SCHEDULE
Hillsdale College (18-13, 4-2 G-MAC) vs Northwood (16-12, 6-4 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Sunday, April 6 | Hillsdale, MI – Johnny Williams Field
Hillsdale College (18-13, 4-2 G-MAC) vs Northwood (16-12, 6-4 G-MAC) | 3 p.m. ET Sunday, April 6 | Hillsdale, MI – Johnny Williams Field
 
Links
Live stats/Video | Hillsdale Roster | Malone Roster | Northwood Roster | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats
 
Outlook
Splits with two of the top teams in the Midwest Region and G-MAC title contenders last weekend have Hillsdale in solid position heading into another important home doubleheader this weekend. The Chargers were originally scheduled to play Malone as well, but wet weather on Saturday has led that doubleheader to be postponed to a later date to be announced.

Sunday's opponent for Hillsdale is a rival that also counts itself among the G-MAC title contenders – the defending G-MAC Tournament Champion Northwood Timberwolves. Northwood is 16-12 overall, 6-4 in the G-MAC but three of four G-MAC losses are against top regional teams in Findlay and Tiffin, and the Timberwolves have been a factor in the race every year since joining the G-MAC.

Northwood has a solid offense led by three talented juniors, Delanie Gale, Ashlyn Lundquist and Ashley Ziel, who are all multi-year starters and all hitting above .350 this season. Gale in particular has been huge for Northwood, with 10 doubles, 16 total extra-base hits, and a team-high 27 RBIs. Senior catcher Gianna Fantin also has made an impact with 18 RBIs as well. Northwood's lineup gets more dangerous with the return of first-team All-G-MAC first baseman Brittany Steimel, who played in her first game this season against Lake Erie on March 21 and gives the Timberwolves another power bat.

In the circle, Northwood graduated a first-team All-G-MAC pitcher for the second straight year but has once again reloaded. Last year's second starter, senior Brynn Polega, has stepped up with a 2.35 ERA and an 8-3 record in 13 appearances this season, and sophomore Kamden Binney has also stepped up with a 2.30 ERA and a 5-3 record in eight starts. Senior Brittani Mutter gives Northwood a capable third arm, and Ziel can pitch effectively as well. Northwood has a decent defense, with a .952 fielding percentage so far.

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 five lineup regulars hitting above .300 so far, led by returning All-Region player Maggie Olaveson who leads the team in batting average (.356), OPS (1.053) and home runs (four), while Anna Chellman is hitting .314 and leads the Chargers in doubles (7) and RBIs (21). Taylor Lewis and Sydney Davis are each hitting above .340 as well for Hillsdale, while freshman Olivia Liguori has made an impact with a .324 batting average as well. The Chargers also have the ability to manufacture runs on the basepaths, as Lewis and Emma Sather are a combined 32-for-35 on stolen base attempts and are both in the top 10 all-time in Hillsdale history in career stolen bases.

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 9-2 record, a 0.97 ERA, and 97 strikeouts with four shutouts and three G-MAC Player of the Week awards. Russell already holds Hillsdale's career strikeouts record (756), set the program's career shutouts record (21) earlier this season, and is closing in on both the program's wins and innings pitched records. Hillsdale has four other pitchers who will contribute in Anistyn Foster, Mackenzi Maxson, Grace Harris and Gracelynn Kelly, with Foster settling in as the second starter for conference doubleheaders so far, and Maxson also playing a big role in the circle.

Against Northwood, the Chargers are 17-26 in 43 games since 2004 in a series that is one of Hillsdale's longest-running in the history of the program. Hillsdale has won three straight against the Timberwolves, including a road sweep of Northwood in a doubleheader last season.