Schedule
Links
Hillsdale Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Video | Live Stats Links | Tournament Central
Outlook
The Hillsdale College softball team has had plenty of success in the three G-MAC Tournaments they've been a part of, winning the championship in 2018 and 2019, and going 2-2 and finishing as one of the last four teams standing in 2021.
After winning its first regular season conference championship in spectacular fashion this past weekend, however, the Chargers enter the 2022 G-MAC Tournament at the Marathon Diamonds in Findlay in a new fashion – as the top seed.
Hillsdale rallied from a 4-1 deficit in the final inning of its second game on Saturday at Findlay for a 5-4 win that gave them the outright G-MAC championship with a 19-2 conference record. That title, plus the first-round bye it granted the Chargers in the tourney, will make Hillsdale one of the top contenders to bring home the tournament crown.
In order to do so, however, the Chargers will have to navigate a tough path that includes several tough opponents, and overcome the recent history of the G-MAC Tourney – in the last four tournaments since the G-MAC expanded to its current size, the top-seeded team entering the tourney has never won.
Hillsdale's path to the title begins on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. in a game against the winner of a morning contest between fourth-seeded Trevecca Nazarene and fifth-seeded Tiffin.
The Trojans were swept by Hillsdale earlier this season and were unable to defend the G-MAC title they won in 2021, but remain a dangerous team capable of making a run, hitting .303 and averaging 5.9 runs per game. Five lineup regulars are hitting .300 or better for the Trojans, led by juniors Anna Bennett and Kendall Andrews. Bennett is hitting .396 with a team-high 16 doubles and 30 RBIs, while Andrews is hitting .364 with nine home runs and a team-high 34 RBIs.
Other top hitters for the Trojans include junior infielder Carly Sperlich, who has 30 RBIs on the season, junior infielder Allyssa Triner, who is hitting .295 with 27 RBIs, and junior infielder Sydney McCormick, who's hitting .354 with 25 RBIs. Senior outfielder Lenna Robinson is also playing well as the team's lead-off hitter, batting .363 with 45 stolen bases.
Trevecca also has multiple solid pitchers to draw on thanks to the emergence of freshman Ashlan Sensing, who's 15-7 on the year for the Trojans with a 2.21 ERA and 108 strikeouts to 20 walks. Second starter Hannah Caffey has also been solid with a 2.86 ERA, a 5-2 record and 26 strikeouts in 20 appearances, and Trevecca can also call on junior Alex Behnke, who has come on lately with a no-hitter in the final weekend of the regular season.
Tiffin used an upset of G-MAC title contender Ohio Dominican on the season's final day to jump up to the five seed. Solid pitching has been critical for the Dragons this season, as sophomore ace Claire Feldkamp has gone 14-11 in 30 appearances and 23 starts, with a 3.06 ERA and 145 strikeouts to 59 walks despite a heavy workload. Senior Sarah Klein also has made 19 starts with decent results as well for the Dragons.
Offense has been an area of inconsistency for Tiffin in 2022, as the Dragons had their moments but hit just .266 for the regular season. Sophomore outfielder Taylor Whalen is hitting .347 for the Dragons, while senior catcher Kaylee Savage leads Tiffin in extra-base hits (14) and RBIs (30) so far. Sophomore infielder Maddie Woods is the third indispensable bat in the rotation for Tiffin, with a .345 average, eight doubles and 25 RBIs.
The Chargers also swept Tiffin in the regular season, outscoring the Dragons 18-1 in a midweek doubleheader. Hillsdale has an additional advantage in Thursday's matchup in that both Sensing and Feldkamp are likely to pitch in the first game, meaning whichever team advances will either have to pitch their second starter against Hillsdale's ace, or bring their top pitcher back after throwing at least five innings to face one of the top offenses in the conference.
On the other side of the bracket sit Hillsdale's two closest competitors for the regular-season crown, second-seeded Ohio Dominican and third-seeded Findlay, as well as sixth-seeded Ursuline. Due to the way the bracket falls, the earliest Hillsdale will see any of these three teams is Friday, though the Chargers are guaranteed to have to go through at least one of them if they want to bring home the title.
ODU was one of two G-MAC teams to split with Hillsdale this season and won the 2021 tourney crown. The Panthers boast a potent lineup led by junior infielder Braxton Downs, who's hitting .379 with 14 doubles, 10 home runs and 44 RBIs, and senior infielder Erika Case, who's hitting .275 with 12 doubles, six home runs and 28 RBIs. Sophomore Alexis Stevens also is having a strong year with a .349 average, 16 extra-base hits, and 33 RBIs as well, and the Panthers boast five lineup regulars hitting over .300 for the season.
