Vermillion, S.D. – The Yotes announce their 2026 spring softball schedule featuring trips to Texas, Arizona, and Florida. 
 
The season starts in Huntsville, Texas where South Dakota will compete in the Bearkat classic. They will play five games over three days against Central Arkansas and Creighton, as well as Sam Houston who is hosting the tournament. 
 
Week two is another five-game weekend, this time in Phoenix, Ariz. at the Grand Canyon tournament. The yotes will play three games against Sac State then face UNC and the host team, Grand Canyon. 
 
Grand Canyon won 47 games last season and was a part of the NCAA tournament along with receiving votes for the top 25 poll. The Lopes and the Yotes have met seven times in program history with the Lopes taking five of those games. UNC was also a tournament team with a 40- win 2025 season. 
 
Week three takes the Coyotes to Arlington, Texas to face Wichita State, UTA, and Creighton over five games and three days. 
 
To end February, the Yotes will travel to Miami, Fla. for five games hosted by Florida International. They will play Harvard, Fordham, and FIU with the last two games being bracket dependent. 
 
South Dakota will also travel west to Colorado to play Northern Colorado and Colorado State in early March. The first home competition is scheduled for March 10 against the Lancers of Mount Marty. 
 
The last two trips before conference begins will include Columbia, Mo. where the Yotes will take on Iowa State, Minnesota, and Missouri, then a stop in Lawrence, Kan. to play Kansas. 
 
South Dakota is facing four teams for the first time ever in their non-conference slate. Those opponents include UNC, Sac State, Harvard, and Fordham. 
 
The Summit League slate begins with a home series at Nygaard Field against SDSU on March 20-22. 
 
After an away series at St. Thomas and a non-conference stop in Omaha, Neb. to play Creighton, the Coyotes return home to play NDSU on April 10-12. 
 
The Yotes will travel to Ames, Iowa to play Iowa State then to Grand Forks, N.D. for a series against UND before their last non-conference competition of the season where they will host Drake for a double header in Vermillion on April 21.
 
South Dakota rounds out the regular season with trips to Kansas City, Mo. for a series with UMKC and a home series against UNO (April 30-May 2).
 
St. Thomas will host the 2026 Summit League Championship, slated for May 6-9, that will feature the top six teams in the regular season standings. 
 
The Coyotes were 32-24 overall in 2025 and return six starters and two of four pitchers who saw innings for Coach Wagner last season.
 
 
 
2026 Softball Schedule
 
Date                Opponent                                Location                      Time
Feb. 6              Central Arkansas                     Huntsville, Texas         11 a.m.
Feb. 6              Sam Houston                          Huntsville, Texas         4 p.m.
Feb. 7              Central Arkansas                     Huntsville, Texas         11 a.m.
Feb 7               Sam Houston                          Huntsville, Texas         4 p.m.
Feb. 8              Creighton                                Huntsville, Texas         10 a.m.
 
Feb. 13            UNC                                         Phoenix, Ariz.              10:30 a.m.
Feb. 13            Sac State                                 Phoenix, Ariz.              1:15 p.m.
Feb. 14             Sac State                                 Phoenix, Ariz.              9 a.m.
Feb. 14            Grand Canyon                         Phoenix, Ariz.              2 p.m.
Feb. 15            Sac State                                 Phoenix, Ariz.              9 a.m.
 
Feb. 20            Wichita State                          Arlington, Texas          10 a.m.
Feb. 20            Creighton                                Arlington, Texas          12:30 p.m.
Feb. 21            UTA (DH)                                 Arlington, Texas          3 p.m.
Feb. 22            Wichita State                          Arlington, Texas          9 a.m.
 
Feb. 27            Harvard                                   Miami, Fla.                  10 a.m.
Feb. 27            Fordham                                 Miami, Fla.                  3 p.m.
Feb. 28            FIU                                           Miami, Fla.                  1:30 p.m.
Feb. 28            TBD - Bracket                          Miami, Fla.                  TBD
March 1           TBD – Bracket                         Miami, Fla.                  TBD
 
March 6           Northern Colorado (DH)          Greeley, Colo.             1 p.m.
March 7           Colorado State (DH)                Fort Collins, Colo.        12. p.m.
March 8           Northern Colorado                   Greeley, Colo.             10 a.m.
 
March 10        Mounty Marty                        Vermillion, S.D.           4:30 p.m.
 
March 13        Iowa State                               Columbia, Mo.            2:30 p.m.
March 14        Minnesota                               Columbia, Mo.             11 a.m.
March 15        Missouri                                  Columbia, Mo.            12 p.m.
 
March 17        Kansas (DH)                             Lawrence, Kan.           1 p.m.
 
March 20        SDSU                                       Vermillion, S.D.           2 p.m.
March 21        SDSU                                       Vermillion, S.D.           2 p.m.
March 22        SDSU                                       Vermillion, S.D.           12 p.m.
 
March 27        UST                                          Saint Paul, Minn.         2 p.m.
March 28        UST                                          Saint Paul, Minn.         2 p.m.
March 29        UST                                          Saint Paul, Minn.         11 a.m.
 
April 7             Creighton                                Omaha, Neb.               6 p.m.
 
April 10           NDSU                                       Vermillion, S.D.           2 p.m.
April 11           NDSU                                       Vermillion, S.D.           2 p.m.
April 12           NDSU                                       Vermillion, S.D.           12 p.m.
 
April 14           Iowa State                               Ames, Iowa                 6 p.m.
 
April 17           UND                                        Grand Forks, N.D.       2 p.m.
April 18           UND                                        Grand Forks, N.D.       2 p.m.
April 19           UND                                        Grand Forks, N.D.       11 a.m.
 
April 21           Drake (DH)                              Vermillion, S.D.           2 p.m.
 
April 24           UMKC                                      Kansas City, Mo.         5 p.m.
April 25           UMKC                                      Kansas City, Mo.         12 p.m.
April 26           UMKC                                      Kansas City, Mo.         11 a.m.
 
April 30           UNO                                        Vermillion, S.D.           2 p.m.
May 1              UNO                                        Vermillion, S.D.           2 p.m.
May 2              UNO                                        Vermillion, S.D.           12 p.m.
 
May 6-9           Summit League Tournament  Minneapolis, Minn.    TBD