Schedule
Ashland (6-14, 0-0 G-MAC) vs Hillsdale College (13-12, 0-0 G-MAC) | 11 a.m. Saturday, March 25 | Total Sports Complex – Rossford, Ohio
Ashland (6-14, 0-0 G-MAC) vs Hillsdale College (13-12, 0-0 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. Saturday, March 25 | Total Sports Complex – Rossford, Ohio
Tiffin (8-13, 0-0 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (13-12, 0-0 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. Sunday, March 26 | Johnny Williams Field – Hillsdale, Michigan
Tiffin (8-13, 0-0 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (13-12, 0-0 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. Sunday, March 26 | Johnny Williams Field – Hillsdale, Michigan
Links
Hillsdale Roster | Ashland Roster | Tiffin Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Ashland Stats | Tiffin Stats | Live Stats and Video Links
Outlook
Hillsdale College had a good showing in Florida for the third straight season, going 8-4 in the Sunshine State on its spring break trip to get back above .500 for the season at 13-12 overall.
With momentum on their side, the Chargers now look to defend last season's G-MAC regular season crown as it dives into conference play against a pair of foes this weekend.
The Chargers open on Saturday with a doubleheader against Ashland, taking place in the Total Sports Complex in Rossford, Ohio starting at 11 a.m. Originally a home doubleheader for Hillsdale, the contest has been moved to an indoor facility to avoid expected inclement weather on Saturday.
The Eagles were 12-23 in 2022, 6-16 in the G-MAC in their first season in the conference. In 2023, they're off to a 6-14 start but enter the weekend having swept a solid Davenport team in their most recent doubleheader and are trending upwards.
Ashland ranks 9th 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.
On the mound, the Eagles have used a variety of starting pitchers and are still trying to settle on their best two to take the mound on a week-to-week basis. Returning All-G-MAC pitcher Josie Duncan has five starts, with a 2-4 record and a 4.69 ERA, but senior Kayla Ruperto, freshmen Delaney Lis and Karis Weirich, and Shaffer each have made multiple starts this season and could factor into the action this weekend.
On Sunday, the Chargers host Tiffin in a doubleheader beginning at 1 PM. While the Dragons have yet to capture a G-MAC title, they're a team that's consistently at the mix near the top of the standings, having finished third, fourth or fifth in every full season as a G-MAC member, and should be a factor again this year. The Dragons are currently 8-13 but have some impressive wins, including a 9-4 win over GLVC contender McKendree and a split with GLIAC favorite Grand Valley State.
Tiffin returns all three of its All-G-MAC honorees from 2022 in its lineup, with senior outfielder Taylor Whalen hitting .344 and leading the team in on-base percentage so far, while sophomore designated player Aubrie Harper is hitting .293 with 11 RBIs as well. Tiffin has gotten a huge lift from the bat of freshman infielder Tara Gall, who's hit three home runs and leads the team with 17 RBIs so far.
On the mound, Tiffin returns ace and second-team All-G-MAC honoree Claire Feldkamp, who's gone 5-8 so far with a solid 3.94 ERA in 16 appearances. After two years as a spot starter, junior Isabella St. Peter has become a reliable number two pitcher for the Dragons as well, posting a 3.68 ERA in 11 appearances as well. The Dragons currently rank fifth in the conference in batting average, hitting .277 at the plate, but just 10th so far in ERA, sitting at 5.13 entering the weekend.
Hillsdale, meanwhile, has struggled offensively, with a young and inexperienced lineup that's currently hitting .242, 11th best in the conference. Hillsdale is above .500 and remains a threat in the league title race thanks to excellent pitching – the Chargers' 2.19 staff ERA ranks third among G-MAC teams, behind only fellow title contenders Trevecca Nazarene and Northwood. Hillsdale has gotten great pitching from sophomore Joni Russell, whose 6-4 record belies a G-MAC best 0.85 ERA and a 101 to 22 strikeouts to walks ratio. At her current strikeout pace, Russell has a real chance of challenging the single-season record of 216 set by Danielle Stiene in 2015. Hillsdale has an excellent #2 pitcher in Erin Kapteyn, an All-G-MAC player in 2022 who has thrown shutouts in her last three starts, including the Chargers' first no-hitter since 2012 on March 11 against Queens (NY), and has a 2.22 ERA.
At the plate, Hillsdale is piecing together a lineup with just two every-day regulars from the 2022 season back for 2023. Juniors Grace Wallner and McKenna Eichholz have taken big steps forward for the Chargers – Wallner is hitting .328 with two home runs and a team-leading 13 RBIs, while Eichholz has 12 RBIs as well. Sophomore Emma Vis has seven extra-base hits and is hitting .348 for the Chargers, while freshman Taylor Lewis is off to an impressive start, with eight extra base hits and 11 RBIs.
Hillsdale has shown a knack in recent years for turning .500 or worse non-conference starts into excellent seasons once G-MAC play opens – the Chargers followed up a 12-10 start in 2021 with a 17-5 G-MAC record, and a 10-15 start in 2022 with a 19-2 G-MAC mark that captured the regular season title. The hope is that the Chargers can do it again in 2023, starting with this weekend's contests.