THE OPENING PITCH: After a successful 3-1 stint in the opening weekend of the 2025 campaign, the University of Minnesota Duluth competes in the Minnesota State University Invitational Softball Tournament against Concordia University, St. Paul and host Minnesota State University, Mankato. The Bulldogs will take on the Golden Bears and the Mavericks once on Friday, Feb. 7 and come back the following day on Saturday, Feb. 8 for a rematch of the same two clubs. UMD kicks off its weekend slate with CSP at 12:30 p.m. followed by squaring off with MSU at 3:00 p.m. at the Maverick All-Sports Dome

SCOUTING REPORT ON CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL: The Golden Bears finished last season 37-14 overall and 19-7 in the NSIC, which was second in the conference. CSP concluded its 2024 season dropping its opening matchup in the NSIC Tournament to Minot State University. Friday will be the season opener for the Golden Bears, who had last week off. They return seven starters from last year's team and add 10 newcomers to the squad that was selected to finish runner-ups in the NSIC Preseason Poll. Sophomore infielder Alexis Monty was tabbed as the NSIC Preseason Player of the Year after winning NSIC Freshman of the Year last season. Erica McCullough was named CSP's Pitcher to Watch after being named an All-NSIC Second Team selection last season. Concordia-St. Paul is coached by 21-year head coach Bob Bartel, who holds a 566-456-1 overall record and the reigning NSIC Coach of the Year.

SCOUTING REPORT ON MINNESOTA STATE: The Mavericks went 39-16 last season and 19-9 in the NSIC, which was tied for fourth in the conference. MSU also had its 2024 season come to an end at the hands of Minnesota State University-Moorhead in opening round of the NSIC Tournament. Friday will also be the season and home openers for the Mavericks, who were also idle last week. Minnesota State is returning 14 players from last year's team and added eight newcomers to the team that was projected to finish third in the NSIC Preseason Poll. Junior outfielder/pitcher Sailor Hall and sophomore pitcher Maddie Oetzmann were named the Mavericks' Players to Watch in the conference this season. MSU coached by long-time head coach Lori Meyer, who is in her 41st year at MSU and holds a 1,405-749-3 career record.

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and its opponents stack up with their respective records this season, their conference records from last season and place and their ranking in the 2025 NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
 

TEAM	RECORD	NSIC	POLL
UMD	3-1	20-8 (Third)	Fourth
CSP	0-0	19-7 (Second)	Second
MSU	0-0	19-9 (T-Fourth)	Third

CATCH THE ACTION: All games this weekend including all four UMD contests will be available to view via a live stream carried by Minnesota Stat and can be viewed at: nsicnetwork.com/umdbulldogs/
Live Stats will be available to view for each game at: msumavericks.com/sidearmstats/softball/summary

FAMILIAR FOES: The Bulldogs have had the advantage over the Golden Bears up until last season. UMD won six straight games until CSP swept the Bulldogs in St. Paul, Minn., last season in a pair of one-run decisions (2-3 and 5-6). In fact, four of the last five meetings were decided by one run.

Versus Minnesota State, UMD is 3-4 over the past three seasons including a split last season at home (6-2, 0-5) at Malosky. Both teams have split the conference series each year with the Mavericks gaining the upper hand, having a decisive victory in the NSIC Tournament back in 2022. This is the first non-conference regular-season match up between the two clubs since 2021 when both clubs split in Mankato.

LAST PLATE APPEARANCE: UMD went 3-1 at the Kelly Laas Memorial Tournament this past weekend. The Bulldogs rattled off a pair of victories on opening day, blanking Southwest Minnesota State University 7-0 and defeating tournament-host St. Cloud State University 10-3. The following day, the offense stayed red-hot, rolling up 10 runs against to best SMSU 10-4 for the second straight day. Bemidji State University played the role of spoilers on UMD's undefeated weekend bid as the Beavers knocked off the Bulldogs 8-3 to conclude the tournament.

SCHMITT TABBED PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior infielder Nicole Schmitt was named the NSIC Player of the Week for her efforts this past weekend on Tuesday. 

Schmitt, the product of Edgewood H.S., went .714 (10-for-14) at the dish in four games with four doubles, two home runs and a NSIC-high 12 RBI. She posted a .714/.765/1.429 slash line, which she led the NSIC in batting average, slugging percentage and doubles to start the season, and she recorded multi-hit games in all four games.

It is the first time Schmitt has received a weekly honor during her collegiate tenure, and the first Bulldog to win a league award since Lauren Dixon claimed Pitcher of the Week honors back on Apr. 22, 2024 for the second time last season. In addition, she is the first Bulldog since Sidney Zavoral to earn the Player of the Week accolade, earning that distinction back on Feb. 14, 2023. 

SCHMITT ON TOP OF THE CHARTS: After her Player of the Week recognition, Nicole Schmitt is near the top of the charts in many offensive categories. She ranks nationally second in RBIs with 12, fourth in total bases with 20, eighth in slugging at 1.429, 10th in home runs with two, 11th in batting average at .714, 12th in on-base at .765, 21st in hits with 10 and 27th in stolen bases with four.

SHE SO FAST: Second baseman Nicole Schmitt nabbed three stolen bases in the previous game against Bemidji State University back on Sunday, Feb. 2. The senior is the first Bulldog to swipe three bases in a game since Kat Burkhardt did so twice in the 2022 season -- most recently against Northern State University back on 4/5/2022.

CONTROL OF THE CIRCLE: Senior pitcher Allison Luoma has started each game thus far this season. Her four starts are the fourth most in the nation. Luoma is 1-0 this season with a share of a shutout this season and holds team best marks in ERA (3.75), WHIP (1.25) and strikeouts (12).

DOUBLES MACHINE: UMD ranks 10th in the nation in doubles and third in the nation in doubles per game. The Bulldogs have 12 doubles through the first four games including six doubles against Southwest Minnesota State University, the most doubles by UMD in a game since they blasted seven against the University of Mary back on 4/11/2021.

LONG, LONG GONE: UMD also ranks 10th in the nation in home runs and eighth in the nation in homers per game. The Bulldogs have homered in each of their four games this season and have five dingers in total. 

GOOD EYE: Free passes have been a steady diet in 2025. UMD has 27 walks, which is fourth in the nation. The Bulldogs have walked at least five times in all four contests including a season-high nine base on balls against St. Cloud State University.

RUNS ON RUNS: UMD posted back-to-back 10-run games for the first time since the 2023 season, when the Bulldogs pulled off double-digit runs in four straight. UMD registered a run differential of 53-5 during that four-game span. The Bulldogs are averaging 7.5 runs a game, the highest total in the NSIC and 21st in the nation.

SURVEY SAYS: The NSIC coaches placed UMD fourth in the coaches' preseason poll for the second time in a row. The poll was released on Jan. 23 and the league selected Augustana to finish first in the 2025 NSIC Preseason Softball Coaches' Poll. This marks the sixth consecutive season that the Vikings have been selected to win the NSIC. The four-time defending regular season champions amassed 196 points and 14 first place votes. Concordia-St. Paul was second with 174 points and Minnesota State came in third with 163 points and the other first place vote. The Bulldogs, who are looking to secure their first regular season title since 2013, claimed 157 points.

Augustana senior pitcher Grace Glanzer -- the 2024 NSIC Pitcher of the Year -- was named the NSIC Preseason Pitcher of the Year, while Concordia-St. Paul sophomore infielder Alexis Monty -- the 2024 NSIC Freshman of the Year -- was named the NSIC Preseason Player of the Year.
 

2025 NSIC Softball Preseason Poll	Points
1. Augustana (14)	196
2. Concordia St. Paul	174
3. Minnesota State (1)	163
4. Minnesota Duluth	157
5. Winona State	155
6. Minot State	125
7. St. Cloud State	116
8. MSU Moorhead	100
9. Sioux Falls	86
10. Southwest Minnesota State	81
11. Northern State	70
12. Bemidji State	54
13. Wayne State	43
14. Minnesota Crookston	38
15. U-Mary	17

    first place votes in ( )

ALL EYES ON ME: Senior infielder Nicole Schmitt and sophomore pitcher Maddy Walsh were selected as the UMD duo to watch for from the conference. Schmitt was labeled the Player to Watch and Walsh was labeled the Pitcher to Watch.

Schmitt, a native of Verona, Wis., was the lone Bulldog to suit up and play in every game last season. She paced the club with 62 hits, 18 doubles, six home runs and 45 RBI. She carried a slash line of .354/.418/.560 as she maintained a consistent cog in the heart of the lineup.  The two-time All-NSIC First Team selection enters her season finale with career marks of a .324 batting average, a .403 on-base and a .502 slugging percentage.

Walsh, the local hometown product, flashed immediately her freshman season going 8-1 on the rubber in 11 starts and 23 total appearances. The Duluth, Minn., native held a 2.53 ERA in 78.1 innings while combining for a pair of shutouts and even locked down games with a team-high two saves last season en route to being named to the NSIC All-Conference second team. Walsh held the opposition to a .254 batting average and struck out 54 batters while walking only 20.

