Game Time:

• the Dordt University softball team continues its 2026 season with four games this weekend at the Amercian State Bank (ASB) Sports Complex Softball Classic
• the Defenders will play two games on both Friday and Saturday, Feb. 13-14
• on Friday, Dordt will play Valley City State (N.D.) at 4pm followed by a night match-up against Dakota State (S.D.) at 6pm
• the Defenders will play back-to-back games on Saturday against Bismarck State (N.D.) and Dickinson State (N.D.) at 1pm and 3pm, respectively
• all the games will be on the East Field in ASB Dome

How to Follow:

• live stats for all of the Defenders games this season are at this link: 
  • Live Stats
• watch all of the Defenders home games, courtesy of the Dordt Media Network:
  • Watch
• Rosters / Schedule

About the ASB Sports Complex Softball Classic: 

• this is the second of four ASB Sports Complex Softball Classics that all take place in February
• this weekend, Feb. 13-14, features 10 teams, all from the NAIA
  • 5 are from the GPAC
    • Briar Cliff, College of Saint Mary, Dordt, Northwestern, Waldorf
  • 5 are from the Frontier Conference
    • Bellevue (Neb.), Bismarck State (N.D.), Dakota State (S.D.), Dickinson State (N.D.), Valley City State (N.D.)
  • one of the 10 teams were recognized in the NAIA preseason coaches' poll:
    • Northwestern (#17)
  • ASB Softball Complex Softball Classic Schedule - Feb.13-14
  • ASB Dome Facility Page

GPAC Preseason Coaches Poll:

• the Great Plains Atheltic Conference (GPAC) released its annual preseason coaches' poll on Feb.1
• Dordt was picked to finish fourth out of 12 teams and totaled 83 points
• Midland was picked as the preseason favorite with 114 points and six first place votes
• Morningside (2nd) and Northwestern (3rd) follow Midland
• GPAC Preseason Poll

Last Time Out:

• Dordt split a doubleheader against NCAA D-II Wayne State on Wednesday night
• the Defenders won game one 4-2 behind a two-hit, four RBI performance by Lauren Steenstra
• three Defender pitchers combined to allow nine hits and two runs as Tera Lynn Price earned her first collegiate win and Rylee Yager claimed her first save
• Dordt dropped the second game 7-2
• Ashley Schneider hit a solo home run and Chloe Kreuz drove in a run with an RBI single in the seventh inning

Defenders News and Notes:

• Head Coach Jeff Zomer begins his 17th season in charge of the Defenders program
• Zomer is the all-time winningest coach in program history (330-358-1) and is also the longest tenured coach within the program
• Zomer has guided the Defenders to the postseason in 14 of his 16 previous seasons
• Dordt finished the 2025 season in sixth place with an 11-11 GPAC record, 26-27 overall
• four Defenders earned first team all-conference honors last year, three of which return this season
  • Lauren Steenstra, Chloe Kreuz and Annabelle Hensley all return
  • Brooke Rule graduated last year
  • Brooklynn Cox (2nd team) and Ashtyn Grissom (Honorable Mention) also earned postseason honors (Grissom returns)
• Dordt returns 14 letterwinners from the 2025 season
• the Defenders are 6-1 this season with their only loss to Wayne State in game two of a doubleheader last time out
• Dordt has outscored opponents 29-17 and is unbeaten against NAIA teams
• 2026, by the numbers:
  • .279 batting average
  • 4.1 runs, 6.8 hits / game
  • 2.4 runs, 5.4 hits given up / game
• Statistical Leaders:
  • Rylee Yager - .500 BA, 7 runs, 3 RBI
  • Annabelle Hensley (all-conference) - .421 BA, 5 RBI
  • Chloe Kreuz (2x all-conference) - 5-game hit steak, .348 BA, HR, 6 RBI
    • GPAC Pitcher of the Week for her no-hitter last weekend vs Culver-Stockton
  • Lauren Steenstra (all-conference) - .333 BA, HR, 7 RBI
  • Rylee Yager - 3-0 record, 0.91 ERA, 23 IP, 34 K's
  • Chloe Kreuz - 1-0 record, 0.00 ERA, 8 IP, 2 K's

