The Basics 
The Bulldogs are slated for a week full of games with six on the schedule. Drake begins the week with a single game on the road at in-state rival UNI on Tuesday, April 1 followed by a quick turnaround for a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday, April 2 against South Dakota from Ron Buel Field. The Bulldogs then welcome Illinois State for a home weekend conference series, April 4-6.
  
Bulldogs by the Numbers 
Drake improved its overall record to 11-20 on the season following a 3-1 week against Western Illinois and Indiana State last week. The Bulldogs displayed an impressive offensive performance against the Leathernecks with a season-high 14 runs in their 14-2 victory and took two of three games in the home opening weekend against the Sycamores to give them their first MVC series win of the year.
 
At the plate, the Bulldogs are led by freshman standout Ava Curry. The Pella, Iowa native, who leads the team in hitting at .364, went 5-for-13 (.384) last week with two runs scored and two RBI. Both of her RBI's proved to be game-winners with a go-ahead single and a walk-off sacrifice fly.
 
Sophomore Natalee Watts also produced at the dish last week going 6-for-13 (.462) and showcased her power with a double, a triple, and a home run over her four games. Watts is currently slashing .222/.321/.259 with six RBI on the season.
 
From the pitching staff, senior Paige Bedsworth owns a record of 4-1 and has the second-best ERA in the MVC at 1.55. Over 40.1 innings of work, she has compiled 24 strikeouts to 11 walks and is holding opponents to a .199 hitting clip.
 
 
Scouting the Competition
The UNI Panthers currently sit in second place in the MVC standings with a mark of 7-2 and are coming off a home series loss against Bradley. Overall, UNI has a record of 19-10 and despite their series loss to the Braves, the Panthers have won eight of their last 10.
 
As a team, UNI is hitting .276 while Kylee Sanders posts the best batting average at .462. The senior ranks second on the Panthers in doubles (8), RBI (20), and stolen bases (10). Anna Wischnowski leads the Panthers pitching staff with 12 starts and 17 appearances on the season to go along with a record of 9-5 and an ERA of 2.92. Wischnowski has tossed eight complete games over her 2025 campaign and has 64 total strikeouts.
 
In the all-time series between Drake and UNI, the Panthers have the edge, 32-29. The Bulldogs will look to end a 12-game losing streak against UNI with the contest on Tuesday, but are 11-17 in games played from Cedar Falls all-time.
 
The South Dakota Coyotes head to Des Moines with an overall record 20-14 and are an even 5-5 in their last 10 contests with series wins over Wofford and North Dakota. In the Summit League preseason poll, South Dakota was picked to finish third.
 
South Dakota boasts a pair of players hitting over the .400 mark on the season in Tatum Villotta (.409) and Delaney White (.407). Villotta leads the team in triples (3) and ranks second in RBI (17). Meanwhile, White paces the Coyotes nine doubles and 25 RBI.
 
McKenna Young and Clara Edwards have been the main two arms for the South Dakota pitching staff combining for 31 starts out of a possible 34 games. Young owns a record of 9-5 to go along with an ERA of 2.03 and 104 strikeouts. Edwards has reached the double-digit mark for wins with a record of 10-6 and has a 2.49 ERA.
 
The history between Drake and South Dakota is brief, but the Bulldogs are a game up in the all-time series between the two programs, 3-2. In games played from Des Moines, the series is tied at 1-1.
 
Illinois State is coming off a MVC series win over UIC this past weekend taking two games, with the third being postponed, against the Flames. The Redbirds have an overall record of 10-23 this season and are 4-5 in conference play. Before its trip to Des Moines, Illinois State travels to Bradley for a single game on Tuesday.
 
Abby Knight has been the top producer at the plate for the Redbirds slashing .314/.451/.364 this season. Knight has tallied eight doubles and a pair of homers in 2025 including 10 RBI.
 
In the circle, Hannah Meshnick posts an ERA of 3.21 over 100.1 innings of work. The junior has an even strikeout to walk ratio with 39 in both categories across 13 starts.
 
The Redbirds lead the all-time series over the Bulldogs, 29-23, with Drake going 13-18 in home games against Illinois State.
 
 
Up Next 
Drake will host UNI for a midweek contest on Tuesday, April 8, and then hit the road for a weekend series against Evansville, April 11-13.