A year after claiming their first regular season conference title since 1991, the Hillsdale College softball team will battle tough competition to hold on to their crown this spring.
The G-MAC coaching fraternity sees another tight race at the top for the league title, after Hillsdale claimed the crown last season on the final day with a come-from-behind 5-4 win over Findlay.
The Chargers were one of four teams within three votes of each other at the top of the poll, finishing fourth in the poll with 121 votes, including one first-place vote. Trevecca Nazarene and Ohio Dominican tied atop the poll with 124 votes, with Trevecca getting the nod in the standing thanks to five first-place votes to ODU's four, while Findlay finished third with 122 total votes and three third-place votes.
That closeness in the standings reflects what should be a season-long battle. Hillsdale, Ohio Dominican and Findlay finished 1-2-3 in the final standings in 2022, separated by just one and a half games between the top and third place team. All three, however, have big holes to fill as they look to continue to contend in 2023.
Trevecca Nazarene finished a distant fourth in the regular season standings, but advanced to the G-MAC Tournament Championship series in 2022 and returns virtually its entire lineup intact, making them a top contender in 2023.
Although the road ahead is far from easy, there's a definite path for Hillsdale back to the title. It starts with what may be the best all-around pitching staff in the G-MAC, as Hillsdale returns ace Joni Russell, a first-team All-G-MAC players as a freshman, and fellow starter Erin Kapteyn, who put up nearly equal numbers to Russell and earned second-team All-G-MAC honors.
Behind that potent one-two punch on the mound, Hillsdale has high hopes for sophomore pitchers Dani Deaton and Emma Vis, who showed promise in limited outings as freshmen and could become key contributors to the staff in their own right with a year of seasoning.
While the pitching staff should make the Chargers a contender, Hillsdale will need to prove itself offensively with a rebuilt lineup after significant losses. The Chargers' top three hitters from 2022, and six of nine every-day players graduated in 2022, leaving Hillsdale with a lot of holes to fill.
The cupboard is far from bare despite the losses, however, as the Chargers return third-team All-G-MAC outfielder Olivia Latimer, an instant contributor as a freshman, as well as steady first baseman Jenna Cantalupo, seasoned shortstop Hailey Holtman, and power hitter and catcher/designated player McKenna Eichholz.
With many spots in the lineup open, the door is open for a group of players that have been waiting for their chance to break out. Juniors Kay Suganuma and Grace Wallner, and sophomores Ashley Strick and Hannah Hoverman all will look to make their mark in increased roles.
With a large class departing, Hillsdale also adds a big class of incoming freshmen as well, a group that will get the opportunity to get on the field early and battle for starting jobs as well as fifth-year head coach Kyle Gross looks to find the best nine-player combination the Chargers can field.
Hillsdale's season begins on Feb. 10 in Tennessee, as the Chargers travel south for five games in three days against the host Pioneers, Lees-McRae and UVA-Wise.
The Chargers also head south in February to play in the annual National Fastpitch Coaches Association Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Georgia on Feb. 24-26, as well as the team's annual Spring Break trip to Florida, with 12 games in seven days.
Chargers fans can catch Hillsdale at home for the first time on Saturday, March 25, when the squad opens its G-MAC title defense with a doubleheader against Ashland at 1 p.m. Hillsdale also plays Tiffin at home for a 1 p.m. doubleheader the next day, Sunday, March 26.
In total, the Chargers have six home doubleheaders, ending with Senior Day on Friday, April 28 against rival and fellow G-MAC title contender Findlay at 3 p.m. You can find the full schedule here.
2023 G-MAC Softball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. TNU (5) 124
1. ODU (4) 124
3. FINDLAY (3) 122
4. HILLSDALE (1) 121
5. NORTHWOOD 97
6. TIFFIN 87
7. CEDARVILLE 82
8. ASHLAND 56
9. WALSH 51
10. URSULINE 43
11. KY WESLEYAN 41
12. MALONE 38
13. LAKE ERIE 28