THE 2024 SEASON IN REVIEW: The Bulldogs ended the 2024 season in the NSIC Championship game, losing to Augustana University for the postseason tournament crown. It was a rematch of the 2023 Championship game, which saw UMD win its first postseason conference championship since 2002. The Bulldogs finished 41-15 overall and third in the NSIC with a 20-8 record.

2024 ACCOLADES: Pitcher Lauren Dixon, outfielder Kat Burkhardt and infielder Nicole Schmitt earned NSIC All-Conference First Team, while pitcher Maddy Walsh garnered a spot on the NSIC All-Conference Second Team. 

Dixon, the 2024 NSIC's Preseason Player of the Year, was named to the 2024 D2 Conference Commissioner's Association Second Team. Dixon capped her Bulldog career strikeout record at 821 with the addition of 236 – an NSIC-high – this season and owned a record of 23-6. Dixon, a two-time NSIC Pitcher of the Week and named to the NFCA D2 Pitcher of the Year Watchlist, also took over UMD career marks for wins (74), games completed (81), starts by a pitcher (105), and the innings pitched record at 659.1.

HEAVY BATS TO FILL: Four starters return to the 2025 lineup, leaving much of the production behind from last year. Senior infielder Nicole Schmitt, junior outfielder Morgan McMillan, sophomore infielder Khendal Johnson, and sophomore infielder Kendal Jenkins return as the starters that accumulated 35.8 percent of the team's hits last season, 38.9 percent of the club's RBIs, and 34.0 percent of the team's runs. Those four returnees combined to hit at a .315 average, 15 points higher than the Bulldogs' .300 team average from last year. 

GETTING THE CALL UP: The Bulldogs feature seven new players to the 2025 roster which includes six freshmen. That list comprise of infielder Taryn Christopher (Kaukauna, Wis.), infielder Taylor Dawyduk (Winnipeg, Manitoba), utility player Kaylie Frydenlund (Sun Prairie, Wis.), pitcher Taylor Gallahue (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.), outfielder Lauren Jenkins (Hastings, Minn.), and infielder Taylor Tschida (St. Michael, Minn.). The other lone newcomer is sophomore outfielder Billi Connell (Luverne, Minn.), who transfers in after one season at the University of Minnesota.

HOW THE BULLDOGS ARE COMPILED:

By Class	By Position
Freshman: 6	Catcher: 1
Sophomore: 7	Infielder: 7
Junior: 5	Outfielder: 6
Senior: 2	Pitcher: 4
	Utility: 2

CANADA, EH?: Taylor Dawyduk is just the fourth born Canadian to play for the UMD Bulldog softball team. The last player from the Great White North to suit up for the maroon and gold was Myriam Trepanier, who was duo a duo sport athlete playing for the women's hockey team from 2006-09.

SISTER ACT III: Teammates junior Kendal Jenkins and  freshman Lauren Jenkins are the third pairing of siblings to suit up and play for the UMD softball team, joining the Sadler's (Cayli and Sammi) and the Hotops' (Jen and Leanne). The Sadler duo, the recent sister, sister act, played one year together in 2016. The Hotops played three seasons together from 2000-02. 

WELCOME TO THE BIG LEAGUES: Four freshmen made their collegiate debuts this season -- Taryn Christopher (SMSU/ Feb 1), Taylor Dawyduk (SMSU/ Feb. 2), Lauren Jenkins (SMSU/ Feb. 1), and Taylor Tschida (SMSU/ Feb. 1).

Three freshmen have collected their first collegiate hits -- Christopher (BSU/ Feb. 2), Jenkins, who also tallied her first home run on the same at-bat (SMSU/ Feb. 1), and Tschida (SCSU/ Feb 1).

THE FIRST OF MANY TO COME: Nat Wagner grabbed his first win -- in his first game -- as the head coach of the UMD softball team against Southwest Minnesota State University. The Bulldogs defeated the Mustangs in convincing fashion, blanking the Mustangs 7-0 in the season opener on Feb. 1.

THE WAGNER FILES: A new era of Bulldog softball commences this season with the addition of head coach Nat Wagner. The newest manager of the maroon and gold becomes just the fifth head coach in the program's 44-year history after serving as an assistant coach for the University of Saint Thomas the past two seasons. Prior, Wagner was at the helm of the Minot State University program for three years, leading the Beavers to a 60-48 record and one NSIC Postseason appearance.

ON DECK: The Bulldogs will be back in action starting on Feb. 20 for the Lewis Dome Invitational. The three-day, six-game non-conference tournament will take place in Rosemount, Ill., on the campus of Lewis University.