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. 6-7
• on Friday, Dordt will play York (Neb.) at 2pm followed by a night match-up against Culver-Stockton (Mo.) at 6pm
• the Defenders will play back-to-back games on Saturday, against Mayville State (3pm) and Bellevue (5pm)
• 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 first of four ASB Sports Complex Softball Classics that all take place in February
• this weekend, Feb. 6-7, features 12 teams from the NAIA
  • 6 are from the GPAC
    • Dakota Wesleyan, Dordt, Midland, Morningside, Mount Marty, Northwestern
  • 6 are from outside the conference
    • Bellevue (Frontier), Benedictine (Heart of America), Culver-Stockton (Heart of America), Mayvile State (Frontier), Mount Mercy (Heart of America), York (Kansas Collegiate Athletic)
  • three of the 12 teams were recognized in the NAIA preseason coaches' poll:
    • Benedictine (RV), Midland (#11), Northwestern (#17)
  • ASB Softball Complex Softball Classic Schedule - Feb.6-7
  • 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 are the only team in this week's field who have played a game this season as they opened with a 6-2 win against Peru State (Neb.) on Jan.31
• Rylee Yager (1-0) was impressive in her Defenders debut as the freshman earned the win in the circle, allowing five hits and one earned run to go with 12 strikeouts
• Yager also had two of the Defenders nine hits and scored two runs
• Chloe Kreuz and Lauren Steenstra hit home runs to lead the Dordt offense
• the Defenders broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the third inning to take the lead for good

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
• the Defenders lost to Morningside in the final game of the Midland bracket to end the 2025 season
• 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)
• Listen to the 2026 preseason interview with Head Coach Jeff Zomer
  • Listen | 
• Dordt returns 14 letterwinners from the 2025 season
• 2025, by the numbers:
  • .311 batting average
  • 5.2 runs / game
  • 5.0 runs given up / game
• Top Returners (2025 stats):
  • Chloe Kreuz - .422 BA, 7 HR, 51 RBI / 13-13 record, 3.32 ERA
  • Annabelle Hensley - .356 BA, 4 HR, 37 RBI
  • Ashtyn Grissom - .285 BA, 5 HR, 28 RBI
  • Lauren Steenstra - ,328 BA, 15 HR, 33 RBI

Scouting Reports:

• York University Panthers:
  • Head Coach: Aaron Alvarez (3rd year)
  • 2025 Record: 3-23 (13th of 14 teams), 8-36 overall
    • did not qualify for postseason
  • Conference: KCAC
  • Leading Returners:
    • Bethany Wright - 2nd team all-conference / .365 BA
    • Chloe Lockhart - .270 BA, HR, 16 RBI / 3-18 record, 4.74 ERA, 121 IP, 89 K's
    • Morgan Cameron - .247 BA, 18 runs
    • Alex Harwell - 3-10 record, 6.20 ERA, 73.1 IP, 36 K's
• Culver-Stockton Wildcats:
  • Head Coach: Rod Radcliffe (5th year)
    • hired in July of 2021
  • 2025 Record: 4-20 (12th of 13 teams), 11-39 overall
    • did not qualify for postseason
  • Conference: HAAC
  • Leading Returners:
    • Kataleena Hunt - Honorable Mention All-Conference / .315 BA, 4 HR, 29 RBI
    • Ryley Pecina - .264 BA, 18 runs, HR, 16 RBI
    • Cierra Bush - .241 BA, 15 runs, 16 RBI
    • Sophie Stuart - 5-12, 5.83 ERA, 81.2 IP, 35 K's
• Mayville State University Comets:
  • Head Coach: Jordan Olson (3rd year)
  • 2025 Record: 4-16 (5th of 6 teams), 10-35
    • finished 4th in the North Star Athletic Association Conference tournament
  • Conference: Frontier
    • 1st year in this conference
    • picked 6th of 8 teams in preseason coaches' poll
  • Leading Returners: 
    • Lindsey Tulla - 1st team all-conference / .358 BA, 26 runs, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 18 doubles (tied school record)
    • Madison Terres - .358 BA, 25 runs, 5 HR, 30 RBI
    • Ryanne Bass - .264 BA, HR, 10 RBI
    • Lacey Mathiowetz - .258 BA, 22 runs / 3-16 record, 6.05 ERA, 98.1 IP, 73 K's
    • Baileigh Momberg - 5-7 record, 8.15 ERA, 89.1 IP, 55 K's
• Bellevue University Bruins:
  • Head Coach: Michala Cimino (17th year)
  • 2025 Record: 12-8 (3rd of 6 teams), 29-21
    • 0-2 in North Star Athletic Conference tournament
  • Conference: Frontier
    • 1st season in this conference
    • picked second behind Dickinson State in preseason poll
  • Leading Returners: 
    • Kaitlyn Fisher - 1st team all-conference / Freshman of the Year; .442 BA, 31 runs, 4 HR, 28 RBI
    • Mariah Unverzagt - 1st team all-conference / Newcomer of the Year; .318 BA, 33 runs, 2 HR, 25 RBI
    • Breanne McMurtry - 1st team all-conference; .338 BA, 38 runs, 11 HR, 34 RBI
    • Ellie Zoucha - 2nd team all-conference; 5-8 record, 3.71 ERA  83 IP, 72 K's
    • Miranda Garcia - 2nd team all-conference; .278 BA, 35 runs, 7 HR, 29 RBI