Tag: North Dakota State Bison

Duke softball obliterates North Dakota State behind record-setting offensive performance

The Blue Devils hit three separate grand slams on Wednesday night, including two in the first inning, of what became an 18-0 rout.

Duke softball won its fourth consecutive game on Wednesday night, and this one was unequivocally the most impressive of the young season.

The No. 10 Blue Devils scored 11 runs in the first inning against North Dakota State en route to an 18-0 blowout in just five innings. The offensive masterclass was powered by three different grand slams, including two by junior Ana Gold.

Gold, who set a program record with 19 home runs last season and tied Duke’s single-season record with 56 RBIs, came into Wednesday’s game against the Bison with four runs batted in through four games. She tripled that total with just two swings.

After Blue Devils pitcher Dani Drogemuller allowed just one hit in the opening inning, sophomore D’Auna Jennings and Gold led off the bottom of the first with a pair of singles. The Duke lineup proceeded to make its entire way through the order without a single out, including RBI singles from Jada Baker and Gisele Tapia and a grand slam from Kelly Torres.

When Gold’s second at-bat of the opening inning came around, there still wasn’t an out on the board and Duke had seven runs on the board and loaded bases. Not to be outdone by Torres, Gold launched a rocket over the centerfield wall.

The four-run shot gave Duke an 11-0 lead and gave Gold her 100th RBI in a Blue Devils uniform in the early stages of her third season.

After a three-run home run in the bottom of the second from Aminah Vega made the lead 14, Gold came up with the bases loaded again in the bottom of the third. Surely she couldn’t do it again, could she?

Gold’s second grand slam gave Duke its last runs of the game, and the lead was 18-0 by the end of the third inning.

The third-year slugger finished with three hits and eight RBIs for the game, the latter of which marked a single-game program record. She also reached another personal milestone with the second home run, which was her 100th run scored as a Blue Devil.

Even aside from Gold’s record-setting day, Vega and Torres both finished with four RBIs and the Blue Devils recorded 16 hits and five strikeouts as a team in just 29 at-bats.

Duke’s pitchers may not be able to match three grand slams on the wow factor, but they were arguably as impressive. Drogemuller, Lillie Walker, and Cassidy Curd combined for two hits and six strikeouts in five innings, and the Bison never got more than one runner aboard in any inning.

The Blue Devils, who began the week as a consensus top-10 team in the country, get just one day of rest before a Friday clash with Rutgers to begin the FIU Invitational.

No. 10 Duke’s Jala Wright is named ACC Pitcher of the Week

Duke senior pitcher Jala Wright named ACC Pitcher of the Week.

No. 10 Duke is preparing for its home opener Wednesday against North Dakota State at Duke Softball Stadium, and it will do so with one of the ACC’s best pitchers in tow.

Duke senior pitcher Jala Wright was named ACC Pitcher of the Week to kick off the NCAA season.

Wright was impressive in her three appearances at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, which saw Duke take on the best team in the nation, No. 1 Oklahoma. The Blue Devils would lose, but they bounced back and beat Iowa State, No.18 Nebraska, and Long Beach State to end the weekend 3-1.

Jala Wright appeared in three of the four games and posted a 0.66 ERA while striking out 13 batters in her 10.2 innings of work. Against Nebraska, Wright went the distance and was near-perfect, with the lone miss being a solo home run she gave up in the last inning as she tried to lock down the perfect game.

In the Long Beach State game, Wright pitched 2.2 hitless innings and struck out four batters to help the team win 2-0.

As a junior, Wright threw 133.2 innings in 37 appearances in the circle, making 22 starts. She posted a 12-4 record and a 2.51 ERA. She will be a significant part of Duke’s efforts to return to the NCAA Tournament and push themselves to make a deep run.

USC hiring North Dakota State head coach as an assistant

The Bison head coach, who had coached North Dakota State since 2019 and led them to two FCS national championships, will coach the Trojans’ linebackers.

North Dakota State head coach Matt Entz will join Lincoln Riley’s staff at USC as an assistant coach, according to a Sunday report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Entz, who coached the Bison for the past five seasons, will coach the Trojans linebackers and serve as the team’s assistant head coach for the defense.

In his five years at the helm, NDSU went 60-10 overall and 32-7 in conference games. He led the Bison to FCS National Championships in 2019 and 2021, including an undefeated 16-0 season in his 2019 coaching debut. North Dakota State also appeared in the FCS National Championship game in 2022, losing to South Dakota State.

He was the team’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2014-2018. USC would be his first FBS job. He’s also worked on the Western Illinois, Northern Iowa, Winona State, Wayne State, and Illinois College coaching staffs in a variety of defensive roles.

Entz will remain with NDSU through the end of the FCS playoffs, where the Bison are currently in the semifinals.

