INDIANAPOLIS – For the first time this season, the IUPUI softball team will play in front of its home fans when it welcomes South Dakota State to the IUPUI Softball Complex for a three-game Summit League series beginning on Saturday, March 20.
 
Not only will Saturday's doubleheader serve as the home opener for the Jaguars, but it will be the conference opener for both squads. Saturday's doubleheader will begin at Noon, and Game 2 will start approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 1. Sunday's series finale will start at 11 a.m.
 
Despite dropping a pair of games last weekend to Northwestern – both of which were games in which the Jags led entering the sixth inning – IUPUI is off to its best start in its Division-I era posting a 14-6 record.
 
South Dakota State is 5-10 entering the weekend. The Jackrabbits are hitting .270 as a team with Elyse Eitel leading the way with a .422 average and a team-best 10 RBI. Collectively, SDSU has an ERA of 7.08, with Ashlyn Bender posting a team-leading 5.52 ERA.
 
Ali Mosier continues to pace the Jaguars offensively with a .387 average, and she is tied with Roni Patterson for the team lead in home runs and RBI with six and 16, respectively. As a whole, IUPUI is hitting .243, and the Jags pitching staff has held the opposition to .226 hitting.
 
Brooke Boetjer and Emili Escamilla have thrown 130 of the team's 135 innings this season and the duo has combined for an ERA of 1.76 with Boetjer owning a 1.70 ERA. Boetjer has posted 11 wins on the season rank 35th nationally and her four shutouts are 12th.