THE OPENING PITCH: All aboard The Sunshine State! Spring Break is upon the horizon and the University of Minnesota Duluth prepares for the warmth, the sun and THE Spring Games in Clermont, Fla. The Bulldogs play four double headers in a week-long stay with all eight games at the Legends Way Ballpark. UMD will see two familiar foes from this season already with HIllsdale College and Purdue University Northwest reappearing for a rematch. Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and Queens College are first on the docket for the 15-5 Bulldogs starting Saturday, March 8.

SCOUTING REPORT ON EDINBORO (PA): The Fighting Scots are 0-8 this season after losing to Grand Valley State and West Virginia Wesleyan. They started the season in Florida this past Sunday and play St. Cloud State and St. Thomas Aquinas on Friday. Edinboro went 15-29 and failed to make the postseason last season. The Scots are coached by Dan Gieriak, who is in his 36th season, and has a 512-720-5 record.

SCOUTING REPORT ON QUEENS: The Knights will begin their 2025 season with UMD and Northwood on Saturday. Queens had its season come to an end in the East Coast Conference Tournament after an 18-27 finish in 2024. Amy Delmore is the head coach of the Knights with a 156-254-2 record in her 11th season.

SCOUTING REPORT ON FINDLAY: The Oilers are 7-1 after dispatching Wayne State University in double header action. Findlay, who split with No. 15 Indianapolis earlier this season, begins their Spring Games on Thursday. The Oilers ended last season 34-20 overall and lost in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament Championship game. Danielle Lowe carries a head coaching record of 253-167 in her 10th season with the Oilers.

SCOUTING REPORT ON HILLSDALE: The Chargers are 6-7 this season after finishing up at the Lewis Dome Invitational a few weeks ago. Hillsdale, who opens up their Spring Games with UMD on Sunday, capped off last season going 34-14 and bowed out in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament. The Chargers are coached by Kyle Gross, who owns a 166-125 record in his seventh season.

SCOUTING REPORT ON BENTLEY: The Falcons also begin the 2025 season at THE Spring Games with their first game taking place on Sunday. Bentley made it to the opening round of the Northeast-10 Tournament losing to Saint Anselm after a 20-24 overall record. Terry McDonough is the head coach of Bentley in her ninth season. She has a 149-177-1 record with the Falcons.

SCOUTING REPORT ON NORTHWOOD: The Timberwolves are 2-2 this season with splits versus No. 19 McKendree and, more recently, Missouri-St. Louis. Northwood went 35-20 last season and made it to the NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament. Gregg Sauve is the head coach of the Timberwolves in his ninth season and has a 214-158-2 record.

SCOUTING REPORT ON SAINT MARTIN'S: The Saints are 8-4 so far in 2025 riding a current three-game winning streak with a four-game series against Western Washington set for this weekend. Saint Martin's made it to the NCAA West Region Tournament and capped off the season with a 27-22 record. Jim Peterson is 166-138 as the head coach of the Saints in his eighth season. 

SCOUTING REPORT ON PURDUE NORTHWEST: The Pride are 3-10 this season after losing a double header to Lewis on Wednesday. Heading into Florida with a four-game losing skid, they will also open play with UMD and Indiana (PA) on Thursday, March 13. In 2024, Purdue Northwest went 33-22 and lost to Saginaw Valley State in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament to conclude the year. The Pride are coached by Tristan Zink, who is in her fifth season with the PNW, and carries a 114-97 record.

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and its opponents stack up with its respective records this season, its records compared to last season, and how each team has done in its last 10 contests.
 

