Setting the Scene: Spring is in the air for the Pacific Lutheran University athletic department with several programs opening up the season this weekend. Softball opens the 2026 campaign down in Georgia with six games, including two against Top 10 opponents. Women's rowing hosts the PLU Invitational to begin the spring racing schedule while men's track & field heads across town to begin the outdoor season at the University of Puget Sound's Ed Boitano Invitational. Women's lacrosse hosts the crosstown Loggers to wrap up a three-game homestand while men's golf tees off against a trio of in-state opponents for the Washington Cup.

FRIDAY:
T&F at Ed Boitano Invitational in Tacoma, Wash. (11 a.m.)
SB vs. Saint Benedict in Columbus, Ga. (3 p.m. Eastern)
SB vs. #1 Trine in Columbus, Ga. (5:30 p.m. Eastern)
SATURDAY:
WROW hosts PLU Invitational at American Lake (8:30 a.m.)
T&F at Ed Boitano Invitational in Tacoma, Wash. (11 a.m.)
SB vs Stevens in Columbus, Ga. (3 p.m. Eastern)
WLAX hosts Puget Sound at East Field (1 p.m.)
SB vs. LaGrange in Columbus, Ga. (5:30 p.m. Eastern)
SUNDAY:
MG at Washington Cup in Lakewood, Wash. (Oakbrook GC)
SB vs. Pfeiffer in Columbus, Ga. (9 a.m. Eastern)
SB vs. #5 Saint Mary's in Columbus, Ga. (11 a.m. Eastern)
WLAX at Pacific in Forest Grove, Ore. (1 p.m.)
 
Black and Gold to the Silver and Black: PLU's Defensive Coordinator Ketner Kupp has joined the National Football League's Las Vegas Raiders as their defensive quality control coach while Mike Smith has been promoted from PLU's defensive line coach to defensive coordinator. 
 
Learn more about the Ketner Kupp move: LINK
 
Learn more about Mike Smith and his promotion: LINK
 
Thank You Coach!: The Lutes will also be saying goodbye to Head Women's Basketball Coach Lee Aduddell who has stepped down after four years at the helm. Under Aduddell's leadership the team set school records for three-pointers in a game and a season, while also coaching five All-Conference players and 11 CSC Academic All-District players.
 
Learn more: LINK
 
Women's Lacrosse: Taylee Alldredge scored five goals, one shy of her own school record, as the Lutes (1-1) tied a school record for goals scored in a 12-10 victory over Eastern Oregon University on Friday night.
 
Alldredge's fifth goal of the game came with 93 seconds left, providing a two-goal cushion and what turned out to be the game-winner. 
 
Gracie Cecka had a career-high 10 ground balls and five caused turnovers and on Monday was tabbed the NWC Defensive Player of the Week.
 
Baseball: PLU (3-5, 1-2 NWC) won the opening game of its conference slate 8-3 over Lewis & Clark College but wasn't so fortune the rest of the weekend, dropping Saturday's second game 7-6 before stumbling 11-7 in Sunday's rubbermatch.

Home runs from Rutger Youch and Kyle Tat set the tone in the game one victory. PLU led 6-4 in game two before yielding three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Another lead slipped away late on Sunday, surrendering seven runs in the seventh in the four run setback. 
 
Carson Burke headlined Sunday at the plate, belting a three-run home run in the top of the fifth. 
 
Women's Rowing: The Lutes are back on the water for their first regatta since the fall and first 2,000-meter race since placing eighth at the 2025 NCAA Division III Championships.
 
PLU welcomes seven other teams to American Lake on Saturday, including regional rivals Pacific University, Lewis & Clark College, and boathouse rival University of Puget Sound.
 
Learn more about the 2026 Lutes in our season preview: LINK
 
Softball: Pacific Lutheran opens up the spring season this weekend in Georgia with six games over three days at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. The Lutes will be battling against some of the best teams in the nation, including preseason No. 1 and the reigning national champion Trine University (Indiana) and fifth-ranked Saint Mary's University (Minnesota).
 
Learn more about the 2026 Lutes in our season preview: LINK
 
Track & Field: The Lutes open the lid on the outdoor season this weekend, competing across town at the Ed Boitano Invitational. It's the first of three straight weekends of meets in Tacoma with PLU hosting the PLU Open next Friday and the Brad Moore Invitational on March 21. 
 
Men's Golf: PLU opened the spring back on Feb. 24 at the Crusader up in Dallas, Texas and will return to the links this Sunday, battling in-state rivals Puget Sound, Whitman College, and Whitworth University for the Washington Cup.
 
The Lutes placed fourth at the NWC Fall Classic back in October and look to buck expectations after getting picked fifth in the NWC's midseason poll released this week. 
 
Award Winning Lutes: Last Friday the NWC announced its postseason award winners for basketball with men's basketball's Ben Tellez earning Second Team All-Conference with women's basketball's Sydney Reisner also earning Second Team All-Confer