The 2023 North Dakota State Bison softball team was an American college softball team that represented North Dakota State University during the 2023 NCAA Division I softball season. The Bison were led by Darren Mueller in his twenty-second season, and played their home games at Tharaldson Park. They competed in the Summit League. The Bison finished the regular season in third place in the conference and claimed the three seed in the 2023 Summit League softball tournament. NDSU beat Kansas City on day 1, but lost to Omaha and South Dakota State on day 2 to be eliminated before the semifinals for the third year in a row.

Previous season The Bison finished the 2022 season with a 30-23 record, and a 10-8 record in Summit League play. NDSU played in the Summit League tournament as the 3rd seed. They defeated North Dakota and Omaha, before falling to South Dakota State and then Omaha in the elimination game to end their season in the semifinals.

Personnel

Roster 2023 North Dakota State Roster Pitchers 9 – Paige Vargas – Senior 18 – Lainey Lyle – Senior 54 – Piper Reed – Freshman 99 – Savy Williams – Sophomore

Catchers 5 – Kaylee Moore – Senior

Outfielders 1 – Emilee Buringa – Junior 17 – Faith Daehlin – Sophomore 22 – Ella Claus – Freshman Infielders 3 – Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage – Junior 8 – Skylar Padgett – Senior 11 – Riley Leadstrom – Freshman 12 – Bella Dean – Freshman 31 – Carley Goetschius – Senior 42 – Chloe Woldruff – Sophomore

Utility 14 – Reanna Rudd (C/INF) – Junior 35 – Zoe King (C/INF) – Freshman 47 – Ava Chavarria (C/INF) – Freshman Reference:

Coaching staff 2023 North Dakota State Coaching Staff Name Position Darren Mueller Head coach Gerice Olson Associate head coach Kayti Grable Assistant Coach Reference:

Schedule 2023 North Dakota State Bison softball game logRegular Season (29–19)February (6–8) DateTime Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance OverallRecord Summit LeagueRecordFebruary 1010 AM vs. California Baptist Nancy Almaraz FieldPuerto Vallarta, Mexico 4–0 Vargas (1–0) Mcconnell (0–1) None 203 1–0 –February 1112:30 PM vs. BYU Nancy Almaraz Field 1–10(5) Temples (1–0) Lyle (0–1) None 248 1–1 –February 128:30 AM vs. No. 24 Oregon Nancy Almaraz Field 3–4 Hansen (1–0) Vargas (1–1) None 378 1–2 –February 121:30 PM vs. Maryland Nancy Almaraz Field 2–4 Schlotterbeck (1–0) Lyle (0–2) Bucher (1) 275 1–3 –February 1312 PM vs. No. RV Ole Miss Nancy Almaraz Field 0–8(5) Vestal (1–0) Reed (0–1) None 125 1–4 –February 132:30 PM vs. No. RV Ole Miss Nancy Almaraz Field 3–5 Furbush (1–0) Vargas (1–2) None 125 1–5 –February 163 PM vs. Sacramento State Nancy Almaraz Field 4–1 Vargas (2–2) Bertuccio (0–1) None 185 2–5 –February 1710 AM vs. Southern Illinois Nancy Almaraz Field 5–3 Lyle (1–2) Eberle (0–1) Vargas (1) 185 3–5 –February 1712:30 PM vs. No. 11 Tennessee Nancy Almaraz Field 0–8(6) Pickens (1–0) Lyle (1–3) None 122 3–6 –February 183 PM vs. Cal State Fullerton Nancy Almaraz Field 2–1 Vargas (3–2) Sutherlin (0–1) None 185 4–6 –February 2410 AM vs. Merrimack Jane B. Moore FieldAuburn, AL Cancelled - Weather Preventing Travel 4–6 –February 2510 AM vs. Brown Jane B. Moore Field 6–0 Vargas (4–2) Aguirre (0–1) None 5–6 –February 253 PM at No. 20 Auburn Jane B. Moore Field 0–9(6) Penta (8–0) Lyle (1–4) None 5–7 –February 269 AM vs. Brown Jane B. Moore Field 2–0 Lyle (2–4) Guevara (0–2) None 6–7 –February 2612 PM at No. 20 Auburn Jane B. Moore Field 0–4 Lowe (1–0) Vargas (4–3) Penta (1) 1,440 6–8 –March (13–3) DateTime Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance OverallRecord Summit LeagueRecordMarch 312:30 PM vs. Drake Tigers Softball ComplexMemphis, TN Canceled, Rain 6–8 –March 35 PM vs. UTSA Tigers Softball Complex 2–3 Smith (1–5) Vargas (4–4) Estell (1) 217 6–9 –March 49 AM vs. SIU-Edwardsville Tigers Softball Complex 9–1 Lyle (3–4) Ray (1–5) Vargas (2) 147 7–9 –March 42 PM at Memphis Tigers Softball Complex 15–4 Vargas (5–4) Hoschak (0–1) None 273 8–9 –March 511:30 AM vs. UTSA Tigers Softball Complex 7–4 Lyle (4–4) Estell (2–4) Reed (1) 150 9–9 –March 102 PM vs. Idaho State U.S. Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN 9–3 Lyle (5–4) Newman (2–2) None 10–9 –March 107 PM at Minnesota U.S. Bank Stadium 0–2 Pease (6–3) Vargas (5–5) None 1,096 10–10 –March 1111:30 AM vs. Drake U.S. Bank Stadium 7–2 Williams (1–0) Bedsworth (0–3) None 11–10 –March 1211:30 AM vs. Idaho State U.S. Bank Stadium 4–1 Vargas (6–5) McMurray (0–2) None 12–10 –March 122 PM vs. Drake U.S. Bank Stadium 4–2 Lyle (6–4) Hupke (3–3) None 13–10 –March 144 PM at No. RV Mississippi State Nusz ParkMississippi State, MS 2–0 Vargas (7–5) Faapito (2–1) None 146 14–10 –March 152 PM vs. Purdue Nusz Park 1–2 Echazarreta (5–6) Lyle (6–5) None 112 14–11 –March 164 PM vs. Purdue Nusz Park 4–0 Vargas (8–5) Pinarski (1–1) None 53 15–11 –March 1810:30 AM vs. Samford Nusz Park 7–1 Reed (1–1) Bond (3–4) None 57 16–11 –March 2512 PM at Kansas City Urban Youth Academy Softball ComplexKansas City, MO 10–0(5) Vargas (9–5) Stickel (0–1) None 17–11 1–0March 252 PM at Kansas City Urban Youth Academy Softball Complex 4–1 Lyle (7–5) Noble (2–7) None 121 18–11 2–0March 2611 AM at Kansas City Urban Youth Academy Softball Complex 11–1(5) Vargas (10–5) Milan (0–4) None 87 19–11 3–0April (9–6) DateTime Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance OverallRecord Summit LeagueRecordApril 13 PM at Western Illinois Mary Ellen McKee Softball StadiumMacomb, IL 5–6(8) Rodriguez (4–7) Reed (1–2) None 147 19–12 3–1April 210 AM at Western Illinois Mary Ellen McKee Softball Stadium 1–0 Lyle (8–5) Rodriguez (4–9) None 89 20–12 4–1April 212 PM at Western Illinois Mary Ellen McKee Softball Stadium 13–4(5) Vargas (11–5) Price (3–8) None 89 21–12 5–1April 74 PM vs. South DakotaSeries Relocated – Weather Bowden FieldSioux Falls, SD 0–8 Edwards (10–6) Vargas (11–6) None 99 21–13 5–2April 82 PM vs. South Dakota Bowden Field 2–0 Lyle (9–5) Wedeking (6–9) None 108 22–13 6–2April 84 PM vs. South Dakota Bowden Field 5–4 Vargas (12–6) Edwards (10–7) None 108 23–13 7–2April 163 PM at South Dakota State Jackrabbit Softball StadiumBrookings, SD 0–4 Kniesche (16–4) Vargas (12–7) None 150 23–14 7–3April 1711 AM at South Dakota State Jackrabbit Softball Stadium 3–12(5) Lasey (10–6) Lyle (10–5) None 149 23–15 7–4April 171 PM at South Dakota State Jackrabbit Softball Stadium 0–1 Kniesche (17–4) Vargas (12–8) None 149 23–16 7–5April 2212 PM at St. Thomas South FieldSt. Paul, MN 5–0 Vargas (13–8) Cook (3–6) None 250 24–16 8–5April 222 PM at St. Thomas South Field 9–0(6) Lyle (11–5) True (0–1) None 250 25–16 9–5April 2311 AM at St. Thomas South Field 6–2 Lyle (12–5) Murphy (2–11) None 75 26–16 10–5April 2912 PM North Dakota Tharaldson ParkFargo, ND 8–5 Vargas (14–8) Carr (6–10) None 222 27–16 11–5April 292 PM North Dakota Tharaldson Park 4–2 Lyle (12–6) Albrecht (2–15) None 222 28–16 12–5April 3011 AM North Dakota Tharaldson Park 3–4 Albrecht (3–15) Vargas (14–9) Lasota (3) 153 28–17 12–6May (1–2) DateTime Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance OverallRecord Summit LeagueRecordMay 512 PM Omaha Tharaldson ParkFargo, ND 1–7 Meyer (14–7) Vargas (14–10) None 255 28–18 12–7May 52 PM Omaha Tharaldson Park 2–3(10) Nuismer (13–7) Lyle (12–7) None 255 28–19 12–8May 611 AM Omaha Tharaldson Park 3–0 Vargas (15–10) Flanagan (1–1) None 206 29–19 13–8Post-Season (1–2) (1–2) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance OverallRecord Summit LeagueTournament recordMay 10–114:30 PM vs. (6) Kansas CityPlayed across 5/10-5/11 (3) Jackrabbit Softball StadiumBrookings, SD 3–0 Vargas (16–10) Noble (3–14) None 143 30–19 1–0May 112:30 PM vs. (2) Omaha (3) Jackrabbit Softball Stadium 1–5 Meyer (15–7) Vargas (16–11) None 273 30–20 1–1May 115 PM at (1) South Dakota State (3) Jackrabbit Softball Stadium 2–10(5) Lasey (15–6) Lyle (12–8) None 254 30–21 1–2

References