Schedule
Hillsdale College (32-12, 18-4 G-MAC) at Northwood (30-15, 17-7 G-MAC) | 12 p.m. ET Friday, April 26 | Fisher Stadium – Midland, MI
Hillsdale College (32-12, 18-4 G-MAC) at Northwood (30-15, 17-7 G-MAC) | 2 p.m. ET Friday, April 26 | Fisher Stadium – Midland, MI
Links
Live stats | Hillsdale Roster | Northwood Roster | 2024 Hillsdale Stats | 2024 Northwood Stats | G-MAC Softball Standings | G-MAC Softball Stats
Outlook
Hillsdale enters the final week of the regular season with just one doubleheader remaining – a trip to a tough Northwood team in a battle of the current second and fourth place teams in the G-MAC, now scheduled to be played on Friday to avoid expected weather on Saturday. The Chargers can lock up the No. 2 seed in the upcoming G-MAC Tournament with a split, and still have an outside chance at overtaking Trevecca Nazarene for the regular season title with a sweep and losses by the Trojans.
Northwood is 30-15 overall, 17-7 in G-MAC play and has already locked up a second straight G-MAC Tournament bid. The Timberwolves are a well-rounded team with few weaknesses, hitting .308 in conference play and putting up a solid 2.61 ERA in the circle against G-MAC foes.
The Timberwolves are led at the plate by a strong core of underclassmen, including returning first-team All-G-MAC honoree Ashley Ziel, who's hitting .338 with 14 extra base hits and 23 RBIs in 2024. The scariest hitter in the lineup for Northwood is junior first baseman Brittany Steimel, who leads the Timberwolves in batting average (.379), home runs (10) and RBIs (42), while sophomore third baseman Delanie Gale also is hitting .322 with 13 doubles and junior Gabby Schloop has 12 extra base hits, 24 RBIs and a team-leading OBP of .484.
In the circle, the story of the season for Northwood has been the emergence of ace Emily Cox, who has not only filled the void left by graduated first-team All-G-MAC pitcher Hailey Leister but has surpassed her statistically to become a legitimate contender for G-MAC Pitcher of the Year. Cox leads the conference with a 1.18 ERA and is 15-3 with two saves and 117 strikeouts to 27 walks. The Timberwolves can go multiple directions for game two with a deep staff, as sophomore Brittani Mutter, junior Brynn Polega and freshman Kamden Binney have all been effective in multiple appearances this year.
While Northwood is a strong opponent, on paper the red-hot Chargers match up well with the Timberwolves. Hillsdale leads the G-MAC in staff ERA at 2.02 and boasts two ace level pitchers in junior Joni Russell, 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 in 2023, and senior Erin Kapteyn, who capped a 2023 season that saw her put up a 1.95 ERA and record 13 wins with her second-straight All-G-MAC honor.
Both those players have continued to be lights out in 2024 to keep Hillsdale right in the thick of the G-MAC title race. Russell became the career strikeouts leader for both Hillsdale and the G-MAC earlier this season and is 16-5 with a G-MAC-leading 214 strikeouts and a 1.48 ERA, while Kapteyn has a career-high seven shutouts and is 14-5 with three saves and a 1.97 ERA as well. With Russell and Kapteyn, the Chargers pose a huge problem for any opponent.
The Chargers offense has also developed into a formidable unit for opposing teams to deal with during a 12-2 stretch over the last 14 games. Sophomore Maggie Olaveson has exploded in her second season, leading the Chargers in batting average (.399), hits (55), doubles (13), home runs (13), RBIs (35), and OBP (.455) while playing at an All-American level, and freshman Sydney Davis has impressed in her first season, with 10 doubles and a .361 average.
A murderer's row of power hitters in the middle of the lineup has made life tough for Hillsdale's opponents. Junior Hannah Hoverman is in the top 10 for a single season for Hillsdale with eight home runs, junior Emma Vis has six and seniors Grace Wallner and McKenna Eichholz have a combined 23 extra base hits and 49 RBIs. Near the top of the lineup, sophomore Taylor Lewis also has been on a tear recently, with 11 doubles and a team-high 14 stolen bases. As a team, Hillsdale has 34 home runs, just three shy of the program record of 37 set in 2021.
The Chargers split with Northwood last season, their first sharing a conference since both teams were in the GLIAC in 2017. Hillsdale is 6-8 since 2013 against the Timberwolves, including 2-2 since Hillsdale left the GLIAC beginning with the 2018 season.
Photo by Reva Ludwig