nia Shumpert in 2015.

100 HITS CLUB

• A pair of Yellow Jackets on the 2024 roster have joined the 100 hits club in their BH careers: Gianna Haley (130) and Shayla Tuschen (129).
• Tyler Whitlock is on the 100 Hits watch list, currently entering the weekend with 94 hits to her name.
• Kayla Lee also goes on watch, entering the weekend with 77 hits as a Yellow Jacket.
• Note: Counting only hits had in a BHSU uniform, hits at other institutions not included.

A GLANCE AT THE RECORD BOOK

• A look at where individual Yellow Jackets would stand inside the top-10 in single-season records, if the season ended today:
• DOUBLES (single-season record - 12): Ashlynn Pauwels enters the weekend with 11 doubles to her name. Lily Simmons has seven, while Alyssa Wong sits with six.
• DOUBLES (TEAM): The Yellow Jackets need just FIVE doubles to set a single-season team record.
• PITCHING WINS (single-season record - 9): Shayla Tuschen picked up her fifth win in New Mexico, while Laci Peskey picked up her fifth win against Colorado Mines.
• PITCHING STAFF STRIKE OUTS: The Yellow Jacket pitching staff has the possibility of breaking the single-season strike out record of 189 (2022 season), sitting at 114 as a staff heading to Denver this weekend.
• Already mentioned above is where stolen bases stand for single-season records.
• STOLEN BASES (TEAM): The team single-season record in stolen bases is 63 set back in 2015, the Yellow Jackets currently sit with 50 so far this season.
• More information can be found on page seven of the game notes (linked above).

SERIES HISTORY – FORT LEWIS

• Fort Lewis leads the all-time series 33-7.
• The Skyhawks are 12-4 with games played in Spearfish.
• The Yellow Jackets look to snap a 13-game skid to the Skyhawks this weekend.
• Fort Lewis took the series (4-0) in Durango last season.

SCOUTING THE SKYHAWKS

• FLC was picked to finish T9th in the RMAC in the preseason poll and currently sits in ninth, just behind BHSU, with an 8-20 mark in league play.
• The Skyhawks are coming off a major series split with the Roadrunners of MSU Denver last weekend in Durango.
• Fort Lewis also brings the reigning RMAC Pitcher of the Week in Hailie Mann up to Spearfish this weekend.
• Alex Tenorio leads the team with her .368 batting average, while Cara Daughtery has the team-best .435 on-base percentage.
• The duo also sits tied for the team lead in stolen bases with just three each.
• In the circle, Amiee Shanks is the ace of the team leading the team in both innings pitched (98.0) and ERA (4.71).
• FLC has rocked just two pitchers this season for first-year head coach Paige Adair.

RMAC PRESEASON POLL

• Following an 8-36 record in 2023, the Yellow Jackets were picked to finish tied for 11^th in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, announced on January 24.
• BHSU was tied to finish along with Adams State in this year's poll.

Up Next: Black Hills State will conclude the regular season home slate next weekend when they play host to No. 7-ranked and the RMAC-leading Cougars of Colorado Christian (37-4, 29-3 RMAC) to Spearfish and Yellow Jacket Field on April 20-21.