OPENING PITCH: The University of Minnesota Duluth softball team will host three opponents this week, including Bemidji State University on Wednesday, Minnesota State University Mankato on Saturday, and Winona State University on Sunday. The Bulldogs doubleheader with the Beavers is set to begin at 1:00 p.m., with both the Mavericks and Warriors matches set to begin at 12:00 p.m.
 
HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD stacks up with its conference opponents.
 
 

SCOUTING BSU: Leading the batting effort is Alayna DeGraef. In 131 at-bats, she has a .374 batting average and .466 slugging percentage with 22 RBIs, 49 hits, 15 runs, nine doubles, and one home run. On the mound, they are led by Danica Sarff, who has a 4-7 record in 74 innings pitched. She has a 4.54 ERA with 46 strikeouts and 48 earned runs, allowing a .277  batting average. 

SCOUTING MSU: One of their top threats is Hannah Tong. In 120 at-bats, she has a .375 batting average and a .642 slugging percentage with 45 hits, 21 runs, 26 RBIs, 11 doubles, and seven home runs. On the mound, Maddie Oetzmann has a 12-6 record with a 3.37 ERA in 130.2 innings pitched. She has two shutouts, 118 strikeouts, allowing only a .243 batting average.

SCOUTING WSU: Leading the batting effort is last week's NSIC Player of the Week, Alyssa Woelfel. In 154 at-bats, she has a .390 batting average and .643 slugging percentage with 32 RBIs, 60 hits, 46 runs, 13 doubles, one triple, and eight home runs. On the mound, they are led by two-time NSIC Pitcher of the Week, Jayda Berg, who has a 17-3 record in 139.1 innings pitched. She has a 1.96 ERA with 107 strikeouts and 39 earned runs, allowing a .228  batting average. 

DAWYDUK AWARDED NSIC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Taylor Dawyduk of the University of Minnesota Duluth softball team has earned the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Player of the Week selection after helping the team to a pair of wins in Duluth last week.
 
The sophomore infielder from Winnipeg, Manitoba, claims the honor after helping the team in a 3-1 week, including a sweep of the University of Minnesota Crookston in the team's first doubleheader at James S. Malosky Stadium.
 
In that span, she hit .600 (6 for 10), hit 1.800 in slugging percentage with four home runs, which included a grand slam. With a .636 on-base percentage, she scored five runs and hammered in nine RBIs with multiple hits in three straight games. 

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 had a mixed doubleheader against Minnesota State University Moorhead, securing a decisive 15-1 victory in the first game but falling short with a 4-2 loss in the second.

In the first game, the Bulldogs dominated from the second inning onward. After a scoreless first, Khendal Johnson doubled, and Morgan McMillan drove in the first run with a single. Daphne Evans delivered a key double to center field, driving in three runs. Ava Johnson added to the tally with a sacrifice fly, bringing the score to 5-0 by the end of the second inning. The Bulldogs extended their lead in the third when a wild pitch allowed Johnson to score from third, making it 6-0.

The Dragons managed to score in the fourth inning, but the Bulldogs maintained a comfortable lead at 6-1. The sixth inning was explosive for UMD, as Kendal Jenkins and Sierra Thomas contributed with RBI singles, and Serena Timmer added a two-run double. The team capitalized on walks and hit batters, culminating in a nine-run frame that sealed the victory at 15-1.

Emmie Sylvia-Cochran led the pitching staff, delivering an effective five innings with only four hits and one earned run allowed, striking out four batters. Sylvia-Cochran's performance included 71 pitches with 47 strikes, securing her 13th win of the season. Relief pitcher Ashley Mandell followed with a flawless inning, not allowing any hits or runs and needing just 11 pitches to close out the game. 

Evans scored two runs and recorded three RBIs, while Ava Johnson also had a significant impact with one hit and three RBIs. Timmer tallied two runs and two RBIs, and Khendal Johnson posted three runs and two hits, including a double.

In the second game, the Bulldogs struggled offensively, collecting only three hits. They scored in the fourth and seventh innings, but the Dragons' four-run fourth inning secured their victory. In the fourth, Evans singled to right-center and stole second, after which Kendal Jenkins doubled to right-center, driving in Evans. By the end of the inning, the score was 4-1 in favor of the Dragons.

UMD added another run in the seventh when Khendal Johnson reached on an error and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Morgan McMillan reached on another error, allowing Johnson to score, but the inning ended with a score of 4-2.

Allyssa Williams started on the mound for UMD, pitching over three innings while allowing 10 hits and four earned runs, striking out three and walking one on 80 pitches, 55 of which were strikes. Despite her efforts, she recorded the loss. Ashley Mandell provided effective relief, pitching the remainder of the game and allowing just one hit with two strikeouts and one walk, throwing 31 pitches with 19 strikes.

Evans recorded one hit and scored a run while successfully stealing a base. Jenkins contributed with a double and drove in a run, while McMillan also added to the offense with one hit.

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 head back on the road for their final two regular-season doubleheaders against St. Cloud State University and Concordia University St. Paul next weekend.