OPENING PITCH: The University of Minnesota Duluth softball team takes the field in its fifth non-conference series of 2026. The Branson Spring Games will feature the Bulldogs facing Truman State University first tomorrow at 2 p.m., with the University of Nebraska at Kearney to follow at 4 p.m. Wednesday will see UMD face William Jewel University for a double header (2/4 p.m.) with another double header on Thursday against Missouri University of Science and Technology (2/4 p.m.).
 
HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD stacks up with the invitational field, with last season's records and this season.
 

TEAM	2025 RECORD (CONF.)	2026 RECORD	POLL
UMD	39-17 (18-8)	12-5	4th (NSIC)
TU	26-25 (14-14)	6-14	8th (GLVC)
UNK	23-27 (9-15)	9-15	11th (MIAA)
WJ	24-26 (11-17)	8-10	T12th (GLVC)
MS&T	19-34 (14-14)	11-9	7th (GLVC)

 
SCOUTING TRUMAN: The two Bulldogs faced off earlier this season in the Lewis Dome Invitational, where the UMD Bulldogs routed Truman 14-5. Leading the batting effort is Cassie Smith with a .467 batting average with eight RBIs, 28 hits, and 14 runs. On the mound, Jayda Long has a 3-4 record in 41.2 innings pitched with a 1.85 ERA. 
 
SCOUTING NEBRASKA KEARNY: One of their top threats is Bailey Peterson; in 59 at-bats, she has a .373 batting average and a .525 slugging percentage. On the mound, Chloe Odle has a 4-3 record in 44.1 innings pitched with a 2.21 ERA.
 
SCOUTING WILLIAM JEWEL: Their top batter in 60 plate appearances is Mikayla Chairez with a .500 batting average and .783 slugging percentage with 30 hits and 11 RBIs. On the mound, Reagan Bennett has a 2-5 record in 32.2 innings pitched with a 4.71 ERA.
 
SCOUTING MISSOURI S&T: In 64 at-bats, Claire Lopez is leading the team in batting average with a .438. She has 28 hits and six RBIs to start the season. On the mound, Mia Miller owns a 5-3 record in 52.2 innings pitched. She has 38 strikeouts with a 5.05 ERA.
 
OPENING SERIES DOMINANCE: The Bulldogs took an impressive 4-1 record home from their trip to the Lone Star D2 College Classic down in Mansfield, Texas, in week one. In all, UMD combined for a total of 31 runs.
 
EVANS EARNS TWO NSIC PLAYER OF THE WEEK SELECTIONS: Daphne Evans of the UMD softball team has claimed two Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Player of the Week selections in her first season as a Bulldog.
 
The freshman outfielder from Chanhassen, Minn., claims the honor after helping the team to a 4-1 start in their first week of competition and leads the NSIC as the top batter. In that span, she hit .556 (10 for 18), owned a .600 on-base percentage, and a 1.000 slugging percentage for an OPS of 1.600.
 
Throughout the week, she tallied a hit in all five outings, with three hits in the season opener against Eastern New Mexico University and three against Rockhurst University. At the plate, she drove in six RBIs with two doubles and two home runs. Out in the field, she tallied her first career putouts with eight total, keeping a clean 1.000 fielding percentage.
 
Evans, a freshman outfielder from Chanhassen, Minn., claims her second NSIC Player of the Week honor as one of the top batters for UMD this week. Throughout the week, she hit .643 (9-for-14), owned a .750 on-base percentage, and a 1.000 slugging percentage. She drove in six RBIs off three doubles and one triple while recording seven putouts in the field. In the Bulldogs' 5-1 week, she tallied a hit or more in all six outings, including a season high of four hits against Truman State University.
 
SYLVIA-COCHRAN EARNS NSIC PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Emmie Sylvia-Cochran claimed the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Pitcher of the Week selection this week after helping the Bulldogs to a 5-1 record in the Lewis Dome Invitational.
 
Sylvia-Cochran, a freshman pitcher from Ham Lake, Minn., earns her first career NSIC Pitcher of the Week honor after going 3-0 this week on the mound. One of those wins marked UMD's first shutout of the season (Roosevelt University, 7-0). Throughout 16 innings pitched, she allowed only nine hits with no errors, struck out 28 batters, and allowed a .161 batting average.
 
SURVEY SAYS: The UMD softball team has been picked to finish fourth in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) competition by the annual preseason coaches' poll. This comes after completing the 2025 season with an overall record of 39-17 and an 18-8 record in NSIC action.
 
 

2026 NSIC Softball Preseason Poll	Points
1. Augustana (12)	221
2. Winona State (4)	202
3. Minnesota State	197
4. Minnesota Duluth	183
5. St. Cloud State	175
6. Concordia-St. Paul	148
7. Wayne State	138
8. Minot State	133
9. Southwest Minnesota State	111
10. Sioux Falls	96
11. MSU Moorhead	80
12. Bemidji State	68
13. Northern State	56
14. Minnesota Crookston	43
15. Jamestown	42
16. University of Mary	27

    first place votes in ( )
 
ALL EYES ON ME: Senior Kendal Jenkins was named as UMD's NSIC Player to Watch, along with senior pitcher Allyssa Williams being named as the UMD NSIC Pitcher to Watch.
 
