2023 North Dakota State Bison softball team

2023 North Dakota State Bison softball
Conference	Summit League
Record	30–21 (13–8 Summit)
Head coach	Darren Mueller (22nd season)
Assistant coaches	Gerice Olson Kayti Grable
Home stadium	Tharaldson Park

2023 Summit League softball standings

	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
South Dakota State  ‍†‍‍	17	–	0		1.000			37	–	17		.685
Omaha  ‍‍‡‍y	15	–	5		.750			33	–	17		.660
North Dakota State  ‍‍‍	13	–	8		.619			30	–	21		.588
South Dakota  ‍‍‍	11	–	9		.550			24	–	28		.462
North Dakota  ‍‍‍	9	–	10		.474			12	–	38		.240
St. Thomas*  ‍‍‍	6	–	14		.300			18	–	35		.340
Kansas City  ‍‍‍	4	–	17		.190			9	–	43		.173
Western Illinois  ‍‍‍	3	–	15		.167			9	–	36		.200
* Ineligible for the 2023 NCAA tournament due to transition from Division III
† – Conference champion ‡ – Tournament champion y – Invited to the NCAA tournament As of May 20, 2023 Rankings from NFCA/USA Today

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 log
Regular Season (29–19)
February (6–8) Date Time Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall Record Summit League Record February 10 10 AM vs. California Baptist Nancy Almaraz Field Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 4–0 Vargas (1–0) Mcconnell (0–1) None 203 1–0 – February 11 12:30 PM vs. BYU Nancy Almaraz Field 1–10(5) Temples (1–0) Lyle (0–1) None 248 1–1 – February 12 8:30 AM vs. No. 24 Oregon Nancy Almaraz Field 3–4 Hansen (1–0) Vargas (1–1) None 378 1–2 – February 12 1:30 PM vs. Maryland Nancy Almaraz Field 2–4 Schlotterbeck (1–0) Lyle (0–2) Bucher (1) 275 1–3 – February 13 12 PM vs. No. RV Ole Miss Nancy Almaraz Field 0–8(5) Vestal (1–0) Reed (0–1) None 125 1–4 – February 13 2:30 PM vs. No. RV Ole Miss Nancy Almaraz Field 3–5 Furbush (1–0) Vargas (1–2) None 125 1–5 – February 16 3 PM vs. Sacramento State Nancy Almaraz Field 4–1 Vargas (2–2) Bertuccio (0–1) None 185 2–5 – February 17 10 AM vs. Southern Illinois Nancy Almaraz Field 5–3 Lyle (1–2) Eberle (0–1) Vargas (1) 185 3–5 – February 17 12:30 PM vs. No. 11 Tennessee Nancy Almaraz Field 0–8(6) Pickens (1–0) Lyle (1–3) None 122 3–6 – February 18 3 PM vs. Cal State Fullerton Nancy Almaraz Field 2–1 Vargas (3–2) Sutherlin (0–1) None 185 4–6 – February 24 10 AM vs. Merrimack Jane B. Moore Field Auburn, AL Cancelled - Weather Preventing Travel 4–6 – February 25 10 AM vs. Brown Jane B. Moore Field 6–0 Vargas (4–2) Aguirre (0–1) None 5–6 – February 25 3 PM at No. 20 Auburn Jane B. Moore Field 0–9(6) Penta (8–0) Lyle (1–4) None 5–7 – February 26 9 AM vs. Brown Jane B. Moore Field 2–0 Lyle (2–4) Guevara (0–2) None 6–7 – February 26 12 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) Date Time Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall Record Summit League Record March 3 12:30 PM vs. Drake Tigers Softball Complex Memphis, TN Canceled, Rain 6–8 – March 3 5 PM vs. UTSA Tigers Softball Complex 2–3 Smith (1–5) Vargas (4–4) Estell (1) 217 6–9 – March 4 9 AM vs. SIU-Edwardsville Tigers Softball Complex 9–1 Lyle (3–4) Ray (1–5) Vargas (2) 147 7–9 – March 4 2 PM at Memphis Tigers Softball Complex 15–4 Vargas (5–4) Hoschak (0–1) None 273 8–9 – March 5 11:30 AM vs. UTSA Tigers Softball Complex 7–4 Lyle (4–4) Estell (2–4) Reed (1) 150 9–9 – March 10 2 PM vs. Idaho State US Bank Stadium Minneapolis, MN 9–3 Lyle (5–4) Newman (2–2) None 10–9 – March 10 7 PM at Minnesota US Bank Stadium 0–2 Pease (6–3) Vargas (5–5) None 1,096 10–10 – March 11 11:30 AM vs. Drake US Bank Stadium 7–2 Williams (1–0) Bedsworth (0–3) None 11–10 – March 12 11:30 AM vs. Idaho State US Bank Stadium 4–1 Vargas (6–5) McMurray (0–2) None 12–10 – March 12 2 PM vs. Drake US Bank Stadium 4–2 Lyle (6–4) Hupke (3–3) None 13–10 – March 14 4 PM at No. RV Mississippi State Nusz Park Mississippi State, MS 2–0 Vargas (7–5) Faapito (2–1) None 146 14–10 – March 15 2 PM vs. Purdue Nusz Park 1–2 Echazarreta (5–6) Lyle (6–5) None 112 14–11 – March 16 4 PM vs. Purdue Nusz Park 4–0 Vargas (8–5) Pinarski (1–1) None 53 15–11 – March 18 10:30 AM vs. Samford Nusz Park 7–1 Reed (1–1) Bond (3–4) None 57 16–11 – March 25 12 PM at Kansas City Urban Youth Academy Softball Complex Kansas City, MO 10–0(5) Vargas (9–5) Stickel (0–1) None 17–11 1–0 March 25 2 PM at Kansas City Urban Youth Academy Softball Complex 4–1 Lyle (7–5) Noble (2–7) None 121 18–11 2–0 March 26 11 AM at Kansas City Urban Youth Academy Softball Complex 11–1(5) Vargas (10–5) Milan (0–4) None 87 19–11 3–0
April (9–6) Date Time Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall Record Summit League Record April 1 3 PM at Western Illinois Mary Ellen McKee Softball Stadium Macomb, IL 5–6(8) Rodriguez (4–7) Reed (1–2) None 147 19–12 3–1 April 2 10 AM at Western Illinois Mary Ellen McKee Softball Stadium 1–0 Lyle (8–5) Rodriguez (4–9) None 89 20–12 4–1 April 2 12 PM at Western Illinois Mary Ellen McKee Softball Stadium 13–4(5) Vargas (11–5) Price (3–8) None 89 21–12 5–1 April 7 4 PM vs. South Dakota Series Relocated – Weather Bowden Field Sioux Falls, SD 0–8 Edwards (10–6) Vargas (11–6) None 99 21–13 5–2 April 8 2 PM vs. South Dakota Bowden Field 2–0 Lyle (9–5) Wedeking (6–9) None 108 22–13 6–2 April 8 4 PM vs. South Dakota Bowden Field 5–4 Vargas (12–6) Edwards (10–7) None 108 23–13 7–2 April 16 3 PM at South Dakota State Jackrabbit Softball Stadium Brookings, SD 0–4 Kniesche (16–4) Vargas (12–7) None 150 23–14 7–3 April 17 11 AM at South Dakota State Jackrabbit Softball Stadium 3–12(5) Lasey (10–6) Lyle (10–5) None 149 23–15 7–4 April 17 1 PM at South Dakota State Jackrabbit Softball Stadium 0–1 Kniesche (17–4) Vargas (12–8) None 149 23–16 7–5 April 22 12 PM at St. Thomas South Field St. Paul, MN 5–0 Vargas (13–8) Cook (3–6) None 250 24–16 8–5 April 22 2 PM at St. Thomas South Field 9–0(6) Lyle (11–5) True (0–1) None 250 25–16 9–5 April 23 11 AM at St. Thomas South Field 6–2 Lyle (12–5) Murphy (2–11) None 75 26–16 10–5 April 29 12 PM North Dakota Tharaldson Park Fargo, ND 8–5 Vargas (14–8) Carr (6–10) None 222 27–16 11–5 April 29 2 PM North Dakota Tharaldson Park 4–2 Lyle (12–6) Albrecht (2–15) None 222 28–16 12–5 April 30 11 AM North Dakota Tharaldson Park 3–4 Albrecht (3–15) Vargas (14–9) Lasota (3) 153 28–17 12–6
May (1–2) Date Time Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall Record Summit League Record May 5 12 PM Omaha Tharaldson Park Fargo, ND 1–7 Meyer (14–7) Vargas (14–10) None 255 28–18 12–7 May 5 2 PM Omaha Tharaldson Park 2–3(10) Nuismer (13–7) Lyle (12–7) None 255 28–19 12–8 May 6 11 AM Omaha Tharaldson Park 3–0 Vargas (15–10) Flanagan (1–1) None 206 29–19 13–8
Post-Season (1–2)
Summit League Tournament (1–2) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save Attendance Overall Record Summit League Tournament record May 10-11 4:30 PM vs. (6) Kansas City Played across 5/10-5/11 (3) Jackrabbit Softball Stadium Brookings, SD 3–0 Vargas (16–10) Noble (3–14) None 143 30–19 1–0 May 11 2:30 PM vs. (2) Omaha (3) Jackrabbit Softball Stadium 1–5 Meyer (15–7) Vargas (16–11) None 273 30–20 1–1 May 11 5 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
Win   Loss   Postponement Bold: Bison team member Reference: Rankings from NFCA: (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times in Central Time Zone