University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Grand Canyon
Players Mentioned
Gophers Open Arizona Swing Against Ranked Foes
2/25/2026 10:00:00 AM | Softball
MINNEAPOLIS – The Gophers hit the road this weekend, traveling to Arizona with stops in both Phoenix and Tucson. Minnesota opens the trip against No. 22/25 Grand Canyon at GCU Softball Stadium before heading to Tucson for the Hillenbrand Invitational, hosted by #14 Arizona. The 'U' will face Long Beach State, Howard (twice) and No. 14 Arizona.
Weekend Schedule
Game One
Minnesota (6-9, 0-0 B1G) vs. #22/25 Grand Canyon (16-0, 0-0 WAC)
Date: Thursday, Feb, 26
Time: 8:00 pm
Stream: Mountain West Network
Game Two
Minnesota (6-9, 0-0 B1G) vs. Howard (6-8, 0-0 MEAC)
Date: Friday, Feb, 27
Time: 3:30
Stream: FloCollege
Game Three
Minnesota (6-9, 0-0 B1G) vs. #14 Arizona (12-5, 0-0 B12)
Date: Friday, Feb. 27
Time: 8:00 pm
Stream: ESPN+
Game Four
Minnesota (6-9, 0-0 B1G) vs. Long Beach State (9-6, 0-0 BWC)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 28
Time: 2:30
Stream: FloCollege
Game Five
Minnesota (6-9, 0-0 B1G) vs. Howard (6-8, 0-0 MEAC)
Date: Sunday, March. 1
Time: 10:00 am
Stream: FloCollege
Series Snapshot
Another weekend of Gopher Softball brings another challenging slate. Minnesota opens against the 2025 WAC champion Grand Canyon Lopes, looking to hand GCU its first loss of the 2026 season. The Gophers are split all-time against the Lopes, with both previous meetings played at GCU Softball Stadium. Minnesota most recently defeated Long Beach State, 5-4, at the 2025 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. The Gophers have faced Arizona 28 times in program history, while Sunday's matchup will mark the first-ever meeting between Minnesota and Howard.
Last Time Out
The bats were hot at the Gopher Indoor Classic. Scarlett Kuhn led the way with a .429 batting average and a .500 slugging percentage. Tara Wolocko continued her strong start, blasting her sixth home run of the season while hitting .368. Tinley Easton added a .308 average over the weekend. In the circle, Macy Richardson was steady, striking out eight batters across 11 innings of work.
A Tradition of Gopher Softball
The 2026 season marks the 52nd year of Minnesota softball. Piper Ritter enters 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).
Schedule at a Glance
Minnesota's 2026 schedule features 51 games, including 27 non-conference matchups and 24 Big Ten contests. The Gophers will face 10 teams that reached the 2025 NCAA Tournament, including Top 25 foes Oklahoma, GCU, Nebraska and Arizona. The season opens with a road-heavy early slate that includes trips to California, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Minnesota hosts its first games at the Gopher Indoor Classic (Feb. 20–22) at U.S. Bank Stadium before Big Ten play begins March 6 at Indiana. Conference action includes home series against Illinois, Ohio State, Nebraska and Wisconsin, with road trips to Iowa, Washington and Northwestern. The 2026 Big Ten Tournament is set for May 6–9 in College Park, Md.