A native of Hastings, Minn., Jenkins posted a .335 batting average and .561 slugging percentage last season. By the end of the season, she earned a NSIC First Team All-Conference selection after tallying 58 hits, 19 doubles, a triple, and six home runs.
 
Williams, a product of Yuba City, Calif., went 17-8 in 29 appearances, earning a 2.91 ERA in 137 innings. In a career high season who earned a selection to the NSIC All-Defensive Team while tossing 112 strikeouts and earning a .249 bats against average.
 
LAST PLATE APPEARANCE: UMD split in two matches on Saturday, starting with a tough 9-1 loss to Central Oklahoma before bouncing back with a narrow 8-7 victory over Fort Hays State University.
 
In the first game against Central Oklahoma, UMD took an early lead in the first inning as Daphne Evans hit a solo home run. However, Central Oklahoma quickly responded, scoring two runs via a sacrifice fly and a groundout, ending the inning 2-1 in their favor.
 
The third inning proved difficult for UMD, as Central Oklahoma capitalized on a fielding error and a walk to hit a three-run homer, followed by a two-run homer, completing a five-run inning and extending their lead to 7-1. They added two more runs in the fourth inning from a single and a wild pitch, solidifying the score at 9-1.
 
Allyssa Williams pitched 2.2 innings, giving up four earned runs on four hits, and was followed by Ashley Mandell, who allowed one run on one hit in 1.1 innings of relief.
 
Offensively, Evans was the standout with her home run, contributing one run and one RBI, while Morgan McMillan added a double among her one hit in three at-bats. Khendal Johnson secured a hit and made two defensive assists at third base, and Serena Timmer also contributed defensively, recording eight putouts at first base.
 
In their second matchup against Fort Hays State, UMD found themselves in a back-and-forth battle. The game began with Fort Hays State taking an early lead with a home run in the second inning, but Johnson quickly leveled the score with her own home run to left center. The teams continued to trade blows, and after FHSU hit a two-run homer in the third, Jenkins answered for UMD with a two-run homer of her own, keeping the game tied at 3-3.
 
The fourth inning saw Fort Hays State surge ahead with a 7-3 lead due to a fielding error and several hits. UMD narrowed the gap with three runs in response, including a two-RBI single from Jenkins, closing in to 7-6. In the sixth inning, UMD tied the game as Johnson walked with the bases loaded, bringing home Jenkins.
 
The decisive moment came in the bottom of the seventh inning when McMillan's double drove in Paige Johnson, giving the Bulldogs the 8-7 victory. Maddy Walsh pitched two innings, allowing five hits and three earned runs, while Emmie Sylvia-Cochran pitched five innings of relief, giving up five hits and four runs with five strikeouts, improving her season record to 5-0.
 
Jenkins was the offensive star with three hits, including a home run, and four RBIs while scoring three times. McMillan also shone with three hits and an RBI, along with her crucial double. Johnson made her mark with a home run and two RBIs.

2025 ACCOLADES: Senior infielder Nicole Schmitt and junior catcher Kendal Jenkins earned Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference First Team All-Conference recognition and junior pitcher Allyssa Williams attained NSIC All-Defensive Team honors. 
 
Named to both the NFCA and the D2CCA All-Central Region clubs, Schmitt became the eighth player in program history to earn the title of All-American, the ninth overall, with Patty Becker earning NAIA All-American status in 1990 and 1991, including the other First Team accolade. She is now the program's fifth NFCA All-American and the program's lone NFCA First Team honoree.
 
GETTING THE CALL UP: The Bulldogs feature six new freshmen on the 2026 roster. That list comprises outfielder Marissa Tomashek (Shawano, Wis.), utility player Maya Miller (Eden Prairie, Minn.), utility player Paige Johnson (Superior, Wis.), outfielder Daphne Evans (Chanhassen, Minn.), catcher Kaylin Yenter (Stevens Point, Wis.), and pitcher Emmie Sylvia-Cochran (Ham Lake, Minn.). 
 
THE WAGNER FILES: A new era of Bulldog softball continues this season under head coach Nat Wagner. Under Wagner's first season of leadership, the Bulldogs posted 39 wins with a sweep of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate regular season competition. In his first year, he coached two NSIC First Team selections and a NSIC All-Defensive Team standout with four single-season records broken. The newest manager of the maroon and gold is the fifth head coach in the program's 44-year history after serving as an assistant coach for the University of Saint Thomas for 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 begin NSIC competition with a doubleheader against Wayne State College on March 21st.