NDSU Softball Set to Open Season In South Carolina

FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State softball will open up the 2025 season in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina this weekend, playing five games hosted by the College of Charleston on February 7-9 at the Softball Stadium at Patriots Point, just across the river from downtown Charleston.
 
The Bison will begin the season against No. 17/18 Virginia Tech, before playing host Charleston on Friday. The Bison will then play Fordham and Virginia Tech again on Saturday morning, before wrapping up the weekend against Fordham on Sunday morning.
 
Game Coverage
North Dakota State’s game against Charleston will be streamed live on FloCollege/FloSoftball. A subscription to FloCollege/FloSoftball will be needed to watch the event. All five games will have live statistics. Links to the stream and stats will be available on the softball schedule page on gobison.com.
 
50 Years of Bison Softball
North Dakota State will embark on the program’s 50th season in 2025 after officially beginning in 1976. NDSU has amassed over 1200 wins, including 620 in the Division I era, and a Division II National Championship in 2000. The Bison have claimed 23 conference championships in program history, along with 10 NCAA Division I Tournament Appearances, including a Super Regional in 2009.
 
South Carolina Bound to Open the Year
For just the second time in the program’s 50-year history, the Bison will open up the season in the state of South Carolina. It will be the fourth trip overall for the Bison to the Palmetto state, and the first since 2020 when NDSU opened up the season at the South Carolina Classic. It is also the second time the Bison have played at a College of Charleston hosted event. NDSU heads into the opening weekend holding an 8-7 record overall in the state of South Carolina, including a 6-1 record in the Charleston metro.
 
Season Openers
The Bison are 28-21 all-time in season openers, including a 12-8 mark in 20 seasons of Division I play. The Bison had a two-game win streak in season openers snapped last season with a loss to Furman in Wilmington, N.C. In the Division I era, the Bison are 0-3 against ranked competition in season openers.
 
Spring on the Road, the Bison Way
North Dakota State softball is scheduled to play the first 36 games of the season on the road, traveling to six different tournaments, along with three midweek non-conference games and the first Summit League series at Kansas City. The non-conference swing includes two 11-day trips, with the first to South Carolina and then Mexico, and the second to Mississippi and Louisiana. The Bison also have tournaments in Texas and at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
 
Series History (Virginia Tech)
The Bison have played Virginia Tech just one time in program history, winning a 5-1 game at the Hokie Fastpitch Classic in Blacksburg on March 19, 2005.
 
Series History (Charleston)
NDSU meets the College of Charleston for the fifth time in program history. The Bison are 3-1 against the Cougars including an 8-0 win in Charleston in 2007. The teams last met in February of 2017 in Columbia, South Carolina, splitting two games at the Gamecock Invitational.
 
Series History (Fordham)
The two games against for NDSU against Fordham will be the first ever meetings between the Bison and Rams on the softball diamond.
 
Bison Picked Sixth in Summit League
NDSU was picked sixth in the Summit League preseason poll, receiving 13 points, two behind Kansas City in fifth (15). Omaha had 35 points and five-first-place votes, edging out South Dakota State, who had 32 and two first-place votes. South Dakota (21) and St. Thomas (18) were picked third and fourth. North Dakota was picked even with the Bison in sixth on 13 points to round out the poll.
 
Dunford Tabbed Summit League Player to Watch
Sophomore pitcher Kaitlyn Dunford was named to the players to watch list by the Summit League ahead of the season. Dunford was named Honorable Mention All-Summit League last season as a freshman.
 
Experience in the Circle
The Bison are in rare company, returning 100 percent of the innings pitched from last season, as the entire pitching staff returns to the circle in 2025. Senior Savy Williams tossed a team high 104.1 innings last season, while sophomores Addie Bowers, Kaitlyn Dunford and Madison Wihlm tossed 76.1, 69.1 and 50.2 innings, respectively. Piper Reed also had 42.0 innings before missing the remainder of the season with an injury.