Schedule
Hillsdale College (3-11) at Lynn (7-14) | 12 P.M. ET Saturday, March 12 | Boca Raton, FL
Hillsdale College (3-11) at Lynn (7-14) | 2 P.M. ET Saturday, March 12 | Boca Raton, FL
Hillsdale College (3-11) vs Kutztown (4-3) | 12 P.M. ET Sunday, March 13 | Buccaneer Field – Miami Shores, FL
Hillsdale College (3-11) at Barry (13-6) | 2 P.M. ET Sunday, March 13 | Buccaneer Field – Miami Shores, FL
Hillsdale College (3-11) vs Lock Haven (1-3) | 12:15 P.M. ET Tuesday, March 15 | DiamondPlex – Winter Haven, FL
Hillsdale College (3-11) vs New Haven (1-1) | 4:45 P.M. ET Tuesday, March 15 | DiamondPlex – Winter Haven, FL
Hillsdale College (3-11) vs Indiana (PA) (3-3) | 10 A.M. ET Wednesday, March 16 | DiamondPlex – Winter Haven, FL
Hillsdale College (3-11) vs Post (0-0) | 2:30 P.M. ET Wednesday, March 16 | DiamondPlex – Winter Haven, FL
Hillsdale College (3-11) vs Wayne St. (MI) (2-2) | 4:15 P.M. ET Thursday, March 17 | DiamondPlex – Winter Haven, FL
Hillsdale College (3-11) vs Caldwell (0-0) | 6 P.M. ET Thursday, March 17 | DiamondPlex – Winter Haven, FL
Hillsdale College (3-11) vs Embry-Riddle (8-6) | 4 P.M. ET Saturday, March 19 | Radiology Associates Field – Daytona Beach, FL
Hillsdale College (3-11) vs Embry-Riddle (8-6) | 6 P.M. ET Saturday, March 19 | Radiology Associates Field – Daytona Beach, FL
Links
Hillsdale Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Live Stats and Video Links
Outlook
The Hillsdale College softball team has reached a much-anticipated and always exciting portion of its schedule, as the Chargers fly south to Florida over Spring Break for a wild showcase of NCAA DII softball.
Hillsdale will play 12 games in seven days against a mix of local Florida competition and northern schools who also traveled south to get games in over their vacations. It's an annual tradition for the Chargers, and this year's trip carries on added meaning. At 3-11 overall entering the trip, a successful run could help the Chargers reboot their season and build needed momentum heading into G-MAC play.
The Chargers open the trip with a doubleheader against host Lynn (7-14) on Saturday. The Knights are off to a rough start in the always-tough Sunshine State Conference but will still be a test for the Chargers. Lynn is led at the plate by senior utility player Janelle Dominguez, who's hitting .371 with three doubles, four home runs and 12 RBIs. The Knights' top pitcher is Madison Prickett, who's 2-7 with a save and a 3.38 ERA.
Next, Hillsdale travels to Miami Shores on Sunday for a neutral site contest against Kutztown (4-3). Always one of the top teams in the Atlantic Region, Kutztown is led at the plate by senior infielder Kate Ostaszewski, who's batting .458 with three doubles, a home run and six RBIs. The Golden Bears' top pitcher is Bridget Bailey, who's 4-1 with a 2.74 ERA and 32 strikeouts.
The Chargers wrap up Sunday action with a game against the host, Barry (13-7). The Buccaneers are looking like one of the better teams in the Sunshine State Conference, led at the plate by freshman third baseman Sofia Chamorro, who's hitting .283 with a team best seven extra base hits and 11 RBIs. Sophomore Maci Barnhart is the top pitcher for Barry, with an 8-2 record, a 1.67 ERA and 38 strikeouts.
Hillsdale takes a rest day on Monday before heading to Winter Haven, Florida to take part in the Spring Games, facing off against fellow northern teams down south with six contests in three days.
The Chargers open with Lock Haven (1-3), a PSAC school like Kutztown, on Tuesday. The Bald Eagles were picked to finish seventh in the PSAC East and are led at the plate by sophomore infielder Haley Lestician, who is hitting .385 with a home run and five RBIs in four contests. Sophomore Madison Waltman is Lock Haven's top pitcher, with a 1-1 record and an ERA of 6.00.
Next up on Tuesday is New Haven (1-1), an NE-10 team from Connecticut who was picked to finish fourth in its conference. The Chargers return second baseman Nahtali Simpson as its top offensive threat from 2021, while Mia Iodice is New Haven's top returning pitcher, with seven wins and a 3.87 ERA in 2021.
On Wednesday, the Chargers face off against another PSAC team in Indiana of Pennsylvania (3-3). The Crimson Hawks were picked to finished fourth in the PSAC West this season and are led at the plate by freshman infielder Jordan Sylvia, who's hitting .647 with five doubles, two home runs and 11 RBIs, and on the mound by pitcher Amanda Fischer, who's 2-1 with a 3.31 ERA and eight strikeouts.
Hillsdale wraps up action on Wednesday with a contest against Post, a Connecticut-based school who plays in the CACC. Post has yet to play this season but was picked to finish seventh in the CACC, and returns its top hitter from last season in senior Bailee Zaccaro, who hit .388 with a team-high 23 RBIs in 2021. The Eagles' top returning pitcher is sophomore Maddison Caldwell, who posted a 3-2 record and a 5.31 ERA in 10 appearances.
The Chargers open up Thursday with a game against Midwest Regional foe Wayne St. (2-2). The Warriors split four games in the Rosemont Dome Invite, an event the Chargers also played in, and are led at the plate by senior second baseman Rainey Psenicka, who's hitting .400 with two triples and a team-high five RBIs. Paige Ameel is the top pitcher for Wayne St., with a 1.31 ERA and 17 strikeouts in two appearances.
Hillsdale wraps up the Spring Games with a contest against Caldwell, from New Jersey. The Cougars were picked to tie for second in the CACC in 2022 and return All-CACC performers Taylor Mischler, a junior infielder, and Mariah Culver, a pitcher, to lead this year's group. Caldwell has its season debut this weekend.
Before heading home, the Chargers will play in one final doubleheader in Daytona Beach against host Embry Riddle (8-6). An always-formidable member of the Sunshine State Conference, the Eagles are led at the plate by Mahaliyah Sandridge, a sophomore shortstop hitting .375 with five extra base hits and eight RBIs, and on the mound by Kelsi Collins, who's 5-3 on the year with a 2.29 ERA and 50 strikeouts.
Hillsdale is still looking to get on track offensively after a challenging start to the season. Hillsdale has had moments of individual brilliance in its first 14 games, but has struggled to put it all together and to take advantage of opportunities with runners in scoring position. Senior Madison Stoner, an All-Midwest Region catcher last year, leads the Chargers with a .333 average, three doubles and a team-high seven RBIs, and senior utility player Madison Rathbun is hitting .323 as well with six RBIs. Freshman outfielder Olivia Latimer also has been impressive early in her career, hitting .333 as an every-day player in the lineup from the start of the season.
If Hillsdale can get the offense going, it has shown the pitching so far to be a contender. Freshman Joni Russell is off to a solid start to her career with two victories in her first five starts, 35 strikeouts and a 3.39 ERA, while fellow freshmen Dani Deaton and Emma Vis both have looked impressive in multiple appearances so far. Sophomore Erin Kapteyn has the lowest staff ERA with 1.07 in four appearances and 19.2 innings pitched, and was named G-MAC Pitcher of the Week earlier this week. Senior Camryn Olson is a veteran presence as a starter and reliever for the Chargers as well.