Thirty-nine wins. A sweep of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season and postseason champions on their home turf in nearly a decade. Two NSIC First Team selections and a NSIC All-Defensive Team standout. Four single-season records broken. And... a postseason run that went all the way to the NSIC Semifinals. 

That was just a few of the University of Minnesota Duluth softball team highlights in head coach Nat Wagner's first season at the helm of the program. 

Wagner's Bulldogs posted a 39-17 record and finished fifth in the NSIC with a 18-8 record. UMD defeated St. Cloud State University 10-2 in the NSIC Quarterfinals before bowing out to eventual champions Augustana University in the semifinals. The 39 wins is tied for the most wins in program history for a first-year head coach, matching Lynn Anderson from the 2022 season.

Wagner continued the program's standard for excellence in his initial stint after the Bulldogs lost 11 letterwinners, seven of those main contributors in the starting lineup including Lauren Dixon, one of UMD's most prolific pitchers in program history with seven records. Armed with 13 returners and seven newcomers for 2025, the Bulldogs were in contention all spring but fell just short of returning to the NCAA Tournament for the 11th time. 

The Bulldogs posted Wagner's first win as manager in the season opener with a 7-0 shutout of Southwest Minnesota State University. That was the first of 20 non-conference wins to start the year, which was the most since 2018 when the program made their first-ever NCAA Super Regional. 

After a successful non-conference run UMD did one of the unthinkable things this season during conference play -- sweep Augustana on Bowden Field. It was a span of 3,268 days since last that UMD struck down the perennial powerhouse in its annual NSIC twinbill series. The Bulldogs busted out the run-rule in a 9-1 victorious five-inning fashion in game one then came from behind in the sixth inning with a four-run barrage to oust the Vikings 4-3 for the sweep. Augustana has lost only 16 times at home in the last decade and it was the first time since 2019 that the Vikings were swept on their home field.

That momentum kindled later into an offensive onslaught that propelled the Bulldogs into the NSIC Tournament winning 11 of 12 games before bowing out in the postseason semifinals. The start of that inferno featured 46 runs during a three-game stint, the most runs by UMD dating back to the 2018 season. The Bulldogs registered 15 runs on Minnesota State University, Mankato then compiled 33 runs in the road doubleheader against the University of Sioux Falls. In that series against the Cougars, the Bulldogs erupted for a season-high 18 runs on the frontend of the double dip. Those 33 runs were the most in back-to-back games dating back to April 11, 2021 when UMD put up that exact total in the double header sweep of the University of Mary. Oddly enough, UMD also put up 18 runs that day which was the last time they put up that many runs in a single game.

All-in-all, Wagner's club amassed the program's fifteenth straight full season with at least 30 wins. The 39 wins in Wagner's inaugural season is tied for sixth-most wins in program history. 

The Bulldogs also carried success at an individual level as well. 

Senior infielder Nicole Schmitt and junior catcher Kendal Jenkins earned NSIC First Team All-Conference recognition and junior pitcher Allyssa Williams attained NSIC All-Defensive Team honors. Schmitt became the first Bulldog since Duluth native Tyra Kerr (2011-13) to be a three-time first-team honoree. Jenkins became the 59th player in program history to receive NSIC First Team distinction. Williams became the first player to attain All-Defensive merit since 2021, and the second Bulldog pitcher to laid acclaim to her defensive prowess around the circle, joining Sam Hartmann who secured the honor in 2016.

Multiple Bulldogs cataloged career years including the senior duo of pitcher Allison Luoma and Nicole Schmitt.

Luoma grabbed the reins and touted the circle as the team's No. 1 pitcher down the stretch run. She toed the rubber for 27 starts and 34 appearances going 16-6 and three saves. The Iron River, Wis. native tossed a team-leading 123 strikeouts in 161 innings and carried a 3.17 ERA. Luoma played a pivotal role as she racked up seven straight wins including the NSIC quarterfinal win over St. Cloud State. She went the distance in the win tossing nine strikeouts, one shy of matching her season game-high. Also during that time frame, she pitched a pair of shutouts and went 25 straight innings without allowing a run. Luoma departs finishing with a 23-10 career record and a sub-3.00 earned run average in 63 games of action in her three years at UMD.

With more postseason accolades on the horizon, Schmitt put forth one of the best individual performances the program has witnessed. The Verona, Wis. native smashed four single-season program records during her senior campaign. She now holds the program records for home runs (18), RBI (69), total bases (148), and slugging percentage (.813). Along with being bestowed as a three-time all-conference first-teamer, she was named UMD's Outstanding Senior Female Athlete of the Year and NSIC Softball Outstanding Senior of the Year.

While she dominated in the diamond, she also comprised the components of the three C's: Classroom, Competition, Community. A biochemistry major, she holds a 4.0 cumulative grade point average, on pace to graduate Summa Cum Laude, and is a 2025 NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award Winner. When not on the field or in the classroom, Schmitt is a ubiquitous and visible presence on campus. She regularly volunteers at St. Luke's Hospital, Ruby's Pantry, and is a guiding force in AIA (Athletes in Action) at UMD.

Schmitt is currently ranked in top 20 among the Division II ranks in slugging percentage, total bases, runs, hits, home runs and RBI. Schmitt capped off her four-year Bulldog tenure with a career .356 batting average in 218 games. She registered 223 hits including 50 doubles, 32 home runs, 150 runs and 169 RBI. A terror at the plate, she comprised a career .356/.434/.593 slash line.