BISMARCK, ND – The home opener for the University of Mary softball team (7-18) awaits as the Marauders host their first conference games against the University of Sioux Falls in a doubleheader at the University of Mary Softball Field on Saturday, March 22, at noon. UMary then hosts Wayne State College in a doubleheader on Sunday, March 23, at noon.
HOW TO WATCH
Fans can watch the games or follow the live stats at
www.GoUMary.com/coverage
LAST TIME OUT
The Marauders fell in doubleheaders to Fort Hays State University and the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
STAT LEADERS
Sariah Perez leads the team in OPS (.979), slugging percentage (.565), and extra-base hits (9). Perez has a .339 batting average and a .414 on-base percentage.
Chloe Robinson leads the Marauders in batting average (.375), on-base percentage (.489) and steals (12). Robinson has a .438 slugging percentage and a .912 OPS.
Janelle Bergmann is tied for the most RBIs (13) and leads the team in home runs (3). Bermann has a .340 batting average, a .574 slugging percentage and a .949 OPS.
Ariana Retuta has 13 RBIs, tied for the most on the Marauders. Retuta has a .343 batting average, a .463 slugging percentage and a .847 OPS.
Elyssa Verploegen has the most wins (3) on the team. Verploegen has 30 strikeouts, more than any pitcher had for the Marauders last season.
OPPO RESEARCH – UNIVERSITY OF SIOUX FALLS
USF is 12-10 on the season. Junior infielder Jaeleigh Darnell leads the Cougars in OPS (1.253), home runs (3) and slugging percentage (.744). Junior pitcher Maddi Duncan leads the team in ERA (2.73), strikeouts (78) and wins (7).
OPPO RESEARCH – WAYNE STATE COLLEGE
UNK is 15-9 overall this year. Senior catcher Hailey Murphy leads the Wildcats in OPS (1.015) and slugging percentage (.615). Freshman pitcher Kennadi Borngrebe has a 1.91 ERA and leads the team in innings pitched (62.1), strikeouts (80) and complete games (5).
SARIAH PEREZ NSIC PLAYER TO WATCH
Sariah Perez is the Marauders NSIC Player to Watch. Last season, Perez recorded a .348 on-base percentage and a .413 slugging percentage to give her an OPS of .761. The senior from Patterson, CA, led the Marauders in total bases last year with 50. Perez started a team-high 44 games last season and collected 35 hits in 121 at-bats.
HANNAH CHAMBERS NSIC PITCHER TO WATCH
Hannah Chambers is the Marauders NSIC Pitcher to Watch in 2025. Last season, Chambers led UMary in innings pitched with 72.0. The senior from Paso Robles, CA, has the best ERA (5.74) of any returning starting pitcher. Chambers recorded three wins and struck out 14 batters last year.
NOTABLE RETURNERS
Janelle Bergmann returns to the team as a junior middle infielder. Bergmann led the team in OPS (.873) and slugging percentage (.488).
Francesca Villaneda returns for her junior season at first base. Villaneda led the team in batting average (.357) and on-base percentage (.405).
Arria Johnson returns for her sophomore season at the circle. Johnson led the team in wins (4) and recorded 24 strikeouts to go along with a 5.81 ERA.
Other returners include
Ariane Sims,
Jenel Mallari,
Kelsey Mischel,
Jaraya Diaz,
Ariana Retuta,
Emma Kimberling,
Katelyn Falk and
Whitney Carnes.
NEWCOMERS
Head coach
Amy Schmeckpeper adds 13 newcomers to the roster. The Marauders have seven freshmen on the roster:
Genevieve Hastings,
Elyssa Verploegen,
Madison Hunter,
Jayleen Rojas,
Hailey Altenhof, Ivee Johnson and
Madison Schamanski.
UMary also adds six transfers:
Peyton Whitehead,
Cassidy Bagnell,
Chloe Robinson,
Rilyn Kirkland and
Alyssa Opgenorth.
THE STAFF
Amy Schmeckpeper enters her second year as the Marauders head softball coach. In her first season in charge, the Marauders went 10-38, an improvement of three wins from the season prior. UMary posted a team ERA of 5.82 last season, compared to a 7.43 ERA for the 2023 season.
Kaitlyn Alvarado returns to UMary this season in her third 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.
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