GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- The University of North Dakota softball team will head back into league action with a weekend series against in-state rival North Dakota State beginning on Saturday at noon and 2 p.m. before closing out the series on Sunday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Live video will be available for the games this weekend at GoBison.com, weather pending. Live stats will be provided for all games and all links for stats and video can be found here. 

Live Twitter updates will be available at the official Twitter page of North Dakota softball, @UNDsoftball.

LAST TIME OUT
UND was expected to head down to Nashville to close out its nonconference season against Lipcsomb, but the series was canceled due to a positive COVID-19 case in the Lipscomb program. 

With the final two games of the series vs. South Dakota State also being canceled, this time due to weather, this weekend will be UND's first games since April 17. 

SUMMIT LEAGUE STANDINGS
North Dakota currently enters the weekend sitting sixth in the standings with a 5-9 mark during league play. For the eighth-straight season, Fargo will be the host of the 2021 Summit League Softball Tournament and features a six-team tournament with the seventh team not reaching the postseason. 

South Dakota State has clinched the regular season title with a 17-1 record, but the 2-7 spots are tightly contested. The Bison sit at second in the standings at 8-7 while Western Illinois is currently at the bottom of the standings at 6-14. 

NEW SCHEDULES
For this season, teams will play four-game series in league play rather than the customary three. Both days of action will be doubleheaders beginning at noon, with the second tilt expected to begin around 2:30 p.m. 

HISTORY AGAINST NDSU
North Dakota State owns a 72-34 record in the all-time series between the two teams, but UND has had some success against the Bison over the last few years. 

The Fighting Hawks are 2-6 against NDSU since moving to Division I in 2008, including a win in the last meeting down in Fargo back in 2019. 

AROUND THE LEAGUE
• South Dakota State secured its first regular season conference title in program history with a Sunday doubleheader sweep against in-state rival South Dakota. The Jackrabbits have homered in 14 games in a row and 17 of 18 Summit League games.
• SDSU swept the weekly awards for the second time this season as Jocelyn Carrillo claimed the Player of the Week honor and Tori Kniesche earned the Pitcher of the Week accolade.
• Carrillo extended her hitting streak to eight games by hitting safely in all four weekend matchups against USD and ended the four-game series by going 7-for-11 (.636) with five runs and three RBI while recording a 1.000 slugging percentage.
• Kniesche went 2-0 with a 0.70 ERA tossed a five-inning no-hitter against USD in game two of Saturday's doubleheader by striking out 11 batters and only walking one. She also fired another five-inning complete game with 10 strikeouts the following day and has won 13 consecutive decisions.
• Kniesche holds the league-lead in victories with 17 as she improved to 17-1 on the season and the Jackrabbits are 10-0 in league games she has started this year.
• The Jackrabbits are averaging just over seven runs per game in league contests, which tops the league charts in that category, while Western Illinois leads the league with 55 walks in league games.
• Kansas City swept Western Illinois last week and centerfielder Kloe Hilbrenner had a stellar performance at the plate, going 8-for-13 with a .615 batting average on the weekend. She recorded three runs with three RBIs and earned five more stolen bases to bring her total to 36 in 38 chances. She shattered the program single season record for stolen bases that was previously set at 32 in 2015.
• Kansas City pitcher Mia Hoveland recorded two complete game victories, earning a 0.50 ERA and only gave up one run, four hits and two walks in 14 innings of work along with 13 strikeouts.
• North Dakota will return from a 12-day break after their series at Lipscomb last week was canceled and will head south to Fargo four a four-games series against in-state rival North Dakota State.
• Omaha won two out of three games against the Bison and have moved up to the fifth spot in the league standings. The Mavericks will hit the road for a crucial four-game series against Kansas City.