INDIANAPOLIS – The second week of Summit League play kicks off on Saturday, March 28, when the IUPUI softball team opens a three-game Summit League series against South Dakota at the IUPUI Softball Complex.
 
A doubleheader is set for Saturday with Game 1 scheduled for a 3 p.m. start, and Game 2 will begin approximately 30 minutes after the completion of the opener. Sunday's first pitch is set for 11 a.m.
 
IUPUI comes into the weekend with an 18-8 overall record, including a 2-1 conference record, while USD is 8-17-1 with this weekend's series serving as its league opener.
 
Midway through its 11-game homestand, the Jags are 4-2 featuring a series win over South Dakota State, a doubleheader split against UIC, and a 7-0 shutout of Butler on Wednesday, March 25.
 
Over this six-game stretch, Roni Patterson has been on a tear hitting .471 with three home runs – which has upped her Summit League leading home run total to nine - and six RBI. Collectively, the Jags have hit .287, which is 33 points higher than their season average.
 
In the circle, Brooke Boetjer returned to form on Wednesday against the Bulldogs yielding just one hit in six innings of work en route to her 12th win of the season. Emili Escamilla has given the Jags a great 1-2 punch in the circle going 3-0 during this recent homestand with a 1.27 ERA in 22.0 innings of work. During this stretch, she has walked just three and struck out 23.
 
The Coyotes are hitting .298 as a team, which ranks second in the league, and they are led by Yvon Minogue's .430 average. Despite the team's near .300 average, they are averaging 4.8 rpg while their pitching staff owns an ERA of 5.85.