Schedule
Hillsdale College (2-3) vs Bemidji State (0-4) | 4:30 p.m. ET Friday, Feb. 20 | The Dome at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex – Des Plaines, IL
Hillsdale College (2-3) vs Quincy (2-6) | 9 p.m. ET Friday, Feb. 20 | The Dome at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex – Des Plaines, IL
Hillsdale College (2-3) vs Upper Iowa (1-11) | 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Feb. 21 | The Dome at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex – Des Plaines, IL
Hillsdale College (2-3) vs Minnesota-Duluth (4-3) | 7 p.m. ET Saturday, Feb. 21 | The Dome at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex – Des Plaines, IL
Hillsdale College (2-3) vs Truman St. (3-7) | 9 a.m. ET Sunday, Feb. 22 | The Dome at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex – Des Plaines, IL
 
Links
Live stats & Video | Hillsdale Roster | Bemidji Roster | Quincy Roster | Upper Iowa Roster | Duluth Roster | Truman Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Bemidji Stats | Quincy Stats | Upper Iowa Stats | Duluth Stats | Truman Stats | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats
 
Outlook
The weather may turn chilly again this weekend, but the Hillsdale College softball team isn't sweating whether its five weekend games will be played as scheduled. The Chargers are making their annual trip to the Chicago suburbs to play softball indoors at the Lewis Dome Invitational, with five games against teams from the GLVC and NSIC on tap.

Hillsdale opens on Friday against Bemidji State out of Minnesota. The Beavers went 21-31 last year, including a win over the Chargers in the Dome Invite, and are off to an 0-4 start this season, albeit against tough competition.

Five of the nine players in the Bemidji batting order from last season's victory over the Chargers return, highlighted by sophomore catcher Alayna DeGraef, who's batting .455 on the season. Middle of the order bats Jackie Larsen, Aubrey Aukerman and Maddie Kielsmeier also return for another season, while sophomore Calleigh Richards has moved into the starting lineup and been the most dangerous bat so far for the Beavers, with a double, a home run and five total RBIs.

In the circle, Bemidji returns ace Kennedy Joachim, who's off to a rough start in two outings so far. The most successful pitchers for the Beavers so far are freshman Sydney Klusman, who has a 2.33 ERA in two appearances, and junior Danica Sarff, who's been solid in 7.2 innings. Sophomore Keira Lucero is another pitcher with decent numbers who sees a lot of action for Bemidji.

The Chargers then play in the late game on Friday night against Quincy from the GLVC. The Hawks are 2-6 so far and looking for improvement after going 8-40 in 2025.

At the plate, Quincy returns senior shortstop Kenzie Moss, a third team All-GLVC honoree, and had gotten power performances from returning sophomores Kinsey Biggerstaff and Kaidence Dumas, as well as strong starts to collegiate careers from freshmen Makayla Koozer and Haleigh Winter.

In the circle, Quincy is starting two freshmen, Hailey Platt and Haley Martin, who have each picked up a win in a combined seven appearances. Dumas also is a regular pitcher as a two-way player for the Hawks, and sophomores Emma Stieferman and Alexus Freeman also have made multiple appearances this season.

On Saturday, Hillsdale battles Upper Iowa, who's off to a busy start to the season, with a 1-11 record in 12 games already against a tough slate of opponents. Upper Iowa is coming off a 12-35 record in 2025 and looking for a better performance this season.

The Peacocks have a very different lineup from 2025 this season, with only sophomore shortstop Addyson Alber returning from last year's regular batting order. So far, Upper Iowa has leaned heavily on emerging players who played small roles last year but are now in the starting lineup, including senior first baseman Emma Tautges, sophomore Reagon Proud and junior Kaitlin Foral. Two impact newcomers at the plate are catcher and JuCo transfer Jescie Comstock, and Texas St. transfer and outfielder Dani Laughlin.

In the circle, returning starter Sara Reid has put up decent numbers, with a 2.41 ERA and 17 strikeouts to four walks despite a 1-4 record. Freshman Mara Sivley also has a respectable 2.63 ERA in four appearances, while sophomore Dorothy Ziebell and JuCo transfer Cara Farnam also have made multiple starts for the Peacocks this season.

