University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
North Dakota
Players Mentioned
Gophers Host North Dakota, Wisconsin for Four-Game Homestand
4/20/2026 3:55:00 PM | Softball
MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota continues its homestand at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium this week, opening with a midweek matchup against North Dakota before returning to Big Ten play for a three-game series against Wisconsin. All four games will stream live on B1G+.
GAME ONE
Minnesota (14-30, 6-12 B1G) vs. North Dakota (25-18, 2-7 SL)
Date: Tuesday, April 21
Time: 5:00 p.m. CT
Location: Jane Sage Cowles Stadium
Stream: B1G+
GAME TWO
Minnesota (14-30, 6-12 B1G) vs. Wisconsin (24-16, 9-9 B1G)
Date: Friday, April 24
Time: 12:00 p.m. CT
Location: Jane Sage Cowles Stadium
Stream: B1G+
GAME THREE
Minnesota (14-30, 6-12 B1G) vs. Wisconsin (24-16, 9-9 B1G)
Date: Saturday, April 25
Time: 1:00 p.m. CT
Location: Jane Sage Cowles Stadium
Stream: B1G+
GAME FOUR
Minnesota (14-30, 6-12 B1G) vs. Wisconsin (24-16, 9-9 B1G)
Date: Sunday, April 26
Time: 12:00 p.m. CT
Location: Jane Sage Cowles Stadium
Stream: B1G+
SCOUTING THE FIGHTING HAWKS
North Dakota enters the midweek matchup with a 25-18 overall record and a 2-7 mark in Summit League play. The Fighting Hawks are hitting .277 as a team with 307 hits, 69 doubles, 24 home runs, and 191 RBI through 43 games. Jaedyn Valdez leads the lineup with a .366 batting average, while Camryn Lasota (.309) and Taya Hopfauf (.307) continue to anchor the offense. Lasota and Makenna Alexander each have 25 RBI, while Hopfauf adds a team-high 29 RBI and five home runs. In the circle, North Dakota owns a 3.91 ERA with 197 strikeouts across 264.2 innings. Tegan Livesay leads the staff with an 11-7 record and a 3.01 ERA, while Unity Nelson has added nine wins. Defensively, the Fighting Hawks have posted a .967 fielding percentage this season.
VERSUS NORTH DAKOTA
Minnesota is 4-0 all-time against North Dakota. The Gophers swept a pair of meetings last season, earning 8-0 and 5-3 victories.
SCOUTING THE BADGERS
Wisconsin enters the weekend at 24-16 overall and 9-9 in Big Ten play. The Badgers boast one of the conference's top offenses, hitting .317 as a team with 326 hits, 56 doubles, and 38 home runs while driving in 222 runs. Hilary Blomberg leads the way with a .387 average and 14 home runs, while Emily Bojan (.364) and Kendra Lewis (.347) provide additional production throughout the lineup. Blomberg also paces the team with 47 RBI, while Alivia Bark has added 31. In the circle, Wisconsin owns a 4.89 ERA with 187 strikeouts in 257.2 innings. Shelby Jacobson leads the staff with a 10-7 record and a 4.23 ERA, while Berritt Herr has also recorded 10 wins. The Badgers hold a .963 fielding percentage defensively.
VERSUS WISCONSIN
Minnesota leads the all-time series 29-21. The teams met for a three-game set last season, with Wisconsin taking the series 2-1. The Gophers earned a 10-4 win in the finale.
LAST TIME OUT
Minnesota is coming off a three-game series against No. 4 Nebraska, where the Gophers fell in all three contests at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. Minnesota hit .206 as a team with 13 hits and four runs scored across the series. Tara Wolocko and Sydney Schwartz led the offense, each batting .429, while Wolocko drove in a team-high two RBI. In the circle, the Gophers posted an 11.28 ERA over 18.0 innings, allowing 32 runs on 37 hits. Schwartz made two starts, while Natalie Susa and Macy Richardson also saw time in the circle. Minnesota recorded a .939 fielding percentage during the series.
GOPHER SEASON LEADERS
Maggie Werner leads Minnesota with a .333 batting average, adding five home runs and 16 RBI. Tara Wolocko has provided power with a team-best six home runs and 23 RBI, while Scarlett Kuhn (.277) and Jessa Snippes (.263) have each tallied 31 hits this season. In the circle, Sydney Schwartz leads the staff with a 10-13 record, a 3.35 ERA, and 116 strikeouts in 125.1 innings. Macy Richardson has added 73 strikeouts, while Natalie Susa has logged 45.0 innings of work.
B1G STANDINGS
Nebraska leads the Big Ten with a 17-1 conference record, followed by Oregon and UCLA at 16-2. Washington (15-3) and Indiana (12-6) round out the top five. Wisconsin sits in the middle of the standings at 9-9, while Minnesota enters the weekend at 6-12 in conference play, tied with Iowa and just ahead of Rutgers, Illinois, Maryland, and Michigan State.
A TRADITION OF GOPHER SOFTBALL
The 2026 season marks the 52nd year of Minnesota softball. Piper Ritter is in her sixth season as head coach and 19th overall with the program. Bailey Oetting (fourth season) and Roya St. Clair (second season) return as assistant coaches, while Stephanie Lombardo joins the staff after serving as a development coach with the Greensboro Grasshoppers (High-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates).