Mitchell, S.D. – Dakota Wesleyan softball has clinched the fourth seed and is set to face fifth-seeded Concordia (NE) in the opening contest of the GPAC Tournament. The Tigers will travel to Orange City, Iowa, for the Northwestern pod. The Northwestern pod includes (1) Northwestern, (4) Dakota Wesleyan, (5) Concordia, and (8) Doane. The Tigers’ fourth-place conference finish marks their best since 2018.
This season has been a historic one for Dakota Wesleyan, as the team has broken numerous records — and those records will keep changing as they head into the tournament.
The last time Dakota Wesleyan appeared in the GPAC Tournament was in 2018, when they played at Midland but had an early exit after losses to Dordt and Midland.
In conference play, four Tigers are hitting above .350+ with McKinnelny Mull (.437), Peyton Bagley (.423), Ashlen Johnson (.401), and Sophie Wietzema (.376). Mull leads the team with 68 hits, 55 RBIs, 18 walks, 11 home runs, 10 triples, 13 doubles, a .506 on-base percentage, and an .854 slugging percentage.
Dakota Wesleyan vs. Concordia (NE) – Opening Game
(4) Dakota Wesleyan (33-14, 14-8 GPAC) – The Tigers qualified for the GPAC Tournament by securing a top-four finish in the regular season. They are having a historic year, rewriting the record books across multiple categories. Offensively, Mull has been leading the Tigers in most major stats. In the circle, Ohio native standout Alison Ernsberger has been dominant, setting a new program record for strikeouts in a season.
(5) Concordia (27-18, 12-10 GPAC) – The Bulldogs earned the fifth seed after finishing 12-10 in conference play. During the regular season, Dakota Wesleyan and Concordia split their doubleheader at Dr. McWhirter Field. The Tigers took Game 1, 3-2, in extra innings, but the Bulldogs bounced back to win Game 2, 10-8. Key players for Concordia include Jennifer Katz, Taryn Ganstrom, and pitcher Megan Eurich.
Tournament Information
2025 GPAC Tournament – Northwestern Bracket
Location: NWC Softball Diamond (Orange City, IA)
Dates: April 30 – May 1
Live Stream: Available for all games.
Wednesday, April 30
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Game 1 – (1) Northwestern vs. (8) Doane, 12 p.m.
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Game 2 – (4) Dakota Wesleyan vs. (5) Concordia, 2 p.m.
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Game 3 – Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 4 p.m.
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Game 4 – Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 6 p.m.
Thursday, May 1
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Game 5 – Game 4 Winner vs. Game 3 Loser, 12 p.m.
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Game 6 – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, 2 p.m.
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Game 7 – Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser, 4 p.m. (if necessary)
Admission:
Admission is $10 for adults and senior citizens, and $3 for K-12 students. Only those with NAIA passes or GPAC student IDs will be admitted free of charge.