The University of Minnesota Duluth softball team opened the 2026 season on the road in Texas in the Lone Star D2 College Classic. The Bulldogs battled to a split in the first day of competition with an opening loss to Eastern New Mexico University (4-7) and a victory over Lubbock Christian University (7-6). The win put head coach Nat Wagner at 100 career coaching victories.

The Bulldogs held on to a 7-6 victory for head coach Wagner's 100^th career coaching victory. With a 40-17 record in his second season at UMD, he added to his 60-48 career record to gain the 100^th win milestone. His first season's 39 wins are tied for the most wins in program history for a first-year head coach, matching Lynn Anderson from the 2022 season.

The first seven innings of the day saw UMD jump out ahead 2-0 in the first inning, which included the Bulldogs' first home run of the year from Daphne Evans' bat and a single from Khendal Johnson that brought Kendal Jenkins home. Sierra Thomas held Eastern New Mexico scoreless in the first inning, forcing two groundouts and a putout until being relieved by Emmie Sylvia-Cochran.

The second inning saw the Greyhounds climb ahead on three runs and two hits off of Sylvia-Cochran. From then on, the Bulldogs remained behind as Eastern New Mexico followed up with another four runs in the third inning.

Ashley Mandell would close out the third inning with Maddy Walsh coming in to pitch for the next three innings, holding the Greyhounds scoreless with five strikeouts.  An RBI from Evans and a home run from Serena Timmer tallied the last two runs for UMD in the final two innings for the 7-4 loss.

Game two would start off with Allyssa Williams forcing Lubbock Christian scoreless with one runner left on base, allowing for Evans to open up UMD's scoring with her second home run of the day for a quick 1-0 lead.

The second inning saw the Chaps get ahead for the first and last time with two runs and three hits, which included a home run that tallied both RBIs in a two-out situation by Williams. A hit by pitch on Taylor Tschida, along with a successful infield single by Noelle Krumrie, put both runners on base. After Evans struck out, Morgan McMillan put up a homer into right field to earn three RBIs and put the lead back in the Bulldogs' favor at 4-2. Both Jenkins and Thomas were on base when Johnson sent a single into left field for one RBI, forcing a 5-2 lead into the third inning.

Williams continued to dominate on the mound, keeping the Chaps scoreless until the seventh inning after McMillan and Taryn Christopher hit the last two Bulldog runs in. In the last inning, the Bulldogs battled to keep the lead as LCU put in four runs off four hits. With only one out in that time, the Chaps had room to work with at 7-6, but Williams would force her fifth strikeout of the day and a foul out to close the Bulldogs first win of the season at 7-6.

UMD continues competition in the Lone Star D2 College Classic tomorrow against Lewis University, with the first pitch currently scheduled for 4:15 p.m.