University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
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'U' Opens Big Ten Play at Indiana
3/5/2026 10:00:00 AM | Softball
MINNEAPOLIS - The 'U' continues its road swing this weekend, traveling to Bloomington to open Big Ten play against Indiana Hoosiers. Minnesota and Indiana will meet three times from March 6–8. First pitch is set for Friday at 6 p.m. CT, Saturday at 2 p.m. CT, and Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. All three games will stream live on B1G+.
GAME ONE
Minnesota (7-13, 0-0 B1G) at Indiana (16-4, 0-0 B1G)
Date: Friday, March 6
Time: 6:00 p.m. CT
Stream: B1G+
GAME TWO
Minnesota (7-13, 0-0 B1G) vs. Indiana (16-4, 0-0 B1G)
Date: Saturday, March 7
Time: 2:00 p.m. CT
Stream: B1G+
GAME THREE
Minnesota (7-13, 0-0 B1G) vs. Indiana (16-4, 0-0 B1G)
Date: Sunday, March 8
Time: 1:00 p.m. CT
Stream: B1G+
ABOUT INDIANA
Minnesota meets the Hoosiers for the 52nd season in program history. Indiana enters the weekend at 16-4 and ranked No. 44 in the NCAA RPI. The Hoosiers have posted 11 run-rule victories this season, outscoring opponents 192-48 across 20 games. Indiana rides a six-game winning streak after going undefeated at the Elon and UNCG Tournament.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Minnesota holds a 53-46 all-time edge in the series. The Gophers look to bounce back from the 2024 meeting, when Indiana swept the series in Bloomington. Over the last 10 matchups, the Hoosiers hold a slight 6-4 advantage. Minnesota's largest margin of victory in the series is a 10-0 win.
LAST TIME OUT
Minnesota went 1-4 in Arizona against tough competition, including No. 22/25 Grand Canyon, No. 14 Arizona, Long Beach State and Howard. Maggie Werner led the team with a .364 batting average and hit her second home run of the season. Lucy Hooper (.286) and Scarlett Kuhn (.267) also turned in solid performances at the plate. In the circle, Macy Richardson logged a team-high 15 innings and struck out 18 batters. She recorded a career-high eight strikeouts against Howard.
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).
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 begins this 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.