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Minnesota Continues Big Ten Play with Series at Iowa
3/19/2026 10:00:00 AM | Softball
MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Golden Gophers travel to Iowa City this weekend for a three-game Big Ten series against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Bob Pearl Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CT on Friday, followed by a 1:00 p.m. CT start on Saturday and a 12:00 p.m. CT finale on Sunday. All three games will be streamed live on B1G+.
GAME ONE
Minnesota (9-19, 1-2 B1G) vs Iowa (18-8, 4-2 B1G)\
Date: Friday, March 20
Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Stream: B1G+
GAME TWO
Minnesota (9-19, 1-2 B1G) vs Iowa (18-8, 4-2 B1G)
Date: Saturday, March 21
Time: 1:00 p.m. CT
Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Stream: B1G+
GAME THREE
Minnesota (9-19, 1-2 B1G) vs Iowa (18-8, 4-2 B1G)\
Date: Sunday, March 22
Time: 12:00 p.m. CT
Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Stream: B1G+
SCOUTING THE HAWKEYES
Iowa enters the matchup with an 18-8 overall record and a 4-2 mark in Big Ten play, riding a four-game winning streak after a weekend sweep at Illinois. The Hawkeyes have been one of the more productive offenses in the conference, hitting .325 as a team with 169 runs and 35 home runs through their first 26 games.
The lineup features several dangerous hitters at the top. Kiyah Chavez leads the team with a .410 batting average, while Devin Simon (.400) and Kiara Sipe (.392) provide consistent production in the middle of the order. Simon leads the Hawkeyes with 32 hits and 11 stolen bases, while Sipe paces the team with 26 RBI. Tory Bennett supplies the bulk of Iowa's power, launching a team-high seven home runs and scoring a team-best 25 runs while posting a .724 slugging percentage.
In the circle, Iowa carries a staff ERA of 4.45 across 165 innings. Serayah Neiss leads the staff with a 7-2 record and a team-high 37 strikeouts in 51.2 innings, while Braylen Conlon owns the lowest ERA on the team at 3.35 and holds opponents to a .223 batting average. Avery Sapp (5-2, 4.04 ERA) has also been a key contributor, appearing in 17 games and working both as a starter and reliever.
As a team, the Hawkeyes are particularly dangerous when their offense gets rolling, going 14-1 when scoring first and a perfect 10-0 when hitting two or more home runs in a game.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Minnesota holds a 62-58 advantage in the all-time series against Iowa and has won nine of the last ten meetings, including an active eight-game winning streak against the Hawkeyes.
The teams last met on April 29, 2024, when the Gophers defeated Iowa 5-1 at Bob Pearl Field.
LAST TIME OUT
Minnesota went 1-4 last week in nonconference action. The Gophers opened the stretch with a dominant 5-0 shutout victory over SIUE on Tuesday before falling to Lindenwood 3-0 the following day.
The Maroon and Gold then faced stiff competition to close the week, dropping a 3-0 decision to Iowa State and falling 8-1 to Missouri on Friday. Minnesota jumped out to a 4-0 lead against South Dakota on Saturday, but the Coyotes rallied with five seventh-inning runs to claim a 5-4 victory.
GOPHER LEADERS
Scarlett Kuhn leads Minnesota at the plate with a .352 batting average and a team-high 25 hits while adding five doubles and two home runs. Tara Wolocko provides the Gophers' primary power threat with a team-best six home runs and 17 RBI while slugging .522. Maggie Werner has also been a steady contributor offensively, hitting .283 with three home runs, eight RBI, and a team-high 13 runs scored while posting a .411 on-base percentage.
In the circle, Sydney Schwartz has paced the Minnesota pitching staff with a 5-7 record and a 3.04 ERA across 69.0 innings. Schwartz leads the team with 74 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .228 batting average. Macy Richardson has also logged significant innings for the Gophers, going 3-6 with a 4.14 ERA and 52 strikeouts over 66.0 innings pitched.
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 opened with a road-heavy early slate that included trips to California, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Minnesota hosted its first games at the Gopher Indoor Classic (Feb. 20–22) at U.S. Bank Stadium before Big Ten play began last weekend 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.