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Gophers Open Week at St. Thomas, Host Ohio State for Big Ten Series
3/31/2026 4:00:00 PM | Softball
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota softball team opens the week with a midweek road matchup at St. Thomas before returning home for its fourth weekend of Big Ten play against Ohio State. First pitch against the Tommies is set for 4:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday, April 1 at South Field Softball Complex. The Gophers then return to Jane Sage Cowles Stadium for a three-game series against the Buckeyes from April 3–5. Friday's opener is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. CT, followed by a 1:00 p.m. CT first pitch on Saturday and a 12:00 p.m. CT finale on Sunday.
GAME ONE
Minnesota (13-21, 5-4 B1G) vs. St. Thomas (23-10, 5-1 SL)
Date: Wednesday, April 1
Time: 4:00 p.m. CT
Location: South Field Softball Complex
Stream: Midco Sports+
GAME TWO
Minnesota (13-21, 5-4 B1G) vs. Ohio State (15-18, 5-4 B1G)
Date: Friday, April 3
Time: 5:00 p.m. CT
Location: Jane Sage Cowles Stadium
Stream: B1G+
GAME THREE
Minnesota (13-21, 5-4 B1G) vs. Ohio State (15-18, 5-4 B1G)
Date: Saturday, April 4
Time: 1:00 p.m. CT
Location: Jane Sage Cowles Stadium
Stream: B1G+
GAME FOUR
Minnesota (13-21, 5-4 B1G) vs. Ohio State (15-18, 5-4 B1G)
Date: Sunday, April 5
Time: 12:00 p.m. CT
Location: Jane Sage Cowles Stadium
Stream: B1G+
SCOUTING THE TOMMIES
St. Thomas enters Wednesday's matchup with a 23-10 overall record and a 5-1 mark through the first two weekends of Summit League play. The Tommies and Gophers have faced several common opponents this season, with mixed results on both sides.
Offensively, St. Thomas leads the Summit League and ranks third in pitching. Avery Wukawitz paces the lineup with a .386 average, 11 home runs and a .802 slugging percentage. Ella Cook is hitting .337 with eight home runs and 34 RBIs, while Abby Stierlen and Laken Lienhard have combined for 15 home runs.
As a team, the Tommies rank 18th nationally with 52 home runs, averaging 1.62 per game. In the circle, Cook and Ava Kleinfeldt have each surpassed 80 innings. Cook holds a 1.70 ERA with 69 strikeouts and a .190 opponent batting average, while Kleinfeldt has recorded 54 strikeouts and eight wins.
VERSUS THE TOMMIES
Minnesota leads the all-time series 4-1. The two teams last met at the 2025 Gopher Indoor Classic, where St. Thomas earned an extra-inning victory.
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State enters the weekend at 15-18 overall and 5-4 in Big Ten play, coming off a three-game sweep of Michigan State in which it did not allow a run.
The Buckeyes boast a team batting average north of .300, led by Abbie Wilhelm, who is hitting .375 with 13 home runs and a .917 slugging percentage. Sami Bewick (.367, 27 RBIs) and Kiki Estrada and Izzy Neal (20+ RBIs each) provide additional offensive production. Taylor Cruse (13 home runs) and Hadley Parisien (11 home runs, 27 RBIs) highlight Ohio State's power.
Jenna Molk anchors the pitching staff and is coming off Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors after tossing 17 scoreless innings. Molk owns a 3.04 ERA with 86 strikeouts across 108 innings. Kennedy Kay and Lorin Boutte add depth in the circle.
VERSUS THE BUCKEYES
Minnesota holds a 65-35 advantage in the all-time series and has won nine of the last 10 matchups. In the most recent meeting, the Gophers earned a 14-6 run-rule victory in six innings, highlighted by a pinch-hit grand slam from Brooklyn Jones.
LAST WEEKEND RECAP
Minnesota secured its second Big Ten series win of the season, taking two of three from Illinois. Brooklyn Jones led the offense with a .500 average, while Maggie Werner hit .429 with all of her hits going for extra bases and driving in four runs. Cassie Johnson (.375) and Tinley Easton (.333, four RBIs, one home run) also contributed. Sydney Schwartz logged a team-high 14 innings with a 1.00 ERA and seven strikeouts. She recorded her fifth shutout of the season, with four of her last five complete games ending in shutouts.
GOPHER LEADERS
Minnesota's offense has been paced by a balanced group at the plate, led by Scarlett Kuhn, who holds a team-best .287 batting average with 25 hits. Maggie Werner has been a key contributor both offensively and defensively, hitting .282 with five home runs, 13 RBIs and a team-high .411 on-base percentage. Tara Wolocko provides power in the middle of the lineup with a team-leading six home runs and 18 RBIs, while also posting a .475 slugging percentage. Tinley Easton has added extra-base production with a team-high seven doubles, while Brooklyn Jones has contributed across the board with 21 hits and 12 runs scored. In the circle, Sydney Schwartz has been the Gophers' ace, leading the staff with nine wins, a 2.34 ERA and 91 strikeouts across 98.2 innings. Opponents are hitting just .202 against her, and she has recorded eight complete games and five shutouts. Macy Richardson has also logged significant innings, totaling 74.1 with 55 strikeouts and three wins on the season.
B1G STAND OUT
Schwartz continues to rank among the Big Ten's top pitchers, leading the conference with five shutouts. The senior ranks among the top six in ERA (2.34), strikeouts (91), innings pitched (98.2), complete games (eight), opponent batting average (.202) and wins (nine).
B1G STANDINGS
Minnesota enters the fourth weekend of conference play sixth in the Big Ten with a 5-4 record. The Gophers have won back-to-back conference series, taking two of three at Iowa (March 20–22) and against Illinois last weekend.
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, Washington, 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.