VCSU Softball picked to finish 2nd in NSAA Coaches’ Poll

The Valley City State softball team has been picked to finish second in the conference this season, the North Star Athletic Association announced Wednesday.

VCSU received 37 points and one first-place vote in the 2024 NSAA Softball Coaches' Preseason Poll. The Vikings are coming off a 28-23 season in 2023, including an 18-7 conference record. VCSU defeated Bellevue in the NSAA Tournament Championship and earned an automatic bid to the NAIA Opening Round.

VCSU returns allconference players in Sierra Crocker, Joelle Lamontagne, Andrea Rodriguez, Alyssa DePoorter, Ashlyn Diemert and 2023 NSAA Newcomer of the Year Maddy Zander. VCSU opens the season at the Minot State Dome on Feb. 2-3, and opens conference play with a series at Bellevue on March 16-17.

Bellevue is the head coaches' preseason favorite to repeat the NSAA softball regularseason title. BU had won the previous two NSAA softball regular-season titles with a combined 50-4 conference record.

The Bruins, who captured the 2023 NSAA regular-season title at 26-2 conference record (41-12 overall record), tallied six first-place votes and 48 points to claim the top spot in the preseason poll.

Dickinson State registered 36 points to finish third in the preseason poll. Dakota State placed fourth after collecting 26 points, followed by Viterbo fifth with 19 points and Mayville State sixth with 15 points. Waldorf was seventh with 10 points.

Points were awarded on a 7-1 basis in the conference coaches' preseason poll.

The North Star conference softball season gets underway on the weekend of March 1617 (VCSU at BU; MSU at DaSU, DiSU at VU; WU waits for the conference opener until March 23-24 versus VCSU). All seven members are scheduled to play a total of 24 conference contests in the spring.

The NSAA Softball conference tournament returns to Bravera Field in Dickinson, N.D. on May 3-6. There is one automatic bid to the NAIA Softball National Tournament Opening round on May 13-16. The winner of the postseason conference tournament will earn an automatic bid to the national tournament.

The NAIA Softball World Series takes place in Columbus, Ga. on May 23-29 at South Commons Complex.

2024 North Star Athletic Association Softball Preseason Poll

1 Bellevue (Neb.) (6) 48 2 Valley City State (N.D.) (1) 37 3 Dickinson State (N.D.) 36 4 Dakota State (S.D.) 26 5 Viterbo (Wis.) 19 6 Mayville State (N.D.) 15 7 Waldorf (Iowa) 10

*First-place votes in parenthesis