Game Time:

• the Dordt University softball team continues its 2026 season with four games this weekend in the fourth and final Amercian State Bank (ASB) Sports Complex Softball Classic
• the Defenders will play two games on both Friday and Saturday, Feb. 27-28
• on Friday, Dordt will play William Penn (Iowa) at noon followed by a 4pm first-pitch against Viterbo (Wis.)
• the Defenders will come back and play Dickinson State (N.D.) and Haskell (Kan.) at 10am / 2pm
• 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 final of four ASB Sports Complex Softball Classics that all take place in February
• this weekend, Feb. 27-28, features eight NAIA teams
  • 4 are from the GPAC
    • Dakota Wesleyan, Dordt, Mount Marty and #17 Northwestern
  • the other four teams are from four different conferences
    • Dickinson State (Frontier), Haskell (Continental), Viterbo (Chicagoland), William Penn (Heart)
  • one of the 10 teams were recognized in the NAIA preseason coaches' poll:
    • Northwestern (#17)
  • ASB Softball Complex Softball Classic Schedule - Feb.27-28
  • 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:

• the Defenders lost to #23 Saint Xavier (Ill.) 1-0 in a pitchers dual played last weekend at the Dome
• Saint Xavier scored the lone run in the top of the third inning on an RBI single by Frankie Crane
• Dordt totaled four hits, two by Chloe Kreuz and one each for Rylee Yager and Annabelle Hensley
• Yager (5-1) allowed two hits and an earned run in seven innings while striking out five

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
  • 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 off to their best start (10-2) in program history
• 2026, by the numbers:
  • .293 batting average
  • 5.3 runs, 7.3 hits / game
  • 2.3 runs, 4.8 hits given up / game
• Statistical Leaders:
  • Rylee Yager - ..486 BA, 12 runs, 7-for-8 SB, 4-game hit streak
    • 5-1 record, 1.75 ERA, 44 IP, 55 K's
  • Annabelle Hensley (all-conference) - .441 BA, 8 runs, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 5-game hit streak
  • Chloe Kreuz (2x all-conference) - .381 BA, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 11 runs, 3-game hit streak
    • 2-0 record, 0.54 ERA, 13 IP, 9 K's
    • GPAC Pitcher of the Week - Feb.10
  • Tera Lynn Price - .360 BA, 8 runs, HR, 7 RBI
  • Lauren Steenstra (all-conference) - .314 BA, 2 HR, 11 RBI

Scouting Reports:

• William Penn Statesmen:
  • Head Coach: Laura North (3rd year)
    • spent four years as head coach for Indian Hills Community College
    • head coach at Upper Iowa in 2023
  • 2026 Record: 4-2
    • won three straight
    • wins over Cornerstone, Mount Marty, Indiana Wesleyan and Judson
    • lost to Madonna and Cornerstone
  • Conference: Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC)
    • 15 teams in the conference
  • 2025 Record: 13-11 (7th), 29-21
    • lost two straight in the postseason conference tournament that ended the season
    • return three starters, eight players
  • by the numbers (2026 stats):
    • 6 runs, 7.5 hits / game
    • 4 runs, 7 hits given up / game
  • statistical leaders (2026 season):
    • Laila Gutierrez - .579 BA, 7 runs, 4 RBI
    • Eva Fox - .389 BA, 3 runs
    • Marin Frazee - 313 BA, 5 runs
    • Laila Smith (All-American) - .250 BA, 4 RBI
    • Tori Smith (all-conference) - .143 BA, 2 runs
      • 2-0 record, 3.86 ERA, 16.1 IP, 12 K's
  • All-Time: Dordt is 1-7 against William Penn
    • lone win: 2009
• Viterbo V-Hawks:
  • Head Coach: Brandi Alonzo (11th year)
    • began tenure in 2015
    • two years as ass't at Lawrence University
  • 2026 Record: 2-2
    • def. Graceland and York
    • lost to Oklahoma Wesleyan and Park
  • 2025 Record: 5-11 (T7th w/ Trinity Christian), 9-25 overall
    • did not qualify for the postseason tournament
    • return 2 starters, eight players
  • Conference: Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic
    • one of 10 teams
  • by the numbers (2026 stats):
    • 5 runs, 7 hits / game
    • 5 runs, 5 hits / game given up
  • stats leaders, 2026:
    • Hailey Miles - .600 BA, 3 RBI
    • Marissa Carter-Olson - .500 BA, 5 RBI (returning starter)
    • Makella Jacobs - .300 BA
    • Mia Welthaus (returning starter) - 1-1 record, 6.36 ERA
  • All-Time: Dordt is 1-1 all-time against Viterbo
    • lost in 2019 and won in 2018
• Dickinson State Blue Hawks:
  • Head Coach: Kristen Fleury (16th year)
    • 473 career wins at DiSU
    • 8 conference titles, 10 NAIA Tournaments
    • 1st year - 2010
  • 2026 Record: 6-2
    • swept four games last week in Jamestown (N.D.)
    • def. Dakota Wesleyan, Minot State, Concordia (Minn.), Jamestown 
  • Conference: Frontier (1st year in league, formerly in North Star)
    • picked first in preseason poll
  • 2025 Record: 14-6 (2nd in North Star Athletic Conference), 29-16 overall
    • runner-up to Jamestown in conference tournament
  • by the numbers (2026 stats):
    • 9 runs, 11 hits / game
    • 3 runs, 6.4 hits given up / game
  • Stat Leaders: 
    • Ashlee Potter - .524 BA, 9 runs, HR, 7 RBI
    • Stocktyn Stevenson - .500 BA, 11 runs, 7 RBI
    • Celina Wilharm (All-American, Co-Player of the Year in North Star) - .458 BA, 12 runs, 8 RBI
    • Brooke Lijewski (All-Conference) - .409 BA, 2 HR
    • Reagan King - 2-1 record, 3.10 ERA, 20.1 IP, 10 K's
  • All-Time: Dordt leads 8-4 and has won three straight, including a 6-5 win earlier this season
• Haskell University Lady Indians
  • Head Coach: Jolona Shield-Dzakic (1st year)
    • played for Mount Mercy for two years
    • earned all-conference honors and holds career RBI record
  • 2026 Record: 0-6
    • lost two games against Langston (Okla.)
    • dropped four-game set against Arlington Baptist (Texas)
  • Conference: Continental Athletic
  • 2025 Record: 5-34 overall
  • by the numbers (2026 stats):
    • 1 run, 3.2 hits / game
    • 10.2 runs, 10 hits given up / game
  • Stat Leaders: 
    • Chasely Roberts - .364 BA
    • Ariana Munoz - .286 BA
    • Grace Greenwood - .250 BA
    • Mariah Graves - 0-1 record, 9.55 ERA  14.2 IP, 4 K's
  • All-Time: first match-up against Haskell