Schedule
Hillsdale College (1-4) vs Ferris St. (2-4) | 7 P.M. ET Friday, Feb. 25 | The Dome, Parkway Bank Sports Complex – Rosemont, Illinois
Hillsdale College (1-4) vs Minnesota St.-Moorhead (1-3) | 10 A.M. ET Saturday, Feb. 26 | The Dome, Parkway Bank Sports Complex – Rosemont, Illinois
Hillsdale College (1-4) vs Truman St. (1-3) | 2:30 P.M. ET Saturday, Feb. 26 | The Dome, Parkway Bank Sports Complex – Rosemont, Illinois
Hillsdale College (1-4) vs Purdue Northwest (0-0) | 9 A.M. ET Sunday, Feb. 27 | The Dome, Parkway Bank Sports Complex – Rosemont, Illinois
Hillsdale College (1-4) vs Lewis (0-4) | 11 A.M. ET Sunday, Feb. 27 | The Dome, Parkway Bank Sports Complex – Rosemont, Illinois
Links
Live Stats Links | Hillsdale Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Tournament Central
Outlook
The Hillsdale College softball team had a tough task opening the season down in Texas two weeks ago, facing off against three fringe-top 25 teams that all had games under their belt prior to the tournament.
The Chargers went just 1-4 to start against that competition, but will look to bounce back with five games this weekend against Midwest Regional competition at the annual Lewis Dome Tournament in the Chicagoland area.
Hillsdale opens the weekend on Friday night with a 7 p.m. contest against Ferris State. The Bulldogs are 2-4 to start the year after a rough 15-27 season in 2021 that saw Ferris finish dead-last in the GLIAC.
Ferris St.'s hope for a turnaround this year rests with a hard-hitting outfield led by senior Paige Kortz, who earned All-GLIAC and All-Region honors last season and who's hitting .444 with two home runs this year. Junior Kylie Winkels also is off to a hot start, batting .474 with four extra-base hits, but the team as a whole is hitting .233 for the year.
Freshman McKenzie Cleland has been Ferris' top pitcher this season, going 2-0 in three starts with a 2.27 ERA and 7 strikeouts, while sophomore Aryn Gallacher, an All-GLIAC honoree last season, and freshman Kristina Baar have also made starts for the Bulldogs. Though she hasn't started yet, junior Kristie Gray has been effective in relief, throwing 10.1 innings with a 3.39 ERA as well.
On Saturday, the Chargers have two games, starting with Minnesota St.-Moorhead in the morning. The Dragons went 1-3 against NAIA competition at last weekend's Presentation Dome Tournament, and are looking to make a big jump after a 9-34 season in 2021.
Senior first baseman Jordey Smith is hitting .385 with a double and an RBI to lead MSU-Moorhead at the plate, but as a team the Dragons are struggling offensively, hitting just .167 and plating four runs in four games.
While the offense has been an issue, solid pitching performances so far have given the Dragons a chance in every game they've played. Senior Anna Lang is 1-1 with a 2.62 ERA and five strikeouts, while freshman Avery Steffen has been decent as the second starter. Both Reece Dahl and Evey vans have been effective in relief for MSU-Moorhead.
Hillsdale wraps up Saturday with an afternoon contest against Truman State. The Bulldogs opened the season with a 1-3 mark against NSIC squads last weekend, and are looking to rebound from a 12-26 season last year in the GLVC.
Truman returns two of its top hitters from 2021 in All-GLVC honorees Emma Walbert, a senior outfielder, and Cameryn Patterson, a sophomore infielder. Both are off to solid starts offensively in 2022, as are sophomore outfielder Callie Unrein and junior pitcher/outfielder McKenzie West, who are both hitting over .300 so far.
On the mound, the Bulldogs have used four different starting pitchers, all 2021 returners. Sophomore Annabel Zimmer has been the most effective, posting a 1.40 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in a losing effort, while sophomore Nicole Havel has the team's lone win. West and sophomore Breianna Klein also are available for Truman this weekend.
Hillsdale continues its invitational contests on Saturday with an early morning game against Purdue Northwest. The Pride have yet to play this season, but are coming off a 17-26 campaign in 2021 that included a lengthy GLIAC tourney run.
Purdue NW returns two of its four All-GLIAC performers from last season in sophomore outfielder Aubrey Shroyer, who hit .372 with 21 RBIs and 28 extra base hits in 2021, as well as senior infielder Madison Schultz, who hit .279 with 11 extra base hits as well. Catcher Briana Poehler is also a key returner, hitting .326 last season with 18 RBIs.
On the mound, the Pride must rebuild their rotation after graduating 67% of their innings pitched. Sophomore Maddison Roop and juniors Abbie May and Emma Hill all return after posting a combined 3-9 record last season in spot starting appearances.
The Chargers close out the event against host Lewis in another Sunday morning contest. The Flyers are usually a strong team in the Midwest Region and finished 26-18 in the GLVC last year, but are off to an 0-4 start after losses to several strong NSIC teams at the Minnesota St. Dome Tournament to open the year.
Lewis returns an All-GLVC hitter in senior Kristin Kavalauskas and has a couple of players off to strong starts, including freshman Delaney Garden, hitting .500, and sophomore Evie Calderon, hitting .417 with three doubles.
On the mound, however, the Flyers have struggled early in the season, as returning All-GLVC pitcher Sara Serena was chased early in her first start of the season. Sophomore Kaelyn Leverson has been the most effective pitcher so far, with 2.33 ERA, though Garden has also been solid with an ERA of 3 and 11 strikeouts as well. Sophomore Payton Wuske also has started for Lewis.
For the Chargers, the Dome Tournament is about resetting after an opening weekend where Hillsdale struggled both offensively and defensively. Circumstances and the level of competition had a lot to do with that – Hillsdale was playing three teams that are probably among the top 40 in the country, and also three teams that had already played multiple games this season, while the Chargers were seeing their first action of 2022.
Still, Hillsdale will be looking for improvement in all facets of the game as it strives to round into one of the top teams in the Midwest Region by the end of May. There's no question Hillsdale has the talent, headlined by senior Madison Stoner, who's hitting .500 with three doubles this season.
Junior Jenna Cantalupo and senior Kasidy Carson are also off to strong starts for the Chargers, both hitting .400 or better, while seniors Renee Bielawa, Natalie Stepanenko and Elaine Townley are veteran and proven hitters who are a safe bet to get back on track, and sooner rather than later.
Hillsdale's staff showed promise despite a tough overall record. Freshman Joni Russell recorded her first career win and posted a 4.67 ERA in two starts down in Texas, while sophomore Erin Kapteyn was effective in relief. Senior Camryn Olson is another talented veteran who has bounced back strong from difficult starts in the past, while freshmen Dani Deaton and Emma Vis also had moments in their first exposure to tough collegiate competition down in Texas.
This is the third straight year the Chargers are attending the Lewis Dome Invite. Hillsdale has a 2-9 record all time in the event, but Hillsdale's performance last year – where it went 2-3 with close losses to two eventual NCAA Tournament qualifiers – was arguably the launch point for what would become one of the best seasons in school history. A strong performance here could be a similar turning point for the Chargers in 2022.