Hillsdale closes out Saturday night with a game against its toughest opponent on paper this weekend, a Minnesota Duluth squad that's perennially a top team in the NSIC. The Bulldogs were a 39 win team last season, splitting two meetings with the Chargers in the Dome and down in Florida, and are off to a 4-3 start against a strong slate of opponents this year.

Duluth is a veteran team, returning seven of the nine players in the batting order that faced the Chargers in Rosemont last year, headlined by first team All-NSIC catcher Kendal Jenkins. Outfielders Sierra Thomas, Morgan McMillan and Noelle Krumrie and shortstop Taryn Christopher are other familiar names and dangerous hitters Hillsdale will run up against on Saturday. The top hitter for Duluth so far in 2026, however, is a new face, as freshman Daphne Evans leads the Bulldogs in batting average and home runs and is tied for the lead in RBIs as the team's new leadoff hitter.

In the circle, Duluth returns ace Alyssa Williams, who started both games against the Chargers in 2025 and is 3-1 so far in 2026, as well as another veteran pitcher with starting experience in junior Maddy Walsh. Freshman Emmie Sylvia-Cochran has been the team's second starter behind Williams so far this season, and Ashley Mandell is another credible relief arm Duluth can turn to in a jam.

The Chargers finish the weekend on Sunday morning with a contest against Truman State. The Bulldogs had their first over-.500 season since 2019 last year, including a win over Hillsdale in the dome, and despite a 3-7 start are hoping for big things this season.

Truman returns a strong lineup headlined by 2025 All-Region honorees Cassie Smith and Emily Wood, both senior outfielders, as well as sophomore All-GLVC utility player Avaree Taylor. Smith and Wood are leading the Bulldogs again offensively with another fast start in 2026, while freshmen Riley Redig and Katie Pilcher are making important contributions in their first season with the program.
In the circle, JuCo transfer Jayda Long has emerged as the team's ace, with a 3-1 record and a 1.04 ERA in five starts so far. Another JuCo transfer, Madison Kluever, has split the second starting role with returning senior Lydia Feiste so far, while senior Brooke Nutter and two-way player Avaree Taylor has served as relief pitchers.

The Chargers opened the season by going 2-3 in Texas two weekends ago, with a win over then top-ranked Texas-Tyler among its highlights in an event that included top-notch competition. Hillsdale has a veteran lineup that's already producing consistently – seniors Taylor Lewis, Anna Chellman and Maggie Olaveson are all hitting above .400 to start 2026. The Chargers are also getting important contributions from junior Medleigh Danchak, new to the starting lineup this season, as well as veteran shortstop Sydney Davis and outfielder Emma Sather. The Chargers also had valuable plays from newcomers like Nathalie Hagle and Cayla Contreras, who could see their roles grow as the season goes on.

Hillsdale used five pitchers in its opening weekend, with senior Mackenzi Maxson having the best overall performance with a 2.71 ERA in two starts. Sophomore Grace Harris also looked strong, throwing a one-hitter in the Chargers' upset win over UT-Tyler to kick off the season. Freshman Katie Jonas, sophomore Anistyn Foster and junior Gracelynn Kelly all have appearances under their belt this season too, and will continue to be in the mix as Hillsdale looks to solidify its rotation before the start of conference play in mid-March.

As mentioned above, Hillsdale has prior history with all five teams, many of whom they have met in past editions of the Lewis Dome Invite. The Chargers are 0-2 all-time against Bemidji State and 0-5 against Truman State, and will be looking for their first victory over both teams. The Chargers are 3-9 all-time against Quincy, but won the most recent meeting with the Hawks 5-0 on March 3, 2024 in a doubleheader split. Hillsdale is 2-3 all-time against Duluth, and won the most recent meeting last season in Florida, 6-4, and the Chargers have triumphed in both prior meetings with Upper Iowa, including a 4-0 win in the Dome on Feb. 23, 2024.