Preview: North Dakota State Bison at South Dakota State Jackrabbits

BROOKINGS, S.D. (Interstat) — Two Summit League rivals seeking momentum will open a weekend series when North Dakota State visits South Dakota State on Friday evening at Erv Huether Field.

The Bison (3-17) and Jackrabbits (5-16) have both struggled through difficult non-conference slates but enter the series coming off narrow, high-scoring road losses to Power Five opponents earlier this week.

North Dakota State snapped a 10-game skid with an 11-inning, 7-4 win at Minnesota on Tuesday, powered by a breakout performance from catcher Evan Gustafson. The junior went 2 for 5 with two home runs and five RBIs in that victory. He has three homers and seven RBIs over his last five games, providing a key spark for an offense averaging just 2.9 runs during its recent losing streak.

South Dakota State fell 12-11 in a back-and-forth contest at Oklahoma State on Wednesday. The Jackrabbits’ bullpen kept them in that game, notably Jacob Sjuts, who delivered 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief. The right-hander has been a bright spot, allowing just two earned runs over his last 9 1/3 innings pitched across seven appearances.

The series opener features favorable conditions, with a clear sky and a game-time temperature near 70 degrees forecast.

Despite their records, the Interstat game simulator projects a tight, low-scoring affair, favoring North Dakota State by a 2-1 margin.

Friday’s game marks the start of a three-game set between the Dakota rivals. The series continues with games on Saturday and Sunday in Brookings.