Gophers softball hopes healthy pitching staff helps team rebound

Already facing the task of replacing its top four hitters from last season, the Gophers softball team announced another challenge the week of its season opener.

On Monday, Feb. 2, the Gophers said senior outfielder Breezy Burnett, a three-year starter, will miss the 2026 season after sustaining a lower-body injury during winter break while at home in Florida.

That will make it more difficult for the Gophers, who finished 20-30 last year, to rebound from their first losing season since 2010. Their hopes hinge on a healthy pitching staff — highlighted by senior Sydney Schwartz.

Schwartz was 10-16 with a 2.84 ERA in 158 innings last season after being limited to 28 innings in 2024.

Schwartz, who plays first base when she’s not pitching, is joined on the staff by juniors Macy Richardson and Jessa Snippes and sophomore Natalie Susa. The Gophers hope the group can boost their run prevention after they finished with the fifth-worst ERA in the Big Ten last year (4.46).

Richardson, who made 31 appearances as a freshman in 2024, was limited to eight innings last year because of injuries. Snippes was 1-2 in 12 appearances, while Susa was 2-6 in 17 appearances.

Freshman pitcher Kylinn Stangl, who pitched Mankato East to Class 3A state titles in 2023 and 2024 and a third-place finish last year, could contribute after a solid showing in fall practice.

Catcher Taylor Krapf is gone after hitting .326 with a team-leading 16 home runs and 41 RBI her senior year. So is Nani Valencia, who hit a team-high .335 with five home runs and 29 RBI. Also gone are Margaret Tobias, who hit .308, and Kayla Chavez, who hit .236 with 15 RBIs.

Transfer Cassie Johnson, who redshirted last season at Texas Tech after earning All-State honors at Ankeny (Iowa) High School, is a candidate to start at catcher in Krapf’s place, while sophomore Cameron Chard could split time between catcher and first base.

Sophomore Tinley Easton hit .234 with two home runs and 16 RBIs in 42 games last season and could take over as the starting shortstop.

Others expected to see significant playing time in the infield are junior Lucy Hooper, senior Maggie Werner and junior Tara Wolocko. Hooper hit .276 in 29 at-bats last season, while Werner hit .230 with one home run and five RBIs in 38 games. Wolocko redshirted last season after suffering an injury during fall practice in 2024.

The Gophers will open their season in the SDSU Season Kickoff from Feb. 6-8. They will play Miami (Ohio) and San Diego State the first day of the event.

Gophers coach Piper Ritter, who is 144-113-1 with three NCAA tournament appearances in five seasons at Minnesota, added three new members to her staff this year in assistant coach Stephanie Lombardo, director of operations Morgan DeBord and player development coordinator Autumn Pease.