SCHEDULE
Hillsdale College (14-9) vs Saginaw Valley St. (11-7) | 2 p.m. ET Wednesday, March 19 | Hillsdale, MI – Johnny Williams Field
Hillsdale College (14-9) vs Saginaw Valley St. (11-7) | 4 p.m. ET Wednesday, March 19 | Hillsdale, MI – Johnny Williams Field
Hillsdale College (14-9) at Ursuline (3-13) | 12 p.m. ET Saturday, March 22 | Pepper Pike, OH – Ursuline Softball Field
Hillsdale College (14-9) at Ursuline (3-13) | 2 p.m. ET Saturday, March 22 | Pepper Pike, OH – Ursuline Softball Field
Hillsdale College (14-9) at Lake Erie (0-20) | 1 p.m. ET Sunday, March 23 | Painesville, OH – Diamond 9 at Kiwanis Park
Hillsdale College (14-9) at Lake Erie (0-20) | 1 p.m. ET Sunday, March 23 | Painesville, OH – Diamond 9 at Kiwanis Park
 
Links
Live stats/Video | Hillsdale Roster | SVSU Roster | Lake Erie Roster | Ursuline Roster | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats
 
Outlook
After another hot stretch in Florida that included an 8-2 record for the Chargers, the Hillsdale College softball team heads back North with momentum as conference play looms.

The Chargers open their G-MAC schedule with a road trip this weekend, but have one more non-conference doubleheader first, hosting one of the top teams in the early going in the Midwest Region in Saginaw Valley State on Wednesday for Hillsdale's home opener at Johnny Williams Field.

The GLIAC Tournament champions and a NCAA Tournament team a year ago, the Cardinals might be the class of the GLIAC again after adding some impact transfers in the portal this offseason. The main one is former Kent St. pitcher Macy Irelan, a Michigan prep star at Owosso who's excelled for SVSU with a 1.47 ERA and 76 strikeouts to 11 walks in seven starts. She's teamed with returning No. 2 pitcher Aalana Kimble, who's got a 2.08 ERA, and sophomore Delaney Conley (3.82 ERA) to give the Cardinals a strong pitching staff.

SVSU also has been solid at the plate, though the Cardinals are looking for a little more pop from their bats as the season approaches the halfway point. Kimble has been one of the team's top hitters as well for SVSU, batting .350, while Northwood transfer Lilla Sherman and JuCo transfer Olivia Elliott have been hitting over .300 as well as leading the team in RBIs so far. JuCo transfer Jenna Morse, Kate Pnacek and Natalie Savage have been SVSU's best hitters at getting on base through 18 games, and catcher/infielder Ella Schneider also has been important to the squad's success so far.

After a doubleheader with SVSU, Hillsdale kicks off the G-MAC season with a doubleheader in Pepper Pike, Ohio against Ursuline. Coached by former Hillsdale assistant Danielle L'Argent, the Arrows are 3-13 this season but hoping to contend for a spot in the G-MAC Tourney after winning a combined two games in conference play the last two seasons.

Ursuline does boost an improved pitching staff headlined by freshman Macy Searles, whose 4.11 ERA in six starts would be the best mark by an Arrows starter since 2022. Junior Kathleen Wack also is off to her best start in three years with the team as the Arrows' second starter, while Sarah Ciereszewski and Kailey Vaillancourt round out the staff.

At the plate, freshman Holly Earl has been a find for Ursuline, batting .408 with an .860 OPS so far, while junior Casey Barton has continued to be an important piece for the Arrows with an .838 OPS. Past those two, Ursuline is looking for more offensive contributions, as run production has been an issue for the Arrows and a major reason for the team's slow start.

The Chargers wrap up the week with a conference doubleheader at Lake Erie. It's been a rough start for a new coaching staff in Painesville, as the Storm are 0-20 on the season and have been run-ruled 12 times. Despite that, there's still an element of danger to playing Lake Erie, who retain the hitting core that many were optimistic about entering this season.

That core is led by dynamic senior outfielder Emma Spahr, who put up big numbers to lead the Storm last season, though she's off to a slower start in 2025. Senior infielder CJ Garcia is another veteran who leads the team in RBIs and junior catcher Peyton Powers is hitting an impressive .442 at the plate to set the table for Lake Erie. Senior Maddie Pawlak has also played well so far and should be a bigger part of the team's plans as conference play begins.

Where Lake Erie must improve to have any hope of a better season in conference play is in the circle, where only one pitcher has an ERA below 10, sophomore reliever Alexa Bailey. Freshman pitchers Addison Nugent, Kai Mortensen and Lily Turkowski have been thrown into the fire as the team's primary options, and have struggled to adjust to college softball so far. That said, experience is the best teacher, and with more games under their belt there's the possibility for growth for all three, and a better second half of the season than the first.

Hillsdale has high hopes for the 2025 season, looking to build off four straight years of 30 or more wins and avenge an unfortunate ending to the 2024 season that saw them miss out on the NCAA Tournament by a razor-thin margin in the final week. The Chargers have been a solid offensive team so far, with seven lineup regulars hitting above .280, and five hitting above .300 so far, led by sophomore shortstop Sydney Davis, who's batting .391 with a .917 OPS and tied for the team lead with 16 RBis. Taylor Lewis, Maggie Olaveson, Olivia Liguori and Anna Chellman are all hitting above .300, while senior Emma Vis has brought power to the lineup, batting .284 with eight extra base hits and 16 RBIs as well. Emma Sather.

In the circle, Joni Russell has been an All-American level starter and a record-setter for Hillsdale for three seasons and is off to a strong start, with a 6-1 record, a 0.99 ERA, and 64 strikeouts. The second starter spot is still to be determined, with both junior Mackenzi Maxson and freshman Anistyn Foster putting up solid performances on the Florida trip and making compelling cases to get the opportunity, while freshman Grace Harris and junior Gracelynn Kelly are also in the conversation entering the weekend. With four pitchers in the mix, Hillsdale should be able to settle on a solid option, and also have a good stable of relievers to work with.

Hillsdale is 10-30 against Saginaw Valley State since 2004 and looking to snap a six-game losing streak to the Cardinals that dates back to 2017 and Hillsdale's final season as a member of the GLIAC. The Chargers have had better luck against their weekend opponents, as Hillsdale is 9-4 against Ursuline since their first meeting in 2018 and riding a six game winning streak against the Arrows, and have a 24-4 mark against Lake Erie, with eight straight wins dating back to a doubleheader split in 2019.