RIVER FALLS, Wis. – UW-River Falls softball coach Ethan Giese announced the 2025 schedule today, Oct. 24, 2024.

Giese, announced as the eighth head coach in UWRF softball history in August of 2024, is set to lead the Falcons in his first season at the helm. 

Head coach Ethan Giese came to UWRF after spending the 2024 season as an assistant coach at the University of Dayton, where he helped lead the Flyers to the program's first ever Atlantic 10 Championship and NCAA Division I Tournament appearance. As the staff's pitching coach, Giese led the Flyer's pitching staff to an overall ERA of 2.47 while leading the Atlantic 10 during league play with a 1.93 ERA. He and his colleagues were selected as the Atlantic 10 Coaching Staff of the Year.

Before Dayton, Giese served as an assistant coach at UW-La Crosse for four seasons from 2020-23. During his time at UWL, the Eagles compiled a 71-41 overall record, won the WIAC regular season title in 2022 and the tournament crown in 2023, reaching the NCAA Tournament. While leading the pitching staff, he coached six student-athletes to All-WIAC honors along with the two-time WIAC Pitcher of the Year (2022-23), several NFCA All-Region recipients, and an NFCA All-American in 2022. For two consecutive seasons (2022-23), Giese and the UWL coaches were recognized as the WIAC Coaching Staff of the Year.

The Falcons are coming off a 2024 season with a 10-22 overall record, and will by led by three-time All-WIAC senior infielder Kelly Aultman.

UWRF opens the 2025 campaign on March 2 with a pair of games at the Rochester Dome in Rochester, Minn., hosted by Luther College. The Falcons then have another indoor competition at the Augsburg Dome Games March 7-8 before heading to Clermont, Fla., for their spring break trip at THE Spring Games.

The home opener at Perkins Stadium is set for Monday, Aug. 31 against Bethel University, and the Falcons travel to UW-Platteville on April 12 for the WIAC opener.