SCHEDULE:
Findlay (22-15, 13-7 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (27-13, 15-3 G-MAC) | 12 p.m ET Saturday, May 1 | Johnny Williams Field – Hillsdale, MI | Live Stats | Watch
Findlay (22-15, 13-7 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (27-13, 15-3 G-MAC) | 2 p.m ET Saturday, May 1 | Johnny Williams Field – Hillsdale, MI | Live Stats | Watch
Hillsdale College (27-13, 15-3 G-MAC) at Ohio Dominican (22-14, 11-7 G-MAC) | 12 p.m ET Sunday, May 2 | Panther Softball Field – Columbus, OH | Live Stats | Watch
Hillsdale College (27-13, 15-3 G-MAC) at Ohio Dominican (22-14, 11-7 G-MAC) | 2 p.m ET Sunday, May 2 | Panther Softball Field – Columbus, OH | Live Stats | Watch
Outlook: Hillsdale enters the final weekend of the season with a shot at winning its first regular season conference title since 1993. Just a 3-1 record in this weekend's doubleheaders would be sufficient to lock up the G-MAC crown, but Hillsdale will face tough competition in Findlay and Ohio Dominican in their quest for the championship.
Findlay comes to town to play the Chargers in a doubleheader on Saturday at noon. In between games, Hillsdale also will honor its five-player class of graduating seniors: Sam Catron, Emma Johnson, Julia Sayles, Dana Weidinger and Sarah Wojcik.
The Oilers are one of five teams potentially in the mix for the third seed in the G-MAC tournament, and could finish anywhere from 3rd to 7th, so they'll be motivated in their season finale.
The Oilers boast a solid offense backed up by equally solid pitching. Senior pitcher Megan Fisher is batting .400 and is part of a deep lineup that includes five players hitting over .300 with nine or more extra base hits. Freshman infielder Avery Shepherd leads the team in doubles (12) and junior utility player Caroline Turner leads in RBIs (19).
On the mound, Fisher has been the Oilers' top starter, going 9-7 in 16 starts with 115 strikeouts and a 2.11 ERA. Fellow senior Caragyn Yanek has also been a regular starter, going 8-3 in 11 starts with a 2.50 ERA, and junior Lexie Hilling has seven starts as well.
The Chargers wrap up the regular season the next day on the road at Ohio Dominican. The Panthers were considered a conference title contender at the beginning of the season but have yet to lock up their spot in the G-MAC tourney in an extremely tight year in the standings.
Sophomore infielder Braxton Downs leads the Panthers at the plate with a team-high 10 doubles, 10 home runs and 33 RBIs. Senior outfielder/first baseman Carson Hackard is also having an impressive year for ODU, batting .356 with 14 extra-base hits and 19 RBIs, and senior outfielder Kristen Bales has chipped in seven doubles, five triples and 19 RBIs as well.
The strength of the Panthers are their pitching staff. Junior Sydney Long has started 15 games and made six relief appearances, posting a 1.84 ERA with 106 strikeouts and a 12-8 record. Sophomore Olivia Rettke has been a solid second starter as well, starting 10 games with a 2.59 ERA, a 5-4 record and two saves in seven relief appearances.
The Chargers have had a historic season already, with the potential for far more over the next few weeks. At 27 wins, Hillsdale has its most victories in a season since the 2002 Chargers won 27 in 2002. A single victory this weekend would give Hillsdale its highest win total since 1991.
Fueling the Chargers' success is a record-setting offensive season. Hillsdale already has broken the single-season program record for home runs (32), and is on pace to break records for runs scored, doubles, RBIs and walks drawn as well.
At the plate, seniors Sam Catron and Madison Stoner are both having excellent seasons. Catron has 12 home runs, just three off the single-season school record of 15, and also is hitting .398 with a team-best 53 total hits, 42 RBIs and 15 doubles. If Catron continues on her current pace, she could set as many as three single-season records by the end of the year.
Stoner, meanwhile, has been on a tear at the plate, leading the Chargers in batting average (.455) and on-base percentage (.530) with seven doubles, a triple and seven home runs. Stoner's slugging percentage, if maintained through the end of the season, would be the fourth-highest in a single season in program history.
Seven Chargers in total are hitting above .300 for the season, including senior Natalie Stepanenko and junior Renee Bielawa, who are tied for second on the team with 12 doubles each.
While the Chargers have been strong offensively, their pitching and defense have more than held up their end of the bargain, as well.
With two-time G-MAC Softball Pitcher of the Week Dana Weidinger on the mound, Hillsdale has a chance in every contest, as Weidinger is 16-4 with a 2.04 ERA and 100 strikeouts to 28 walks this season. Junior Camryn Olson, freshman Erin Kapteyn and senior Julia Sayles give the Chargers solid options in the second game of doubleheaders.
Defensively, the Chargers are posting a .958 fielding percentage, a mark that would tie for seventh-best in school history if maintained through the end of the season.