WICHITA, KS - The University of Mary softball team travels to Kansas and Nebraska for six games in three days against Newman University and the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

The Marauders head over to Wichita, KS, on Tuesday, March 12, to challenge NU in a doubleheader scheduled for 2 pm and 4 pm.

UMary then goes to Kearney, NE, to take on UNK in back-to-back doubleheaders beginning on Wednesday, March 13, at noon and 2 pm. The Marauders finish the trip on Thursday, March 14, at noon and 2 pm.

HOW TO WATCH
Fans can watch the games or follow the live stats at www.GoUMary.com/coverage  

LAST TIME OUT
The Marauders went 4-5 in their nine spring games at Florida. UMary received excellent pitching performances from Arria Johnson and Hannah Chambers in their victories.

Arria Johnson pitched 4.2 innings of relief in the Marauders 8-3 victory over Montana State University Billings. Johnson allowed only one run while striking out two batters. The Graham, WA, native pitched three innings of shutout relief in UMary's 5-4 win over Thomas More University.

Hannah Chambers threw all five innings and allowed only two runs in the Marauders 17-2 victory over MSU Billings. In UMary's final game of the trip, Chambers gave up only three hits and one unearned run as she pitched a complete game in UMary's 7-1 win over Mercyhurst University.

LEADERS
Emily Schommer is off to a strong start to the season, leading the Marauders in hitting (.476), on-base percentage (.607), slugging percentage (.762) and OPS (1.369).

Janelle Bergmann leads UMary in total hits (16), doubles (6) and RBIs (11). Bergman has posted a slash line of .364/.429/.500 and an OPS of .929.

Sariah Perez has also provided an offensive spark for the Marauders, hitting .306/.346/.449 and leads the team with eight runs scored. Her 15 hits are the second most on UMary.

Francesca Villaneda has been a tough out this year, hitting .324/.425/.353 with five runs scored and three RBIs.

Arria Johnson had been impressive in the circle. The redshirt freshman has a 4-1 record and an ERA of 4.28. Johnson leads the team in strikeouts (17) and is second on the team in innings pitched with 27.1.

Hannah Chambers owns the best ERA on the Marauders (4.26). Chambers leads the team in innings pitched (31.2) and has picked up two wins on the season. The Paso Robles, CA, native has thrown an impressive three complete games in five starts.

THE STAFF
Amy Schmeckpeper enters her first year as the Marauders head softball coach. A Coach of the Year recipient, Schmeckpeper brings three seasons of collegiate head coaching experience to the Marauders plus a decade of coaching on collegiate diamonds.

Schmeckpeper joins UMary after three seasons as the head coach at Garden City (KS) Community College (GCCC), where she led the Broncbusters to a division title while earning league coaching honors in her first season. Schmeckpeper coached 17 All-Region athletes at GCCC, including an All-American. Additionally, she coached 13 All-Region players in five seasons as the associate head coach at Lamar (CO) Community College.

Kaitlyn Alvarado returns to UMary this season in her second year as an assistant coach. Alvarado was a standout player for the Marauders from 2019-2021, both in the circle and at the plate. She batted a career average of .288 and had a career slugging percentage of .413.

JANELLE BERGMAN NSIC Player to Watch
Bergman is the Marauders NSIC Player to Watch. A sophomore utility player from Tracy, CA, she had a strong first season at UMary in 2023. Primarily used as a shortstop, Bergmann was second on the team in hitting with a .306 batting average. She finished her freshman season with a .349 on-base percentage and a .355 slugging percentage while starting a team-high 41 games out of the 44 she played. Bergmann had six doubles, scored 14 times and drove in 11 runs.

"Nelly is one of our most athletic returners who will provide experience in key positions on the field," said Marauders head coach Amy Schmeckpeper. "She has grown both physically and mentally this fall as a result of her hard work and determination. I am excited to see how she performs this spring."

EMARI EVANS NSIC PITCHER TO WATCH
Evans enters her third season at UMary and is the Marauders NSIC Pitcher to Watch in 2024. A senior from Surprise, AZ, pitched 85.2 innings last season over the course of 30 appearances, including 14 starts. She finished 2-13 with two complete games.

"Emari will be one of our strongest pitchers this year," said Schmeckpeper. "She had an exceptional fall and worked hard to improve her skill set, while providing composure and experience on the mound. A leader for our program, Emari is a compassionate teammate and dedicated student-athlete. I am excited to see what this season has in store for her."

NOTABLE RETURNERS
Mckenzie Reinhardt returns to the Marauders as a senior middle infielder. Reinhardt made 35 starts in 2023 and produced a solid batting average of .292, while driving in 13 runs.

Nicole Eckhardt returns for her senior year. Eckhardt pitched 111.0 innings in 2023 and recorded a team-best 5.68 ERA. Finished the season with four wins and one save inside the circle. Led the team with 74 strikeouts.

Sariah Perez heads back for her junior season. Perez started 31 games in 2023. Recorded 27 hits to help produce a .284 batting average. Perez also finished with 3 home runs, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 21 RBIs, and 15 runs scored.

Francesca Villaneda returns for her sophomore season. Villaneda made 34 starts and 40 appearances as a true freshman. Villaneda finished as the Marauders top hitter in her rookie season with a .316 batting average.

Other returners include Natasha Stubbs, Janine Warne, Emily Schommer, Arria Johnson, Ariana Retuta, Jamison Ness, Kelsey Mischel and Hannah Chambers.

NEW FACES
Schmeckpeper brings in five new freshmen to the UMary softball program. Jenel Mallari, Karadyn Fuller, Ariane Sims, Emma Kimberling, and Katelyn Falk look to make an impact in their true freshman season.

The Marauders are also bringing in three new transfers to the program. Keely Porter (Garden City Community College), Jaraya Diaz (Garden City Community College) and Whitney Carnes (Shasta College) look to make great contributions in their first seasons at UMary.

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