Bemidji State Softball Struggles at Kelly Laas Memorial Tournament

Beavers drop four games against conference foes at St. Cloud event

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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The Bemidji State softball team played four games against conference opponents at the Kelly Laas Memorial Tournament in St. Cloud over the weekend, but struggled to find success, losing all four contests.

Why it matters

Bemidji State is a Division II program that competes in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Their performance at this early-season tournament could be an indicator of how they will fare in conference play and their chances of making the NCAA tournament later in the year.

The details

On Friday, Bemidji State lost 5-4 in 8 innings against Concordia-St. Paul and 12-4 in 5 innings against host St. Cloud State. The following day, they fell 7-1 to Southwest Minnesota State and 9-1 in 6 innings to St. Cloud State again. Standout performers for the Beavers included Calleigh Richards, who went 4-for-12 with a home run and 5 RBIs, and Alayna DeGraef, who had 5 singles in 11 at-bats.

  • The tournament took place over the weekend of February 9-10, 2026.

The players

Calleigh Richards

A Bemidji State player who had a strong offensive performance at the tournament, going 4-for-12 with a home run and 5 RBIs.

Alayna DeGraef

A Bemidji State player who went 5-for-11 with 5 singles at the tournament.

Concordia-St. Paul

A conference opponent that defeated Bemidji State 5-4 in 8 innings.

St. Cloud State

The host school that defeated Bemidji State twice, 12-4 and 9-1.

Southwest Minnesota State

A conference opponent that defeated Bemidji State 7-1.

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The takeaway

Bemidji State's struggles at the Kelly Laas Memorial Tournament suggest they may have some work to do in order to be competitive in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play this season. However, it's still early, and the team will have opportunities to turn things around as the season progresses.