Get more USC coverage at Trojans Wire.

North Dakota State MBB transfer Grant Nelson expected to commit to Alabama

North Dakota State power forward transfer Grant Nelson is expected to land with Alabama, per Joe Tipton of On3.

The Alabama basketball team received a huge boost as North Dakota State transfer Grant Nelson is expected to announce that he will be committing to the Crimson Tide over Arkansas. Nelson took official visits to both Tuscaloosa and Fayetteville before making his decision.

Nelson spent three seasons playing for the Bison. As a freshman, Nelson played in 27 games while making five starts. He averaged 6.3 points per game and 3.7 rebounds per game.

During his sophomore season, Nelson averaged 11.6 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game. He started in 21 of the 29 games that he played in.

As a junior, Nelson increased his NBA draft stock after averaging 17.9 points per game, 9.3 rebounds per game, and 1.7 blocks per game.

Following the season, Nelson declared for the 2023 NBA Draft while also entering the transfer portal. After receiving feedback, Nelson elected to forgo the draft and explore his options in the transfer portal.

His expected commitment to the Crimson Tide means a great deal given the fact that two of Alabama’s starters in the front court are leaving in Noah Clowney and Charles Bediako. Interestingly enough, Nelson’s style of play is eerily similar to that of Clowney.

Nelson can play any position on the floor as could Clowney. Nelson stands at 6-foot-11, 235 pounds. Nelson can also protect the rim, rebound, and has proven to shoot fairly well from distance.

The expectation is that Nelson be a day-one starter at either power forward or center next season. His size and ability should make him one of the best frontcourt players in the SEC if not the entire country next season.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the Alabama basketball program and its involvement in the transfer portal.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

[mm-video type=video id=01gzbxw8c1gjp0erzab7 playlist_id=01eqbz6mkdd99nyvkm player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gzbxw8c1gjp0erzab7/01gzbxw8c1gjp0erzab7-a85fd4155f8d2214751d85d9e86853fa.jpg]

Alabama MBB reaches out to North Dakota State transfer Grant Nelson

The Alabama coaching staff recently reached out to North Dakota State transfer Grant Nelson. Nelson declared for the NBA Draft but is leaving the option to return to college available at this time.

The Alabama coaching staff has reportedly made contact with North Dakota State transfer Grant Nelson. Nelson is testing the NBA Draft waters but is keeping the option of returning to college on the table.

Nelson is one of the more popular names in the transfer portal. Since entering his name into the transfer portal on Tuesday, Nelson has heard from over over 15 schools. Several of the other programs that have reached out to him are Kansas, Gonzaga, Arkansas, Kentucky, Houston, and LSU.

In three seasons in Fargo, Nelson averaged 12.1 points per game, 6.0 rebounds per game, and 1.3 assists per game. He shot 50.8% from the field and 30.7% from beyond-the-arc.

His best season of his college career came in 2022-2023 when he averaged 17.9 points per game, 9.3 rebounds per game, and 2.1 assists per game. The most impressive statistic was the number of blocks he averaged per game — 1.7.

With Alabama losing Noah Clowney and Brandon Miller, I would not be surprised to see Nate Oats and the rest of the coaching staff go all-in for Nelson. Last season, he was selected to All-Summit First-Team. He is well-rounded and has all the tools to succeed at the power-five level. His list of suitors will continue to grow and I would fully anticipate Alabama continuing to recruit Nelson.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the Alabama basketball program as well as its involvement in the transfer portal.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

[mm-video type=video id=01gzckm1zf2rvn75zmng playlist_id=01eqbz6mkdd99nyvkm player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gzckm1zf2rvn75zmng/01gzckm1zf2rvn75zmng-4dbe2581534e8325f7fc34bfddeca2bd.jpg]

NDSU star Grant Nelson is gaining a ton of attention in the transfer portal

Nelson was named to the All-Summit League first team after averaging 17.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 blocks.

North Dakota State junior Grant Nelson entered the college basketball transfer portal this week and is quickly emerging as one of the top recruits on the market.

Nelson, who was named to the All-Summit League first team, averaged 17.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 blocks on 52.1% shooting from the field in 30 games. He led the conference in rebounding and field-goal percentage and was third in blocked shots (50).

The 6-foot-11 forward emerged as a tremendous scorer with the Bison. He can work from all over the court and has the ability to handle the ball in transition and get to the basket. He threw down a number of highlight-reel dunks given his burst and power in the paint.

Since entering the portal, Nelson has been heavily recruited.

Nelson has reportedly heard from several programs, including Arkansas, Gonzaga, Houston, Kentucky, Miami and UCF. He also recently declared for the 2023 NBA draft and was invited to participate in the combine May 15-21 in Chicago, Illinois.

