UMARY SOFTBALL SCHEDULE CHANGE

WAYNE, NE - The University of Mary softball team opens conference play this weekend on the road against Wayne State College and the University of Sioux Falls in a pair of adjusted doubleheaders.

UMary travels to Wayne, NE, on Friday, March 22, to take on WSC in a doubleheader at noon and 2 pm. The Marauders then travel to Sioux Center, IA, to compete against USF in a doubleheader on Saturday, March 23, at 8 pm and 10 pm in the Dordt Dome.

UMary was scheduled to compete on Saturday and Sunday but moved the games up due to inclement weather.

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

LAST TIME OUT
The Marauders dropped their doubleheaders to Newman University (11-4, 7-3) and the University of Nebraska at Kearney (8-3, 5-2).  Francesca Villaneda collected five hits over the four games, and Emily Schommer smashed her second home run of the season.

LEADERS
Emily Schommer is off to a strong start to the season, leading the Marauders in hitting (.407), on-base percentage (.568), slugging percentage (.741), home runs (2) and OPS (1.309).

Janelle Bergmann leads UMary in total hits (18), doubles (6) and RBIs (11). Bergman has posted a slash line of .353/.421/.471 and an OPS of .892.

Francesca Villaneda has been a tough out this year, hitting .348/.434/.391 with five runs scored and three RBIs.

Arria Johnson had been impressive in the circle. The redshirt freshman has a 4-3 record. Johnson leads the team in strikeouts (19) and is second on the team in innings pitched with 31.2.

Hannah Chambers owns the best ERA on the Marauders (5.23). Chambers leads the team in innings pitched (41.1) and has picked up two wins on the season. The Paso Robles, CA, native has thrown an impressive four complete games in seven starts.

OPPO RESEARCH – Wayne State College
WSC is 4-20 overall. Freshman infielder Lillie Timm leads the Wildcats in hitting with a .333 batting average and an .815 ops. Junior Grace Lucka is WSC's leading pitcher, owning a 3-3 record with a 5.12 ERA.

OPPO RESEARCH – University of Sioux Falls
USF is 9-12 overall. Freshman infielder Riley Schwisow leads the team in batting average (.391), slugging percentage (.688), OPS (1.140) and home runs (5). Sophomore pitcher Maddi Duncan owns an 8-3 record and leads the Cougars in ERA (2.04), strikeouts (63) and innings pitched (70.2).

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, 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. 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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