OPENING PITCH: The University of Minnesota Duluth softball team heads on the road for its third set of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) doubleheaders of 2026. The first doubleheader is against the University of Mary tomorrow beginning at 2:00 p.m., with Minot State University set for Saturday at noon, both being hosted in Minot's Air-Supported Dome.
 
HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD stacks up with its conference opponents.
 


SCOUTING UMARY: Leading the batting effort is Kaitlyn McLaughlin in 105 at-bats she has a .371 batting average with 9 RBIs, 39 hits, and 24 runs. On the mound they are led by Arria Johnson who has a 6-7 record in 84 innings pitched. She has a 3.42 ERA with 29 strikeouts and 41 earned runs allowing a .283 batting average. 

SCOUTING MSU: One of their top threats is Paige Kellogg. In 97 at-bats, she has a .330 batting average and a .433 slugging percentage with 32 hits and 19 RBIs. On the mound, Sarah Misner earned the NSIC Pitcher of the Week selection in week one but has been surpassed by Katie Newberry. Newberry has a 6-4 record in 68.2 innings pitched with a 1.73 ERA and 60 strikeouts while allowing 17 earned 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.
 
 

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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 faced Southwest Minnesota State University in a doubleheader at Mustang Field on Sunday, dropping its second doubleheader of the weekend.

In game one, the Bulldogs put forth a strong defensive effort with no errors and two hits, but fell short against a second-inning home run by the Mustangs, which ultimately decided the contest. Southwest Minnesota secured a narrow 1-0 victory over UMD, with Marsh homering to right field in the second inning to bring in the game's only run. Despite UMD's efforts throughout the game, including a hit by Morgan McMillan in the fourth inning and a double by Khendal Johnson in the seventh, they were unable to bring any runners home.

Emmie Sylvia-Cochran pitched a complete game for the Bulldogs, allowing just three hits and one earned run over six innings. She faced 22 batters and struck out two without issuing any walks, effectively managing seven flyouts and nine groundouts. 

Johnson contributed with a double as she recorded one of the team's few hits. McMillan tallied a hit in three at-bats, providing a presence at the plate, while Sierra Thomas made an impact in the field with two assists from her position at second base.

In game two, UMD again struggled, falling to Southwest Minnesota, 9-0, after managing five hits but committing four errors. The Mustangs capitalized with nine hits and seven RBIs, securing the win in just five innings. SMSU took control in the second inning with five runs, including a two-RBI single followed by a double, which brought in two more runs. Another single ended the score at 5-0 by the end of the second inning. The Mustangs added another run in the third inning with a triple to right field and a single, extending their lead to 6-0.

The fourth inning saw SMSU capitalize on UMD's errors to score three unearned runs, with a fielding error allowing a run and further errors contributing to the additional runs to force the score to 9-0 at the end of the fourth inning. UMD had opportunities in the fifth inning with hits from Khendal Johnson, Serena Timmer, and Paige Johnson, but could not capitalize as the inning concluded with no runs.

Allyssa Williams started for the Bulldogs, pitching into the second inning, allowing five earned runs on four hits while walking three batters. Williams faced 12 batters and despite recording no strikeouts, she managed to induce three groundouts. Ashley Mandell relieved Williams, pitching over two innings and allowing one earned run on five hits, keeping the damage minimal with no walks during her appearance. 

Ava Johnson recorded one hit and a double in her three at-bats, contributing to the Bulldogs' efforts on offense. Paige Johnson led with two hits in two at-bats, marking an efficient performance at the plate, while Kendal Jenkins drew a walk and added a stolen base.

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 will host Bemidji State University next Friday for a doubleheader and then head on the road Saturday to face Northern State University.