Gophers softball opens Friday, seeking ninth straight trip to NCAA tournament

Piper Ritter's first season as head coach of the Gophers softball team was unique in many ways.

In addition to the protocols to deal with COVID-19, the Gophers' regular-season schedule in 2021 was cut from 53 to 44 games and limited to conference opponents.

Instead of the usual three-game series with a conference foe, Big Ten teams played each other four times.

"It's tough to play someone four times," Ritter said. "We asked a lot of the team last season with the protocols and everything. I think they handled it fantastically. It's great to be back to a normal schedule."

That means back to a normal, daunting nonconference schedule to prepare the Gophers for the Big Ten season, which begins March 25.

The Gophers schedule features 12 teams that reached the NCAA tournament last season, three teams that made the College World Series and seven teams ranked in the final Top 25 poll.

The Gophers begin their season this weekend at a tournament in Orlando, Fla. The Minnesota opens with No. 12 Georgia and tournament host Central Florida on Friday. The Gophers will play Georgia again on Saturday and also play Longwood and Fresno State this weekend.

"The team is ready to play and compete against tough competition," Ritter said. "We gain a lot by these [nonconference] games. We're young in the circle [pitching] and infield. Our young players will gain a lot of experience to prepare us for the Big Ten season."

Among the graduation losses are pitcher Amber Fiser and second baseman MaKenna Partain. Fiser won 98 games in her Gophers career, while Partain hit .329 last season and was first-team All-Big Ten.

With them, the Gophers went 29-11 in the regular season last season to finish as Big Ten runners-up and advanced to their eighth consecutive NCAA tournament (the 2020 tournament was canceled). The Gophers went 2-2 at a regional in Los Angeles to finish 31-13.

Leading the returning players for the Gophers are seniors Autumn Pease and Natalie DenHartog.

Pease was 12-3 with a 1.75 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 108 innings last season.

"Autumn has looked good," Ritter said. "She gained a lot of confidence last year. She's a tricky pitcher and nothing gets her rattled."

DenHartog batted .321 with 15 home runs and 42 RBI last season and was named first-team All-Big Ten.

"Natalie has made a lot of strides," Ritter said. "She's always been a hitter, but she has become a pretty fantastic center fielder."

Also returning is catcher Sara Finch, who was named to the Big Ten all-freshman team.

Joining the Gophers are two graduate transfers — catcher/DH Lauren Espalin, who hit .318 for California last season, and shortstop MaKenna Dowell, who batted .294 in 51 starts for Auburn last season.