Scouting Reports:

• Valley City State Vikings:
  • Head Coach: Matt Gable (4th year)
    • 82-68 all-time at VCSU
  • 2026 Record: 1-3
    • played all four games last weekend
    • lost to Providence, Jamestown and split a doubleheader against University of Mary
  • Conference: Frontier - 1st season in this conference, formerly part of the North Star Athletic
    • picked third in preseason poll
  • 2025 Record: 11-9 (4th of 6 teams in the North Star), 26-23 overall
  • By the Numbers (2026 stats):
    • 4.3 runs, 10 hits / game
    • 8.3 runs, 11 hits given up / game
  • Leading Returners, w/ 2026 stats:
    • Maddy Hazelton (all-conference) - .500 BA
      • 0-1, 9. 63 ERA, 8 IP, 6 K's
    • Kylee Banerd (all-conference) - .429 BA, HR, 3 RBI
    • Kennadi Stone (all-conference) - .385 BA, HR
    • Logan Gronberg (all-conference / gold glove winner) - .231 BA
      • 1-0 record, 3.36 ERA, 8.1 IP, 9 K's
  • All-Time: Dordt is 3-10 against VCSU; lost 4 straight
• Dakota State Trojans:
  • Head Coach: Hunter Lamblin (1st year)
    • formerly at NCAA D-II NW Missouri State - ass't coach for 3 years
  • 2026 Record: 0-0
  • 2025 Record: 3-17 (6th of 6 teams), 7-37 overall
    • went 0-2 in postseason conference tournament
  • Conference: Frontier - 1st year; previously part of the North Star Athletic
    • picked 8th of 8 teams in preseason poll
  • Leading Returners:
    • Hannah McFarland (3x all-conference) - .357 BA, 34 runs, 10 RBI, 24-for-24 SB
    • Ally Morrissey - .280 BA, 14 runs
    • Gabrielle Ortega-Alves - .263 BA, 12 runs
    • Maycee Bricker - 5-10 record, 102.2 IP, 6.07 ERA
  • All-Time: Dordt leads 43-6 and has won 17 straight
• Bismarck State Mystics:
  • Head Coach: Brady Dutchak (1st year as head coach, 2nd overall with program)
    • previously been assistant baseball and softball coach for Minnesota-Morris
  • 2026 Record: 0-2
    • lost to Providence and MSU Moorhead on Feb.6
  • Conference: Frontier - 1st season in this conference
    • picked 7th of 8 teams in preseason poll
  • First year as an NAIA Institution; previously a JUCO in the National Junior College Athletic Association
  • 2025 Record: 11-13, 24-22-1 overall
  • By the Numbers (2026 stats):
    • 5.5 runs, 6.5 hits / game
    • 6.5 runs, 12 hits given up / game
  • Leading Returners, w/ 2026 stats:
    • Briell Wrangham - .400 BA
    • Grace Grimm - .400 BA, 4 RBI
    • Taylor Falcon - .333 BA
    • Kaia Hennings - 0-0 record, 1.50 ERA, 4.2 IP
  • All-Time: 1st ever match-up against Dordt
• Dickinson State Blue Hawks:
  • Head Coach: Kristen Fleury (16th year)
    • 473 career wins at DiSU
    • 8 conference titles, 10 NAIA Tournaments
    • 1st year - 2010
  • 2025 Record: 14-6 (2nd in North Star Athletic Conference), 29-16 overall
    • runner-up to Jamestown in conference tournament
  • Conference: Frontier (1st year in league, formerly in North Star)
    • picked first in preseason poll
  • 2026 Record: 0-0
  • Leading Returners: 
    • Celina Wilharm (All-American, Co-Player of the Year in North Star) - .448 BA, 52 runs, 5 HR, 38 RBI
    • Brooke Lijewski (All-Conference) - .387 BA, 20 runs, 6 HR, 44 RBI
    • Allyson Farrington (All-Conference) - .364 BA, 38 runs
    • Jersi Morse - .341 BA
    • Ava Jahner - 9-2 record, 3.35 ERA, 60.2 IP, 37 K's
  • All-Time: Dordt leads 7-4 and has won two straight