The 2023 Summit League softball tournament took place from May 10–14, 2023. The top six regular-season finishers of the league's eight teams met in the modified double-elimination tournament at Jackrabbit Softball Stadium on the campus of South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota. The schedule for the tournament was modified a few times due to rain in the Brookings area during the tournament, with the title games suspended and moved to Sunday, May 14. Omaha won the tournament and earned the Summit League's automatic bid to the 2023 NCAA Division I softball tournament. The defending champion, South Dakota State, made the title game of the tournament but was defeated by the Mavericks.
Standings PlaceSeedTeam Conference Overall W L % W L % 1 1South Dakota State1703515 2 2 Omaha1552815 3 3 North Dakota State1382919 4 4 South Dakota1192226 5 5 North Dakota9101237 6 St. Thomas6141835 7 6Kansas City417942 8 Western Illinois315936 St. Thomas is ineligible for the Summit League and NCAA tournaments through 2026 St. Thomas and Western Illinois did not participate in the tournament Reference:
Format and seeding The top six finishers from the regular season were seeded one through six based on conference winning percentage during the conference's regular season. The tournament played out as a modified double-elimination tournament, with the bottom four seeds playing each other in the single-elimination first round and the rest of the tournament as a double-elimination. Due to their transition from Division III to Division I, St. Thomas is ineligible for the Summit League tournament and NCAA tournament until 2026.
Schedule GameTime*Matchup#TelevisionLocation Attendance First Round – Wednesday, May 10 1 2:00 PM No. 4 South Dakota 2 vs. No. 5 North Dakota 0 MidcoSN Jackrabbit Softball Stadium 160 2 4:30 PM No. 3 North Dakota State 3 vs. No. 6 Kansas City 0Played across 5/10-5/11 MidcoSN Jackrabbit Softball Stadium 143 Quarterfinals – Thursday, May 11 3 12:00 PM No. 1 South Dakota State 0 vs. No. 4 South Dakota 2 MidcoSN Jackrabbit Softball Stadium 273 4 2:30 PM No. 2 Omaha 5 vs. No. 3 North Dakota State 1 MidcoSN Jackrabbit Softball Stadium 273 5 5:00 PM No. 1 South Dakota State 10 vs. No. 3 North Dakota State 2 (5) MidcoSN Jackrabbit Softball Stadium 254 Semifinals – Friday, May 12 6 2:00 PM No. 2 Omaha 14 vs. No. 4 South Dakota 2(5) MidcoSN Jackrabbit Softball Stadium 147 7 4:30 PM No. 1 South Dakota State 3 vs. No. 4 South Dakota 0 MidcoSN Jackrabbit Softball Stadium 263 Finals – Sunday, May 13 8 1:00 PM No. 1 South Dakota State 0 vs. No. 2 Omaha 1Played on 5/13 and 5/14 MidcoSN Jackrabbit Softball Stadium 210*Game times in CDT. # - Rankings denote tournament seed. Reference:
All-Tournament Team The following players were named to the All-Tournament Team: Player SchoolKamryn Meyer (MVP)OmahaRachel WeberMaggie O'BrienLynsey TuckerOlivia AdenShannon LaseySouth Dakota StateTori KniescheRozelyn CarrilloBrooke DumontGabby MoserSouth DakotaCourtney WilsonClara EdwardsPaige VargasNorth Dakota StateCarley GoetschiusJackie AlbrechtNorth DakotaLexy SmithKansas City
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