Allegheny Highlands Today

Preview: WVWC Softball Heads To Florida For The 2023 Spring Games

 West Virginia Wesleyan Softball heads to Florida for their annual trip to THE Spring Games (TSG). The 2023 edition will feature the Bobcats playing 14 games in seven days, playing doubleheaders every day. The action gets started on Saturday (Mar. 4) and ends next Saturday (Mar. 11).

THE SCHEDULE
Saturday (Mar. 4) at 9 a.m. vs Univ. of Bridgeport
Saturday (Mar. 4) at 11:30 a.m. vs Findlay
Sunday (Mar. 5) at 2 p.m. vs Seton Hill
Sunday (Mar. 5) at 4:30 p.m. vs Millersville
Monday (Mar. 6) at 10 a.m. vs Pitt-Johnstown
Monday (Mar. 6) at 3 p.m. vs Holy Family
Tuesday (Mar. 7) at 9 a.m. vs Wayne State College
Tuesday (Mar. 7) at 11:30 a.m. vs California (Pa.)
Thursday (Mar. 9) at 2 p.m. vs Lake Erie College
Thursday (Mar. 9) at 4:30 p.m. vs Mercy College
Friday (Mar. 10) at 9 a.m. vs Ferris State
Friday (Mar. 10) at 11:30 a.m. vs Univ. of Illinois-Springfield
Saturday (Mar. 11) at 9 a.m. vs Kentucky Wesleyan
Saturday (Mar. 11) at 11:30 a.m. vs Slippery Rock

THE OPPONENTS
UNIV. OF BRIDGEPORT
The Purple Knights enter TSG (3-6) overall. Gabby Simms is batting .444 with a double and 7 RBI. Taylor Yates is only carrying a .231 BA but has three doubles with 8 RBI. Grace Derita is batting .379 and leads the team in stolen bases with four. Vise Zarate has started four games for UB, posting a 2-1 record and a 3.89 ERA. Zarate has also struck out 19 batters this season.

FINDLAY
The Oilers come into TSG (9-2) overall and are riding an eight-game winning streak. Olivia Carlton is the leading hitter for UF, packing a stat line of .424 BA, 3 HR and 13 RBI. Carlton has three triples as well. Annika Bredel holds a .265 BA but has hit 2 HR and drove in 11 RBI. Avery Shepherd leads the team in BA at .474 with 1 HR and 7 RBI. Emma Jones is 4-0 on the year with a 1.27 ERA and already has pitched two complete games. Freshman Kora Navarro has struck out 14 batters in 17 IP.

SETON HILL
The Griffins enter (4-2) overall, including a 1-0 win over Wesleyan at the MEC/PSAC Challenge in Glenville. Grace Paredes leads the Griffins with a .400 BA, two doubles and 6 RBI. Abby Smearman is batting .273 with 1 HR and 5 RBI. Lauren Dellett has been a true ace so far for SHU, holding a 3-0 record, 0.32 ERA, three complete games and only one earned run.

MILLERSVILLE
The Marauders are (6-2) overall coming into TSG. Gabi Turner leads Millersville, hitting .381 with 3 HR and 9 RBI. Kendra Bumgardner has hit 2 HR and has 9 RBI with a .360 BA. In four starts, Alex Schaefer is 3-1 with a 1.02 ERA and 27 Ks in 20.2 IP.

PITT-JOHNSTOWN
The Mountain Cats have yet to be on the diamond this year but they open up with MEC foe Notre Dame College (Ohio) on Sunday at TSG. UPJ returns a key piece in Kayla Miehl who hit .281 with 5 HR and 22 RBI last season.

HOLY FAMILY
The Tigers come into TSG (0-4) overall after doubleheader loses to both Millersville and East Stroudsburg. HFU has struggled in their first four games, giving up 38 runs and only scoring four.

WAYNE STATE COLLEGE
The Wildcats enter (1-8) overall with their only win coming against Northwest Missouri State. Paiton Thornberg is hitting .333 with 1 HR and 7 RBI and Kim Vidlak leads the team in BA at .385. Samantha Felt has 18 strikeouts in six appearances so far.

CALIFORNIA (PA.)
The Vulcans are (4-2) coming into TSG. Charity Henderson has an impressive .579 BA with five doubles and one triple, along with 12 RBI to lead Cal (Pa.). Kaitlyn Achtermeier is batting .563 with four doubles, one triple and 9 RBI. Caleigh Rister hasn't given up a run and has 12 strikeouts in 10.1 IP.

LAKE ERIE
The Storm enter (2-2) overall, losing their last two games before TSG to #3 North Georgia. Jasmine Gonzales is hitting .333 with 1 HR and 3 RBI to lead LEC. CJ Garcia has hit 2 HR on the year as well. Carly Rowland holds a 1-1 record with a 2.13 ERA in 12.2 IP.

MERCY COLLEGE
The Mavericks come into TSG (0-6) overall, holding two losses to MEC foe Alderson Broaddus. Shannon Sisco leads Mercy in BA, hitting .400 on the year so far. Sydney Johnson has plated 4 RBI to lead them in that category. Alexi Benson leads the struggling Mavericks pitching staff with an 0-3 record and 3.68 ERA.

FERRIS STATE
The Bulldogs are (3-7) overall coming into TSG. Evelyn Blood and Jadyn Joseph have both drove in 5 RBI but are hitting partially above .200. Aryan Gallacher has made five starts and pitched 32.2 innings, posting a 2-2 record and 1.93 ERA.

ILLINOIS-SPRINGFIELD
The Prairie Stars are (9-4) overall and are winners in eight of their last nine entering TSG. Ella Brinkley is batting .421 with 1 HR and 9 RBI through 13 games this season. Isabella Wilson holds a .343 BA with 9 RBI also. UIS has an extremely strong pitching staff, featuring three pitchers with an ERA under 2.00: Rosie Bartletti (1.21), Taylor Zawacki (1.77) and Reagan Miles (1.97).

KENTUCKY WESLEYAN
The Panthers enter (3-12) overall and had lost 11 games in a row until they snapped the streak against McKendree their last time out. Megan Matheis is having a phenomenal season at the dish, batting .447 with 4 HR and 13 RBI. Matheis also has two doubles and a triple. The pitching staff has a team average 8.06 ERA.

SLIPPERY ROCK
The Rock comes into TSG (1-3) overall with their lone win coming against MEC partner Glenville State. The Bobcats defeated Slippery Rock 7-5 earlier last weekend at the MEC/PSAC Challenge. Cami Fisk is hitting .357 with 1 HR and 6 RBI. Alexsa Hurd is also batting .357 and has 1 HR and 4 RBI. In two starts, Kelsi Anderson has a 2.15 ERA with one complete game and 18 strikeouts in 13.0 IP.

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