2026 Softball Schedule

REDLANDS, Calif. – University of Redlands Head Softball Coach Jose Ortega officially released his 2026 schedule this week opening up against Bethesda University of California on February 13 in game one of 40.  The Bulldogs are coming off a historic 2025 season where they went 40-11, 18-3 SCIAC, were crowned the SCIAC Regular Season Champions, hosted the SCIAC Tournament, won their NCAA Regional (Lake Forest College, Wartburg College, WASHU) and NCAA Super-Regional (Emory University) before qualifying for the NCAA Division III College World Series where they beat Texas Lutheran University.  

Of their 40 games 29 will take place at the Field of Dreams and the other 11 will be true road games, all of which are in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) action. All 19 of the Bulldogs' non-conference games will take place at home and 10 of the 21 SCIAC contests will as well.    

This will be Bethesda's first season as a program. After their season opener, the Bulldogs host La Sierra University (LSU) for a doubleheader on February 16. The Golden Eagles were 14-31 last season.

Northwest Conference (NWC) opponent George Fox University (GFU) is the first NCAA opponent on February 21 when the two sides play a doubleheader. The Bruins were highly successful last season, going 26-17. They went 3-1 against SCIAC teams.

Traditional national power Linfield University returns to Redlands for a doubleheader on February 27. The Wildcats were 45-7 and ended their season at the Women's College World Series where they lost to eventual national champion Trine University in the Semi-Finals.  

Redlands' third consecutive doubleheader against a NWC opponent will take place on March 1 against Lewis & Clark College who was the other NWC team to make the NCAA Regionals. The Pioneers were 31-13 in 2025. They went 1-2 in the regionals with a win and loss against Chapman University and host Linfield University.

The next day on March 2 Bridgewater College plays a doubleheader at the Field of Dreams. The Eagles finished 29-14 in 2025 and had their season come to an end in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Tournament.

March 3 is the fourth doubleheader in five days for the Maroon and Grey as they host Gustavus Adolphus College. The Gusties were 19-21 overall last spring.

California Lutheran University (CLU) is the opening SCIAC series on March 6-7. Redlands travels to Thousand Oaks on Friday and then hosts the Regals on Saturday. CLU went 18-15 overall and 10-11 in conference as the fifth-place team.

In a mid-week doubleheader against SCIAC opponents in non-conference action, the Bulldogs host Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) and Chapman University on March 17. The Sagehens were the third-place team in SCIAC at 13-8. They finished 24-15 overall. The Panthers were second at 15-6 and ended their season 33-11. They ended their season in the NCAA regionals where they went 2-2 and had their season come to a close against Linfield.

On March 20 the U of R will host Occidental College in the first of a three-game series. They go to Occidental on March 21 for a twin bill. The Tigers were finished in seventh place at 5-16 and 10-27 overall.

A familiar non-conference opponent, Williams College returns to Redlands once again on March 22. The Ephs were 27-14 and despite losing their lone New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) game, they made the NCAA Regionals where they went 1-2.

Elmhurst University completes Redlands' non-conference schedule with a doubleheader on March 24. The Blue Jays were 6-26-1 last spring.

With non-conference out of the way, the Bulldogs travel to Whittier College on March 27. They then host the Poets for two games on March 28. Whittier was tied for seventh place in the final conference standings at 5-16 and went 18-21 overall.

University of La Verne comes to the Field of Dreams on April 3. They then host the Bulldogs on April 4. The Leopards finished sixth at 7-14 and were 16-23 overall.

April 10 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) will travel to take on the Bulldogs in Redlands. The Bulldogs will then travel to Claremont on April 11. CMS finished fourth at 11-10 and were 22-16 overall. They had their season end in the SCIAC Championship game of the SCIAC Tournament to Chapman.

In the second-to-last series of the year, the Bulldogs host the Panthers on April 23. They then play in Orange on April 25.

Following a bye weekend, Redlands takes on Pomona-Pitzer on May 1. They then host the Sagehens on senior day on May 2.

SCIAC Tournament is set for May 8-10 at the site of the regular season champion. If they qualify, the NCAA Regionals will take place May 14-18 at campus sites.

Previous Meetings

(H-2-H record as of ~2006)

• Bethesda (0-0): No prior meetings.
• La Sierra (7-0): Won 10-2 in 2024.
• George Fox (5-5): Last played in 2020, lost 14-0.
• Linfield (9-32): Went 1-2 last season.
• Lewis & Clark (2-0): Won twice in 2022.
• Bridgewater (1-1): Split the doubleheader in 2022.
• Gustavas Adolphus (0-0): No prior meetings.
• Cal Lutheran (60-16): Have won the last five meetings and currently 8-2 across their last 10.
• Pomona-Pitzer (60-18): Currently on a three-game winning streak, 7-3 over their last 10.
• Chapman (48-26): 6-4 in the last 10 meetings.
• Occidental (59-9): Won the last six meetings.
• Williams (9-5): 5-5 across their last 10 meetings.
• Elmhurst (0-0): No prior meetings.
• Whittier (52-22): Currently won nine in a row against the Poets
• La Verne (50-32): Four-game winning streak, 8-2 over their last 10.
• Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (41-44): 7-3 across their last 10.