The real key to ODU's success this season has been excellent pitching. Senior Sydney Long, one of the top pitchers in the G-MAC throughout her career, has been stellar in 2022, putting up a 15-7 record in 22 starts with a 1.75 ERA and 120 strikeouts. Juniors Addison Smodilla and Olivia Rettke have been solid as well, each with an ERA under 3 and 15 combined victories.
Findlay, the tourney host, was swept by Hillsdale in dramatic fashion in the final doubleheader of the season, missing out on a share of the title and a tourney bye as a result. The Oilers have leaned on a prolific offense that's hitting a G-MAC best .316 at the plate all season long. Sophomore Avery Shepherd has been a breakout star, hitting .376 with 16 doubles, 10 home runs and 30 RBIs, but Megan Demler, Lexie Hilling, Caroline Turner, Devyn Zuro, Brooke Radermacher and Olivia Carlton are all hitting north of .300 with double-digit extra base hits and 20+ RBIs as well for one of the most potent lineups in the conference.
On the mound, Demler has posted a 16-5 record in 21 starts with 161 strikeouts and a 2.47 ERA, while Hilling has been a quality second starter with a 10-5 record and a 2.98 ERA. Freshman Emma Jones has a 3.16 ERA and gives Findlay a quality relief option if needed.
Ursuline was one of the surprise teams in the G-MAC this season, making the tourney after being picked to finish 10th in the preseason. The Arrows are hitting .292 as a team, thanks to four lineup regulars hitting over .300. Junior Sarah Fessler has been the Arrows' breakout star, hitting .449 with a .737 slugging percentage, including team highs in doubles (10), triples (6) and home runs (4), as well as 18 RBIs. Senior Alyssa Baratta is hitting .360 with eight doubles and a team-high 18 RBIs as well, and sophomore Kiley Gallagher is hitting .351 with eight doubles and 16 RBIs.
Ursuline uses a variety of pitchers, and the program's leap forward on the mound in the last year has been critical to the Arrows' conference success this season. Senior Nicole Rawlings is the team's top pitcher with a 2.42 ERA and 5-7 record, but junior Tara Backherms has had success, as well as senior Ashlee Zientek. The Arrows' pitching depth could be an X-factor this weekend if Ursuline can get off to a strong start.
While ODU, Findlay and Trevecca boast elite offenses, no team in the G-MAC was hotter in conference play than Hillsdale, which hit .341 in G-MAC contests. Senior catcher Madison Stoner is ranked in the top 10 all time at Hillsdale in hits, home runs and RBIs and has a .369 batting average, 11 doubles, three home runs and 31 RBIs. Senior utility player Madison Rathbun is also having a breakout season, hitting .377 so far with 13 doubles and a team-best 38 RBIs, while freshman outfielder Olivia Latimer has exploded recently and is now hitting .327 with 12 doubles, a triple and 16 RBIs.
Those three standouts are far from the full picture in what is a deep and dangerous lineup. Senior third baseman Townley leads the team in doubles with 15 and is hitting .331 with 23 RBIs, while junior first baseman Jenna Cantalupo is hitting .296 with five doubles, four home runs and 35 RBIs. Seniors Natalie Stepanenko and Kasidy Carson are both hitting north of .293 as well for the Chargers.
Hillsdale can pair that elite offense with pitching that's also among the best and deepest in the G-MAC. Freshman Joni Russell has 14 victories in 19 starts with 145 strikeouts and a 2.20 ERA, giving the team a solid ace. As good as Russell has been, sophomore and No. 2 starter Erin Kapteyn has been right there with her in terms of effectiveness, with a 2.11 ERA, 84 strikeouts and an 12-2 record in 20 appearances. Senior Camryn Olson is a veteran presence as a starter and reliever for the Chargers as well, while freshmen Dani Deaton and Emma Vis have also impressed in relief.
One important uncontrollable factor this weekend is the weather. The current forecast for Friday makes it unlikely any games will be played on that day, potentially pushing the final two days of the tournament to Saturday and Sunday. If the rain extends further than is currently forecast, the tournament could be unfinishable by the deadline on Sunday, which means the championship and auto-bid to the NCAA Tournament would default to the highest-remaining unbeaten seed at the tourney. That would be the Chargers if they can get through their game on Thursday night, making it even more important that Hillsdale gets the win on Thursday.
The Chargers were ranked ninth in the Midwest Region in Wednesday's final NCAA DII Region Rankings one spot out of a potential at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. But even if Hillsdale can't win the tournament and get the auto-bid, the Chargers still have a chance to play their way in with the position they're at, incentivizing Hillsdale to go as far as it can to boost its resume before the selection show at 10 a.m. on Monday.