BISMARCK, ND – The University of Mary softball team prepares for their final games of the year at home this weekend. UMary hosts the University of Sioux Falls in a doubleheader on Saturday, May 2, at noon.
The Marauders then wrap up the season against Southwest Minnesota State University in a doubleheader on Sunday, May 3, at 12 pm.
HOW TO WATCH
Fans can watch the games or follow the live stats at
www.GoUMary.com/coverage
SENIOR DAY
The Marauders will host their senior day on Saturday, May 2, after the doubleheader against USF. UMary will honor
Ariane Sims,
Francesca Villaneda, and
Janelle Bergmann for their contributions on and off the field.
THE RECORD
UMary is 13-35 on the season and 3-23 against conference opponents. The Marauders are currently 16
th in the NSIC.
STAT LEADERS
Kaitlyn McLaughlin leads the Marauders in hits (44), steals (22), and runs scored (25). She has a .319 batting average, .373 on-base percentage, and a .772 OPS. McLaughlin is second in the conference in stolen bases and is sixth in triples (4).
Jianna Cota has the highest batting average (.330), on-base percentage (.421), OPS (.832), and the most RBIs (25) on the team.
Genevieve Hastings has the most home runs (4), total bases (57), and has the highest slugging percentage (.460) on the Marauders. Hastings is hitting .266 on the season and has a .832 OPS.
Jenel Mallari has the second-highest on-base percentage (.401) on UMary. She is slugging .362, to give her an OPS of .763.
Arria Johnson has the best ERA (4.90), the most wins (8), innings pitched (121.1), strikeouts (46), and saves (3) on the Marauders.
LAST TIME OUT
UMary went 0-4 last weekend. The Marauders lost doubleheaders to Wayne State College (9-1, 14-0) and Augustana University (9-1, 13-2).
OPPO RESEARCH – USF
The University of Sioux Falls is 26-25 and 14-12 in the Northern Sun. USF is in a tie for 8
th in the conference standings. Freshman infielder Emma Kristof leads the team in batting average (.331), slugging percentage (.549), home runs (4), doubles (15), and OPS (.934). Senior pitcher Maddi Duncan holds the most wins (14), strikeouts (214), innings pitched (170), and has the best ERA (1.94) on the Warriors. Duncan leads the NSIC in strikeouts.
OPPO RESEARCH – SMSU
Southwest Minnesota State University is 29-23 overall and 15-11 in the NSIC. SMSU is tied for sixth place in the Northern Sun standings. Junior utility player Paris Van Dyke leads the Mustangs in on-base percentage (.443) and OPS (.902). Jordyn Marsh leads the team in innings pitched (178), wins (20), strikeouts (120), and ERA (1.85). Marsh has the most innings pitched in the NSIC.
NOTABLE RETURNERS
Madison Hunter became the first Marauder to earn first-team honors since Taylor Mendez did so in 2015. The Red Deer, Alberta, native led UMary in batting average (.342) and on-base percentage (.398). Hunter blasted two home runs and stole seven bases in her first season with the Marauders.
Genevieve Hastings was named to the 2025 NSIC All-Defensive Team for her great play at shortstop. Hastings showcased her prowess on the defense, recording 62 putouts and 100 assists. The Billings, MT, native posted a .936 fielding percentage as her tremendous arm helped UMary turn seven double plays. Hastings becomes the first Marauder since Kristin Ormsby did so in 2014.
Ariana Retuta returns for her fifth season. Retuta batted .296 to go along with a .388 slugging percentage and a .707 OPS.
Elyssa Verploegen prepares for her sophomore season. Verploegen led the team in innings pitched (95), strikeouts (59), and wins (4).
Other returners include
Ariane Sims,
Jenel Mallari,
Jaraya Diaz,
Cassidy Bagnell,
Jayleen Rojas,
Ivee Johnsen,
Madison Schamanski, and
Francesca Villaneda.
NEWCOMERS
Head coach
Amy Schmeckpeper adds ten newcomers to the roster. The Marauders have seven freshmen on the roster:
Olivia Gomez,
Claire Tompkins,
Jianna Cota,
Eleanor Funke,
Lalaina Baker,
Camryn Fuessel, and
Evelyn Darke.
UMary also adds three transfers:
Kaitlyn McLaughlin,
Daisy Sparrow, and
Bree Waldron.
JANELLE BERGMAN - NSIC PLAYER TO WATCH
Janelle Bergmann, a senior from Tracy, CA, is the Marauders NSIC Player to Watch. Last season, she posted a .310 batting average, .346 on-base percentage, and .563 slugging percentage to give her a team-best .909 OPS. The Tracy, CA, native led the Marauders in home runs (6) and RBIs (31) in her first season playing the outfield. Bergmann recorded 39 hits and eight steals in 46 games played.
ARRIA JOHNSON - NSIC PITCHER TO WATCH
Arria Johnson, a junior from Graham, WA, is the Marauders NSIC Pitcher to Watch in 2026. She led UMary with a 5.09 ERA last season. Johnson pitched 77 innings and struck out 32 batters.
THE STAFF
Amy Schmeckpeper enters her third year as the Marauders head softball coach. The Marauders showed progress on offense last year, posting 181 runs in 2025, a significant improvement from the 128 runs scored in 2024.
Kaitlyn Alvarado returns to UMary this season in her fourth year as an assistant coach. Alvarado was a standout player for the Marauders from 2019 to 2021, both in the circle and at the plate.
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