Schedule
Hillsdale College (3-5) at Illinois-Springfield (9-3) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, March 2 | UIS Softball Complex – Springfield, IL
Hillsdale College (3-5) at Illinois-Springfield (9-3) | 3 p.m. ET Saturday, March 2 | UIS Softball Complex – Springfield, IL
Hillsdale College (3-5) vs Quincy (3-5) | 1 p.m. ET Sunday, March 3 | UIS Softball Complex – Springfield, IL
Hillsdale College (3-5) vs Quincy (3-5) | 3 p.m. ET Sunday, March 3 | UIS Softball Complex – Springfield, IL
Links
Live stats | Hillsdale Roster | UIS Roster | Quincy Roster | 2024 Hillsdale Stats | 2024 UIS Stats | 2024 Quincy Stats | G-MAC Softball Standings | G-MAC Softball Stats
Outlook
The Chargers had a tough time in the Rosemont Dome last weekend, as a lack of timely hitting led to close losses in four of five games despite solid pitching throughout the weekend. At 3-5 overall, Hillsdale looks to get back on track with doubleheaders against two regional foes this weekend in Springfield, Illinois.
The first opponent for Hillsdale on Saturday is host Illinois-Springfield. The Prairie Stars were a NCAA Tournament team in 2023 with a 34-24 record and actually knocked the Chargers out of the regional last May. They're off to another strong start in 2024, going 9-3 so far with a couple of impressive wins.
At the plate, UIS is one of the best small-ball teams in the Midwest, proving adept at getting on base and wreaking havoc on the basepaths, and the 2024 team is no different. The Prairie Stars graduated several key players from their 2023 lineup but return four All-GLVC honorees, led by junior outfielder Isabella Wilson, who has four doubles and leads the team with 13 RBIs. Along with strong returners, UIS is getting excellent contributions from freshman Adi Rumler, who is batting .500 so far, as well as JuCo transfer Malia Bender, who has brought uncommon power to UIS' lineup with three triples and two home runs in 12 games so far.
On the mound, UIS graduated ace Reagan Miles but returns two experienced and accomplished starters in junior Taylor Zawacki, who is 2-2 with a 3.16 ERA and 26 strikeouts so far, and sophomore Rosie Barletti, who is 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA to date. The new staff ace could be freshman Alexis Carroll, who has posted an impressive 4-1 record, 1.47 ERA and 28 strikeouts in six appearances. UIS has a deep staff and will use multiple pitchers in games more often than other teams, adding another dimension for opponents to consider.
The Chargers finish off the weekend with two against Quincy on Sunday. The Hawks posted a 22-22 record in 2023 that was Quincy's first .500 finish since 2019, and are 3-5 after getting the bats going in a sweep this past Saturday.
Sophomore Avery Funk leads the Hawks at the plate in average with .353 so far, while fellow sophomore Lindsey Fischer leads the team in RBIs. No Quincy player has more than one extra base hit or more than three RBIs so far, so getting more juice out of the lineup will be a big focus for the Hawks this weekend.
On the mound, Quincy is starting fresh after losing both starting pitchers from last year's campaign. Abbey Hultz, who was a reliever last season for the Hawks, has been most effective so far, with a 6.07 ERA and a 1-3 record, while JuCo transfer KJ Weller has been Quincy second starter, with a 6.87 ERA and a 1-2 mark in four starts. Senior Eileen McGinnis has been the Hawks' relief arm, with five appearances and a 6.07 ERA in 15 innings pitched.
Hillsdale enters the 2024 season with one of the best one-two punches on the mound in the nation at the NCAA DII level. Junior Joni Russell is a consensus returning All-American that finished in the top five in the country in both strikeouts and ERA and earned G-MAC Pitcher of the Year honors, and senior Erin Kapteyn also capped a year that saw her put up a 1.95 ERA and record 13 wins with her second-straight All-G-MAC honor. Together with junior Emma Vis and sophomore Mackenzi Maxson, the group set a G-MAC record with a 1.71 staff ERA in 2023, and all four players return in 2024. Russell was sensational in her season-opening game against Tusculum, striking out 15 batters and giving up just one earned run, and for the season, the Chargers are at a solid 2.64 ERA despite struggles offensively.
The key for Hillsdale to reach their potential is to make a big offensive leap. The Chargers have struggled so far this season, hitting just .257 with 17 runs scored in eight games, including just six in five contests in the Rosemont Dome last weekend. Hillsdale will look to senior leaders Hailey Holtman, McKenna Eichholz and Grace Wallner to get the bats going, as well as second-year players Maggie Olaveson, Taylor Lewis and Emma Sather and hard-hitting junior catcher Hannah Hoverman.