SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University softball team (12-27, 11-23 RMAC) concludes the regular season home slate this weekend when they play host to the No. 7-ranked Colorado Christian Cougars (41-4, 33-3 RMAC) at Yellow Jacket Field.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Black Hills State (12-27, 11-23 RMAC) vs. (No. 7) Colorado Christian (41-4, 33-3 RMAC)
Date: Saturday-Sunday, April 20-21
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
 
THE BUZZ

• BHSU is set to play at Yellow Jacket Field for the final time this weekend, playing host to nationally-ranked Colorado Christian Saturday and Sunday.
• Last weekend, BHSU set the new single-season record for doubles in a season with their 57^th.
• Ashlynn Pauwels tied the single-season record with her 12^th double against Fort Lewis.
• Kayla Lee enters the weekend with 36 stolen bases and needs just four to move into sole possession of second-place all-time in program history.
• The Yellow Jackets have hit multiple home runs now in four-straight series.
• Five Yellow Jackets have posted 30+ hits this season, as 44 hits will crack the program's single-season top-10 list.
• Lily Simmons continues to get on base at an exceptional clip, entering the weekend on a 15-game on-base streak and leading the team in on-base percentage (.426).
• There's now a three-way tie for the most multi-hit games this season at 10 between Alyssa Wong, Ashlynn Pauwels, and Lily Simmons.
• Wong and Pauwels sit tied for the team lead in multi-RBI games at eight, with Pauwels pacing the team with her 31 RBI this season.

THANK YOU, SENIORS!
Four seniors are set to play their final home series in their Black Hills State careers this weekend. Come out and support the four seniors to send them off on a high note!

• Gianna Haley (Gr., OF, Arvada, Colo.)
• Shayla Tuschen (Sr., P, Sioux Falls, S.D.)
• Kayla Lee (Sr., OF/DP, Kearney, Neb.)
• Taylor Klein (Sr., INF, Scottsbluff, Neb.)

BHSU FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

𝓕𝓮𝓶𝓪𝓵𝓮 𝓐𝓽𝓱𝓵𝓮𝓽𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓨𝓮𝓪𝓻 👏 👏 pic.twitter.com/7LTvUpebe1

— Black Hills State Softball (@BHSUSB) April 18, 2024

• At the third annual Buzzsbys – the BHSU student-athlete awards banquet – graduate student Gianna Haley was voted as the Female Athlete of the Year.
• She's been a five-year starter for the Yellow Jackets has played under three different head coaches.
• She's already etched her name in the BHSU record book in multiple offensive categories, most notably already leading the record books in: games played/started (172), at-bats (505), and doubles (33).

BREAKOUT FRESHMAN CAMPAIGN FOR PESKEY

• Freshman right-hander Laci Peskey has made a name for herself in the circle this season as a true freshman for Englehorn and company.
• She leads the team in innings pitched (108.1), appearances (22), games started (18), and ERA (5.94).
• Heading into the Colorado Christian series, her 22 appearances has cracked the single-season top-10 list.
• After another weekend of solid stuff in the circle against Fort Lewis, Peskey now leads the team in strike outs (57) after throwing 17.1 innings in her four appearances against the Skyhawks.
• On the weekend, she allowed just five earned runs across the 17.1 innings pitched.

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.

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 51-for-57 (89.5%) in stolen bases this season, sitting fifth in the RMAC.
• In league games only, BH sits fourth the RMAC with 43 stolen bases (44-for-50).
• 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 and Kayla Lee are back into a tie for the team lead in stolen bases, both are sitting 14-for-15 on the year.
• 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 (134) and Shayla Tuschen (131).
• Tyler Whitlock is on the 100 Hits watch list, currently entering the weekend with 95 hits to her name.
• Kayla Lee also goes on watch, entering the weekend with 83 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 tied for the single-season program record with 12 doubles. Lily Simmons has seven, while Alyssa Wong sits with six.
• 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 127 as a staff.
• 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 51 so far this season.
• More information can be found on page seven of the game notes (linked above).

SERIES HISTORY – COLORADO CHRISTIAN

• Colorado Christian leads the all-time series over BHSU, 33-3.
• The Cougars lead the series in Spearfish, 11-2; though two of the three wins for the Yellow Jackets have come at Yellow Jacket Field.

SCOUTING THE COUGARS

• Colorado Christian enters the second-to-last weekend of the regular season at No. 7 in Division II (NFCA poll) and are winners of their last 20-straight games.
• CCU was picked to win the RMAC in the preseason coaches' poll and currently sits tied-for-first in the RMAC at 33-3, controlling their own destiny (won the series with Mesa 3-1).
• The Cougars have a high-powered offense that leads the RMAC in batting average (.372), runs (391), RBI (365), and fielding percentage (.971).
• In the circle, Kali Crandall leads the team in innings pitched (214.2) and ERA (1.47).

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 wrap up the regular season next weekend with a trip to the state of Nebraska to battle the Chadron State Eagles (7-35, 7-25 RMAC) on Saturday-Sunday, April 26-27.