Metro area college baseball and softball teams get seasons underway

Spring sports have sprung for metro-area colleges, albeit in other locales or under a dome roof.

The North Dakota State softball team opened its season Feb. 10 at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge. The Bison won their season-opener over Cal Baptist but have since lost five straight, including two to Ole Miss on Monday, Feb. 13.

The Bison have four more games in the Challenge beginning Thursday, Feb. 16, then play five games in the Plainsman Invite in Auburn, Alabama, beginning Feb. 24.

In 2022, NDSU finished 30-23 overall and 10-8 in the Summit League.

The Bison baseball team opens its 2023 season with four games at Sacramento State on Feb. 17-19. They then move on to the Tony Gwynn Classic for games against San Diego State, UC San Diego and San Diego on Feb. 24-26. NDSU is coming off a 2022 season in which it finished 31-19 overall and won the Summit League regular-season championship with a 17-5 mark.

The Minnesota State Moorhead softball team is off to a good start following the first of two Presentation Dome Tournaments over the weekend.

The Dragons are 4-0 after wins over Valley City State, Morningside, Doane and Jamestown. They outscored their opponents 36-8. Presentation Dome Tournament No. 2 is Feb. 17-18 and the Dragons play St. Mary (Neb.), Kansas Wesleyan, Dickinson State and Jamestown.

David Samson/The Forum

The Dragons then embark on a trip to Rosemount, Ill., for five games at the 2023 Dome Invitational on Feb. 23-23. MSUM is already halfway to its win total of 2022, during which the Dragons were 8-36 overall and 5-23 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

The Concordia baseball team has three weeks before kicking off its 2023 schedule at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational on March 5-13 in Auburndale, Florida.

After the RussMatt, the Cobbers play Hamilton in a couple games in Davenport, Florida on March 15, then three games at Wheaton in Illinois on March 24-25.

Their first home game is scheduled against Mayville State on March 28. Concordia was 10-10 in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and 15-16 overall in 2022.

The Concordia softball team gets its season underway at the MSU Dome in Mankato on Feb. 18-19 with games against Bethany Lutheran, Martin Luther, Nebraska Wesleyan and Dubuque.

The Cobbers follow that up with 10 games in Florida on March 4-9 before their scheduled area opener at Minnesota Morris on March 25. Concordia was 6-12 in the MIAC and 12-20 overall in 2022.