VALLEY CITY, N.D. (vcsuvikings.com) – The Valley City State softball team opens its season this weekend at the Presentation College Dome Classic in Aberdeen, S.D. The Vikings will play four games during the weekend with two games on Friday and two on Saturday. Live stats and video will be available for all games.
Valley City State takes on Dordt University on Friday at 10 a.m. and University of Jamestown at 12 p.m.
The Vikings are scheduled to take on No. 22 Morningside College on Saturday at 10 a.m. and Dakota Wesleyan University at 2 p.m.
Tournament website
Friday links: Live Video | VCSU vs. Dordt Stats | VCSU vs. UJ Stats
Saturday links: Live Video | VCSU vs. Morningside Stats | VCSU vs. Dakota Wesleyan Stats
Valley City State is ranked No. 10 in the Preseason NAIA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll after finishing their 2019 campaign at the NAIA World Series. The Vikings graduated three seniors from last year’s squad and will feature new coaches this year as Mark Mattson and Barbi Mattson take over the program.
“The ladies have been giving everything they have since the beginning of school and really take pride in their practice work ethic,” says new head coach Mark Mattson. “You can expect the team to be full of energy and very passionate about the game. They have high expectations for themselves and have been going about things the right way.”
The Vikings are selected to finish first in the North Star Athletic Association Preseason Poll. Valley City State opens conference play on March 21, at home with a doubleheader against Dakota State University.
Valley City State is coming off of a historic 2019 season after going 54-5 and setting the school record for wins in a season. The Vikings won the North Star Athletic Association Regular Season and Tournament championships, earning a spot in the NAIA National Tournament. The Vikings won their bracket in the opening round which allowed them to advance to the NAIA World Series for just the third time in school history. The Vikings broke more than a dozen team and individual records last season.
(photo courtesy VCSU Athletics)