MITCHELL, S.D. — Head Coach Stephen Oswald Jr. will be departing Dakota Wesleyan University Softball after a one-year stint with the program.
Oswald Jr. continued DWU Softball's upward trajectory of the past couple of years by putting together the program's best season in school history, amassing a 35-17 record en route to a three-game run in the 2026 GPAC Tournament. The Tigers would end the season ranked 36th out of 191 NAIA teams in the RPI ratings and were able to grab ranked wins over Northwestern (Iowa) and Midland (Neb.). Nine individuals earned All-Conference honors for their efforts during the season, and the 2027 roster projects to return eight of these athletes. Director of Athletics Ross Cimpl stated his appreciation for Oswald Jr.'s efforts while also highlighting the momentum that the program has continued to gain in competition.
"I would like to thank Coach Oswald Jr. for his time and dedication to DWU Softball. What he accomplished in a short amount of time at DWU is impressive and has helped put our softball program in a position to continue along the positive path it has been on for the past couple of years. We wish him well in his future endeavors, and look forward to the future of our own program in terms of momentum. The past two seasons have been the best in school history in terms of wins, and DWU has a great group of young women that are the foundation of that success and have raised the standards and expectations for our entire program."
Over the past two seasons, Dakota Wesleyan Softball has posted a 69-33 (.676) overall record and has produced 19 total All-Conference distinctions while qualifying for the GPAC Tournament in back-to-back years. Following the 2025 season, Alison Ernsberger was named the GPAC Freshman of the Year and continued her impressive career start as a sophomore, being one of four athletes named First Team All-Conference in 2026. The rising trajectory of the program is set to continue with the team's next head coach, with both returning contributors and young talent being notable for the current iteration of the roster.
The search for the program's next head coach is underway. You can view the official job posting here.