Schedule
#2 Hillsdale College (31-18, 17-5 G-MAC) vs #7 Ashland (21-27, 13-11 GMAC) | 2:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, May 3 | Anderson Field – Findlay, Ohio
Full Bracket and Tournament Schedule at G-MAC Championship Central.
Links
Hillsdale Roster | Ashland Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Ashland Stats | Live Stats and Video Links | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats
Outlook
The Hillsdale College softball team enters the 2023 G-MAC Tournament in Findlay, Ohio this weekend not as the favorite, but definitely a strong contender to bring home the title.
The Chargers finished G-MAC play in second place at 17-5 overall, and took at least one game off of every team they played, including G-MAC regular season champion Ohio Dominican, third-place Trevecca Nazarene, and fourth-place Cedarville.
Hillsdale has a strong history in past G-MAC Tournaments, winning the title in 2018 and 2019 and boasting a 10-4 record all-time in the event, which they've participated in every year it's been held since the Chargers joined the conference in 2018. While they've been successful overall, Hillsdale enters this year's edition looking for redemption after going 0-2 as the top seed in the 2022 edition of the tournament.
In the last five G-MAC Tournaments, including every one since the conference expanded to its current size in 2018, the top seed has failed to win the title. With so many teams close together in the standings entering this year's event, more chaos is to be expected.
The Chargers open the 2023 Tournament with a contest against seventh-seeded Ashland at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Hillsdale swept the Eagles in a doubleheader to kick off conference play in March, but Ashland was able to rally from those losses and a tough non-conference start to snag one of the eight G-MAC Tourney bids.
Ashland ranks 7th in the G-MAC in both batting average (.244) and ERA (4.91). Leading the Eagles at the plate so far is senior third baseman Hailey Struckman, who is hitting .373 with seven extra base hits and nine RBIs. Senior Lauren McMillin leads Ashland in RBIs (10) and triples (4) as well, and sophomore Cassidy Shaffer is hitting .292 with nine RBIs as well.
In the circle, Hillsdale hit Ashland hard in their first meeting but will likely be facing the Eagles' Tournament starter for the first time, as neither freshman Karis Weirich (2-4, 3.50 ERA) nor senior Kayla Ruperto (6-6, 3.51 ERA) pitched against the Chargers the first time around, but one or both will likely get the call on Wednesday. Senior Josie Duncan and sophomore Cassidy Shaffer are also options for Ashland on the mound should they decide to go a different direction.
Win or lose, the Chargers will play again on Thursday – with a victory, against the winner of the Wednesday matchup between third-seeded Trevecca Nazarene and sixth-seeded Northwood at 12:30 p.m., or, if Hillsdale loses, in an elimination matchup against the loser of that 3-6 contest at 10 a.m.
Third-seeded Trevecca Nazarene, who split with the Chargers in Nashville earlier this season, was the preseason favorite to win the title and still a significant contender. The Trojans lean heavily on a one-two punch in the circle of sophomore pitcher Ashlan Sensing and senior Alex Behnke that's second only to Hillsdale's starting duo in ERA in the conference, and also have a potent offense carried by returning junior starters Alex Bennett and Kendall Andrews, who are both hitting above .400 for the season.
Trevecca will have a tough fight to get to the second round against sixth-seeded Northwood, who could be the sleeper team of the tourney thanks to a strong pitching staff of their own, led by ace Hailey Leister, who has the talent and the numbers to match up with Sensing on even ground in the circle in tomorrow's contest. At the plate, the Timberwolves rely on a balanced offense led by decorated senior Haley Frank, and two talented freshmen, Ashley Ziel and Delanie Gale.
On the other side of the bracket, top-seeded Ohio Dominican is the tourney favorite but will have a fight on their hands to reach the final. The Panthers also have an excellent pitching staff led by standout freshman ace Marlee Jacobs, as well as one of the top offenses in the G-MAC led by prolific cleanup hitter Braxton Downs and reigning G-MAC Freshman of the Year Kaleigh Golden.
The Panthers will take on eighth-seeded Tiffin on Wednesday. While the Dragons are the last team in the tourney, they can't be counted out after some big wins in G-MAC play this season. Tiffin has two great pitching options in Claire Feldkamp and Isabella St. Peter, both with ERAs under 3, and an offense that, while inconsistent, has put up some impressive power numbers with freshmen Tara Gall and Molly Koesters, as well as sophomore Maci Head combining to hit 21 home runs between them.
The final matchup pits Cedarville against host Findlay in the 4-5 game.
Fourth-seeded Cedarville follows a similar formula to many of the G-MAC's other top teams – an excellent pitching staff paired with a solid offense. In a league filled with standout aces, junior Casey Bertke is as good as any, and the Yellow Jackets can pair her with a solid No. 2 in Adaline Ziehmer. Casey's younger sister, freshman Dana, is one of the best leadoff hitters in the conference, while Faith Bergner and the elder Bertke also bring extra-base power to the lineup.
Fifth-seeded Findlay doesn't have the same level of pitching as many of the other contenders, but the Oilers are still solid on the mound and back it up with the G-MAC's best offense on paper. Junior Avery Shepherd is a Player of the Year contender, and paired with seniors Olivia Carlton and Caroline Turner make a murderers row for opponents to get through. In the circle, Emma Jones has done a solid job as the team's ace, while Findlay has used a variety of pitchers in the second spot, including freshman Kayla Dykin and Kora Navarro, as well as senior Molly Pfiffner.
As Hillsdale looks for a title-worthy finish to 2023, everything starts with an excellent pitching staff that gives the Chargers a chance in every game. Hillsdale's 1.75 staff ERA leads all G-MAC teams, and the Chargers have gotten great pitching from sophomore Joni Russell, whose 16-6 record includes a G-MAC best 0.71 ERA and a conference-leading and school-record setting 224 strikeouts. Russell also set the program record for strikeouts in a single game with 19 against Malone on April 8. Hillsdale has arguably the best second starter in the G-MAC as well in junior Erin Kapteyn, an All-G-MAC player in 2022, who has a 12-7 record, a 1.85 ERA and threw the Chargers' first no-hitter since 2012 on March 11 against Queens (NY).
With a dominant pitching staff to fall back on, the challenge for Hillsdale this season as it looks to repeat as G-MAC regular season champions is getting more out of its bats. Luckily, the Chargers seem to be heating up at the right time – Hillsdale is hitting just .279 overall but .313 in conference play, good for the third best mark in the league entering the tournament.
Junior Hailey Holtman, one of two returning starters in the lineup, has become a key player, averaging .323 with 15 extra-base hits and 18 RBIs in the leadoff position. Sophomore Emma Vis is also having a breakout season, hitting .339 with 14 extra base hits and 19 RBIs, and junior Grace Wallner is hitting .326 with a team-high 31 RBIs as well.
In conference play, catcher McKenna Eichholz also has been on a tear for Hillsdale, hitting .429 with the team's best OBP, and freshman Anna Chellman and sophomore Hannah Hoverman have been great in small sample sizes, tying for the team lead in RBIs in conference contests with 15.