TEAM	'25 RECORD	'24 RECORD	LAST 10
UMD	15-5	41-15	8-2
Edinboro	0-8	15-29	0-8
Queens	0-0	18-27	0-0
Findlay	7-1	34-20	7-1
Hillsdale	6-7	34-14	4-6
Bentley	0-0	20-24	0-0
Northwood	2-2	35-20	2-2
Saint Martin's	8-4	27-22	8-2
Purdue Northwest	3-10	33-22	2-8

WELCOME TO THE SPRING GAMES: The world's largest softball event is hosting UMD for the second straight season. Last year, the Bulldogs nearly went perfect, going 9-1 during their trip. UMD won the first nine contests before losing to Purdue Northwest by a single run on the final day. The Bulldogs defeated Northwood last year 4-1 and highlighted the trip with an extra-inning victory over No. 5 Grand Valley State.
.
WELL, WELL, WE MEET AGAIN: UMD defeated both Hillsdale and Purdue Northwest already this season. In the Lewis Dome Invitational, the Bulldogs took down the duo back on Feb. 21 for the twinbill sweep. UMD won 10-8 against Purdue Northwest and capped off the day with a 7-4 victory over Hillsdale. 

LAST PLATE APPEARANCE: UMD went 5-1 in the Drury Softball Classic including winning the last four matches to wrap up tournament action last weekend. A split against Newman (W, 12-1) and Drury (L, 3-7) capped off the opening day. The Bulldogs proceeded to take down Wisconsin Parkside (10-2) and Newman (12-1) on Saturday, and followed up with wins over Parkside (3-0) and Drury (4-3) on the final day.

SCHMITT PLAYER OF THE WEEK X2: Senior infielder Nicole Schmit became the first player this season to be named the NSIC Player of the Week twice. On Monday, Schmitt was awarded the distinction again for her efforts during the Drury Softball Classic. She also earned the honor back on Tuesday, Feb. 4 during the opening week of the season. 

Schmitt, the product of Edgewood H.S., went 9-for-20 with three home runs, 12 RBI and six runs -- all-team highs. She posted a slash line of .450/.500/1.000 and ended the week with a five-game hitting streak. In addition, the NSIC Preseason Player to Watch registered four multi-RBI contests including a week-high four RBI against Wisconsin Parkside. The Verona, Wis., native also displayed her clutch gene at the plate. She smashed the game-deciding two-run home run in the extra-inning 4-3 win against Drury and also had the go-ahead bases-clearing double against Newman.

It is now the second 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: On an absolute offensive tear in non-conference play, Nicole Schmitt is near the top of the charts in many offensive categories in the Division II landscape. She ranks, nationally, second in RBIs with 35, eighth with 59 total bases, 27th with a .922 slugging percentage, seventh with seven home runs, 59th in batting average at .484 and 34th in on-base percentage at .577 and 18th with 25 runs.

GOOD EYE: Free passes have been a steady diet in 2025. UMD has 99 walks, which paces all of Division II. Chaminade is second among the national ranks with 97 walks and six more games played. The Bulldogs have walked at least five times in 11 outings including a season-high 11 base on balls against Concordia University, St. Paul. The 11 walks is the most in a single UMD game dating back to Feb. 11, 2023 against the University of Mary. Five Bulldogs -- Nicole Schmitt, Kendal Jenkins, Khendal Johnson, Sierra Thomas and Serena Timmer -- already have double digit walks with Jenkins pacing the club with 15.

LEROY (KENDAL) JENKINS!!!: Junior infielder Kendal Jenkins should not be overshadowed by her senior counterpart. Jenkins is currently hitting a career best .356 and is on pace to set a personal best with a .493 on-base percentage. She already has matched her career mark in walks (15) in a single season. She is also six hits (high=27), four runs (22), a single home run (three), three RBIs (17) and one double (seven) from matching her other season highs. Jenkins has a team-high seven-game hitting streak with six runs batted in during that stretch. The Hastings, Minn., native also leads the club with 11 stolen bases.

DRURY DUO: Junior infielder Kendal Jenkins and junior outfielder Morgan McMillan had a weekend to remember in Springfield, Mo. Jenkins collected a team-high 10 hits, one of which was her second home run of the season, and led the club hitting .476 over the weekend. McMillan was right on her tail, hitting .467 with nine runs, five walks and three hit by pitches, which were all team-highs over the last six games. Additionally, the duo each had four stolen bases. 

