Minnesota Golden Gophers softball
College softball team
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Minnesota Golden Gophers softball is the team that represents the University of Minnesota in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I competition. College softball became a varsity sport at the University of Minnesota in 1974 now more than 50 years ago.
Founded1974 (52 years ago)
UniversityUniversity of Minnesota
Head coachGretta Melsted
ConferenceBig Ten
| Minnesota Golden Gophers softball | |
|---|---|
 2026 Minnesota Golden Gophers Season | |
 | |
| Founded | 1974 (52 years ago) |
| University | University of Minnesota |
| Head coach | Gretta Melsted |
| Conference | Big Ten |
| Location | Minneapolis, Minnesota, US |
| Home stadium | Jane Sage Cowles Stadium (capacity: 1,000) |
| Nickname | Golden Gophers |
| Colors | Maroon and gold[1] |
| NCAA WCWS appearances | |
| 2019 | |
| AIAW WCWS appearances | |
| 1976, 1978 | |
| NCAA super regional appearances | |
| 2014, 2019 | |
| NCAA Tournament appearances | |
| 1988, 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 | |
| Conference tournament championships | |
| 1999, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 | |
| Regular-season conference championships | |
| 1986, 1988, 1991, 2017 | |
History
Coaching history
| Years | Coach | Record | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974–1975, 1977–1989 | Linda Wells | 350–264–1 | .570 |
| 1976 | Jenny Johnson | 16–4 | .800 |
| 1990–1991 | Teresa Wilson | 79–59 | .572 |
| 1992–1998 | Lisa Bernstein | 239–182–1 | .568 |
| 1999–2010 | Lisa Bernstein & Julie Standering | 356–300–2 | .543 |
| 2011–2017 | Jessica Allister | 290–107 | .730 |
| 2018–2020 | Jamie Trachsel | 102–40–1 | .717 |
| 2021–2026 | Piper Ritter | 175–158–2 | .525 |
| 2027–present | Gretta Melsted | 0–0 | – |
Championships
Conference Championships
| Season | Conference | Record | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Big Ten Conference | 15–9 | Linda Wells |
| 1988 | Big Ten Conference | 15–8 | Linda Wells |
| 1991 | Big Ten Conference | 20–4 | Teresa Wilson |
| 2017 | Big Ten Conference | 22–1 | Jessica Allister |
Conference tournament championships
| Year | Conference | Tournament Location | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Big Ten Conference | Ann Arbor, MI | Lisa Bernstein & Julie Standering |
| 2014 | Big Ten Conference | Evanston, IL | Jessica Allister |
| 2016 | Big Ten Conference | State College, PA | Jessica Allister |
| 2017 | Big Ten Conference | Ann Arbor, MI | Jessica Allister |
| 2018 | Big Ten Conference | Madison, WI | Jamie Trachsel |
Coaching staff
| Name | Position Coached | Consecutive season at Minnesota in current position | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piper Ritter | Head coach | 4th (17th at Minnesota) | |
| Carly Wynn | Associate Head Coach | 2nd | |
| Annie Smith | Assistant coach | 2nd | |
| Bailey Oetting | Assistant coach | 2nd | |
| Brooklyn Daly | Graduate assistant | 1st | |
| Reference:[2] | |||
Roster
Notable players
National awards
- Kendyl Lindaman (2017)
Conference awards
- Barb Drake, 1986[4]
- Kari Blank, 1991[4]
- Sara Groenewegen, 2015[5]
- Kendyl Lindaman, 2017, 2018[6][7]
- Jess Oakland, 2024
- Sara Groenewegen, 2014, 2017[8][6]
- Amber Fiser, 2019[9]
- Autumn Pease, 2023[10]
- Brenda Bixby, 1988[4]
- Sara Moulton, 2011[11]
- Sara Groenewegen, 2014[8]
- Maddie Houlihan, 2016[12]
- Kendyl Lindaman, 2017[6]
- Linda Wells, 1988[4]
- Teresa Wilson, 1991[4]
- Jessica Allister, 2017[6]