He is considered by some to be a potential second-round pick this year. He will have the opportunity to improve his stock this month, and will likely weigh his decision to stay in the draft or return to college after participating in the combine.

After bursting onto the scene with the Bison, Nelson is looking to either build on that success in college or ride his successful campaign to the next level. Either way, he has plenty of options.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=650262453]

WBB recap: Ducks cruise past Bison in first round of the WNIT

Oregon advances to the second round of the WNIT with a 39-point blowout over North Dakota State.

For the first 10 minutes, the Oregon Ducks women’s basketball team looked like they hadn’t played in over a week.

But then the Ducks turned on the jets and blitzed North Dakota State 96-57 to advance to the second round of the WNIT where they will host Rice.

The first quarter seemingly featured two evenly matched teams as the Ducks held just a slim 19-15 lead. That was a mirage. Oregon outclassed the Bison for the remaining 30 minutes to win by 39 points in front of 2,703 fans.

Those who showed up to Matthew Knight Arena definitely liked what they saw. Te-Hina Paopao continued to play great as she has been for the past month. Grace VanSlooten seems to be over her ankle injury and Ahlise Hurst has found her shooting prowess.

They also witnessed a little past glory as Endyia Rogers simulated Sabrina Ionescu with a triple-double of her own with 10 points, 11 boards, and 11 assists.

Oregon hosts North Dakota State in WNIT first round matchup

The Oregon women’s basketball team opens the WNIT with a home game with North Dakota State on Friday.

The Oregon Ducks women’s basketball team will continue their season Friday as they will host North Dakota State. Tip time is scheduled for 7 pm PST at Matthew Knight Arena.

If the Ducks win, they’ll play either BYU or Rice in the second round.

The Bison come to Eugene with an 18-11 record. They lost in the Summit League title game to Kansas City 71-64. Before that loss, NDSU had a winning streak of four straight.

Their leading scorer is Heaven Hamling, who averages 16.5 points, five rebounds and nearly four assists a game. She shoots 35 percent from the three-point line and 83 percent from the free-throw stripe.

The only other Bison player who averages in double figures is Elle Evans and her 13.3 points per contest. She happens to be the Bison’s tallest player at 6-foot-3 but is listed as a guard. She’ll be the toughest to match up with for the Ducks.

Oregon will have a major height advantage with 6-foot-8 Phillipina Kyei, 6-foot-7 Kennedy Basham, and 6-foot-3 Grace VanSlooten.

Broadcast information has not been announced yet.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

Latest PFN 2023 NFL mock draft has Vikings going IOL

Interior offensive line is a sneaky need for the Vikings

Mock drafts are a ton of fun and they give a lot of different ideas and scenarios to what could happen in the actual NFL draft.

Since the beginning of the calendar year, we have collected over 40 mock drafts and Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings has sent the Minnesota Vikings their 23rd different prospect in North Dakota State LT Cody Mauch, who Cummings projects will slide into guard at the next level.

“Disappointing finish aside, the Vikings showed promise in Year 1 under Kevin O’Connell. But if they’re going to ride out the rest of the way with Kirk Cousins at QB, the interior offensive line has to be impenetrable.

That means no settling at offensive guard. In Cody Mauch, they can get a mauler in the run game, with the strength to dominate in pass pro.”

In playing at NDSU, Mauch has already run a myriad of rushing concepts and has a chance to show that he can dominate higher level competition at the Senior Bowl in a couple of weeks.

How to watch Louisiana native and former LSU QB Lindsey Scott in FCS semifinal on Friday night

Here’s how to catch former Louisiana Player of the Year in Friday night’s FCS semifinal game against North Dakota State.

A former Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year will try to punch his ticket to the FCS Championship on Friday night.

[autotag]Lindsey Scott[/autotag], who began his collegiate career at LSU, has become a prolific playmaker at Incarnate Word. He and the Cardinals are traveling north to face FCS powerhouse North Dakota State.

Scott played his high school ball at Zachary, the same place as current LSU commit [autotag]Kylin Jackson[/autotag]. Among other stops, he also spent a couple years at Nicholls just before ending up at UIW.

Incarnate Word, the nation’s leading offense, is coming off a 66-63 shootout victory over Sacramento State where Scott totaled 385 yards and six touchdowns.

The semi-final contest will kick off at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2. According to BetMGM, North Dakota State is an 8.5-point favorite.

Things have come a little easier for the Bison, which has won both of its playoff games by two scores or more. Scott’s Cardinals have been in back-to-back one-possession battles.

The two programs haven’t met since 2014.

[mm-video type=video id=01gmcmc45h31vxx8wb2t playlist_id=01eqbz5s7cf4w69e0n player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gmcmc45h31vxx8wb2t/01gmcmc45h31vxx8wb2t-1bdbb886b895e3e985a2ac379c6df75b.jpg]

[listicle id=61316]

Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.