In 2018 and 2019, the Hillsdale College softball team started slow in non-conference play, but lessons learned against tough opponents in those early-season games led to Great Midwest Athletic Conference tournament titles in both seasons.
There were signs the 2020 team was following a similar path -- until Covid-19 hit just before conference play started, ending the Chargers' chase for a third-straight G-MAC tournament crown prematurely.
As Hillsdale picks up where it left off in 2021, with the season set to begin on Feb. 13 and 14 with doubleheaders down south against West Florida and North Georgia, the Chargers are once again expected to be a contender for the G-MAC crown.
Opposing coaches picked the Chargers to finish third out of 12 teams in the G-MAC standings in the conference's preseason poll presented by Under Armour on Thursday. The Chargers finished with 90 points, including two first-place votes.
Hillsdale finished the abbreviated 2020 season at 4-16, but that mark is not terribly different than the 6-13 record the Chargers put up through the same time frame in 2019 -- and that team went on to capture the G-MAC tournament crown for the second year in a row.
There were signs the Chargers were starting to come around at the end of their spring trip to Florida as well. Hillsdale picked up three of its four wins in its final eight games, including an 11-6 win over Pitt-Johnstown in its last game of the season.
Also, while no one wanted to see the 2020 season get cut off early, there is a silver lining for the Chargers, who have several players entering the 2021 season healthier than they've been in years thanks to the longer-than-expected layoff.
That includes pitcher Camryn Olson, a critical part of the 2019 G-MAC title run who was slated to miss all of the 2020 season with an arm injury, as well as fifth-year senior middle infielder Sam Catron, who played through nagging injuries for the previous three seasons.
Hillsdale returns several players who seemed like they were on the cusp of breakout seasons offensively before the pandemic cut the season short, including junior outfielder Renee Bielawa, who hit .382 and led the team in singles and triples, senior catcher Madison Stoner, who hit .340, and junior third baseman Elaine Townley, who hit .305. Along with multi-year lineup mainstays like Catron, the Chargers should be able to field a strong lineup that will give them a chance in most games.
On the mound, the Chargers welcome back senior Dana Weidinger for a fifth year. A stalwart throughout her career for the Chargers, Weidinger enters 2021 seventh in career wins (32), ninth in striekouts (235) and fourth in innings pitched (416.2) in Charger history, and provides consistency and effectiveness on the mound. With the healthy return of both Olson and senior Julia Sayles, as well as the arrival of freshman Erin Kapteyn, the Chargers should have a solid staff as well.
Hillsdale will look to contend with a strong field in the G-MAC this year, including Trevecca Nazarene, who was ranked 10th in Division II in the initial National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll and topped the G-MAC poll with 114 points and seven first-place votes, as well as Ohio Dominican, the 2019 regular-season champion who was second in the poll with 104 points and two first place votes.
Other programs to watch out for include Findlay, the 2018 regular-season runner up who was fourth in the poll with one first place vote, Cedarville, the 2018 regular season champion who came in sixth, and Tiffin, who finished third in the regular season in 2019 and was picked fifth.
Hillsdale opens the season with a trip to North Georgia University in Dahlonega, Georgia to take on West Florida on Feb. 13, with a doubleheader against the host Nighthawks the following day.
The Chargers will also travel to the Rosemont Dome Invitational from Feb. 19-21 and play in an tournament hosted by Glenville St. University in West Virginia on Feb 26-28.
G-MAC play begins on March 28 with a doubleheader against Ohio Valley. The conference season with run through May 2, with the conference tournament scheduled for May 6-8.
To see the full Hillsdale College softball schedule, check our website at hillsdalechargers.com/sports/sball/.
Great Midwest Softball Preseason Coaches Poll Presented by Under Armour
1. Trevecca (7 first-place votes) - 114 points
2. Ohio Dominican (2 first-place votes) - 104 points
3. Hillsdale (2 first-place votes) - 90 points
4. Findlay (1 first-place vote) - 87 points
5. Tiffin - 80 points
6. Cedarville - 79 points
7. Kentucky Wesleyan - 71 points
8. Malone - 55 points
9. Walsh - 42 points
10. Ursuline - 31 points
11. Lake Erie - 28 points
12. Ohio Valley - 11 points