NEW SHERIFFS IN TOWN: With the departure of UMD's all-time pitching leader, senior Allison Luoma and junior Allyssa Williams have stepped in provide a solid rotation in the circle. Luoma is 6-2 this season with a 2.39 ERA in nine starts. Williams is 7-3 with a 2.66 ERA in eight starts. Both pitchers have posted new single season highs in wins before hitting conference play. Luoma is one win away from doubling her wins output in her sophomore and junior seasons.

STRIKE THREE: Senior Allison Luoma and junior Allyssa Williams have each set single-season and single-game strikeout marks this season. Luoma has fanned 40 batters while Williams has struck out a team-high 53 this year. Luoma's single-game high came against Newman back on Feb. 28 when she tossed aside seven Jets in five innings of work. Williams achieved double-digit strikeouts with 11 against Hillsdale back on Feb. 21.

CLOSING TIME: Junior pitcher Allyssa Williams has five career saves. Her five saves is tied for 13th most among her Division II peers. She is tied for fourth most among her class of junior hurlers. Williams notched four saves as a freshman, one as a sophomore and is still looking for her first opportunity this season.
 
KEEP THE BALL IN THE PARK: UMD has allowed just one home run this season in 20 games. It is one of three NSIC clubs to have given up one home run this season. The lone home run given up by the Bulldogs was on Feb. 7 in a 2-0 lost to Minnesota State's Gianna Lara.

SWEET SIXTEEN: The Bulldogs put up 16 runs against Wayne State University (Mich.), a season high. The 16-run performance was the most runs scored by UMD since a 16-0 shutout of Bemidji State University back on Feb. 11, 2023. The Bulldogs compiled 11 runs in the seventh-and-final inning on seven hits including six runs before an out was even recorded in the final inning. The 11 runs was also the most in a single inning by a Bulldog club since they tabbed an 11-run first inning on the University of Mary -- also (oddly enough) back on Feb. 11, 2023.

RUNS ON RUNS: The Bulldogs have scored at least seven runs on 12 occasions and have won all such games. They are averaging 6.60 runs a game, which is 36th in the nation. UMD posted back-to-back 10-run games for the first time since the 2023 season, when the Bulldogs did that feat when they pulled off double-digit runs in four straight. 

GET AHEAD... : Getting out to the early advantage has benefited the Bulldogs. They are 11-2 when scoring first this season. They are also 8-2 when scoring in the first inning. 

... AND STAY AHEAD: UMD has not dropped a game this season when leading after four innings (12-0). Meanwhile, it has come-from-behind on three occasions to pull out a victory this season when trailing in the fifth inning or later. 

DOUBLES MACHINE: UMD ranks 17th in the nation in doubles and 20th in the nation in doubles per game. The Bulldogs have amassed 40 doubles 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.

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.

WELCOME TO THE BIG LEAGUES: All six freshmen have made their collegiate debuts this season -- Taryn Christopher (SMSU/ Feb 1), Taylor Dawyduk (SMSU/ Feb. 2), Kaylie Frydenlund (Wayne State (Mich.)/ Feb. 22) Taylor Gallahue (Wayne State (Mich.)/ Feb. 22), Lauren Jenkins (SMSU/ Feb. 1), and Taylor Tschida (SMSU/ Feb. 1).

Four freshmen have collected their first collegiate hits -- Christopher (BSU/ Feb. 2), Dawyduk (Wayne State (Mich.)/ Feb. 22) Jenkins, who also tallied her first home run on the same at-bat (SCSU/ Feb. 1), and Tschida (SCSU/ Feb 1). Gallahue (Wayne State (Mich.)/ Feb. 22) registered her first career strikeout in her first collegiate game played.

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.

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.

ON DECK: The Bulldogs open Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Saturday, March 22 at home against Winona State University. Opening pitch of the NSIC double-header home opener will begin at 12:00 p.m. at Malosky Stadium.