LIBERTY, Mo. - The William Jewell softball team opens the 2022 season this weekend at the Alvy Early Classic in Bentonville, Arkansas where the Cardinals will take on five opponents from the MIAA, NSIC and GAC.
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CARDINAL NOTES
- Jewell is coming off a 13-27 season a year ago and comes into the 2022 season with a wealth of valuable experience, losing just one player, Tori Farr, to graduation last spring.
- Headlining the list of returners is fifth year senior third baseman Allison Rawls, who earned All-GLVC Third Team honors last season and has stared 108 games at the hot corner over the last four years. In her senior season she hit a team best .345 with 20 RBI and 24 runs while posting a fielding percentage of .991, committing just a single error in 113 chances.
- Also back is All-GLVC Third Team designated player Lauren Ledbetter, who started 33 games between DP and catcher. The junior hit .265 with 11 RBI and six doubles.
- In the circle, the Cardinals return two seniors, Aly Manhart and Kenzie Jones who combined for more than 40 appearances and 182 innings of work last year.
- Sammie Welt also impressed in her debut season, boasting 48 strikeouts over 63.1 innings in 20 relief appearances.
- Other returners who appeared in at least 20 games include infielders, Hailey Wall, Sophia Lopez, Kelli McCallister, Kenzie Stahl and Abby Vandiver (INF/P), along with outfielders Sabrina Olmo, Payton Totzke and Kolbee Kealoha and catcher Abby Dubinski.
- The Cardinals welcomed in a five-member freshman class, including pitcher Sydney Parra and infielders Sydney Cure, Abby Harder (INF/P) and Ella Hoffman along with utility player Jace Laws.
- Dustin Combs begins his 16th season with the Cardinals, chasing win No. 400 for his career and a return to the GLVC Tournament for the first time since 2018.
ABOUT PITTSBURG STATE
- Pittsburg State is coming off a 15-29 season a year ago and are scheduled to take on Southwest Baptist before heading to Arkansas.
- Two players return after hitting above .300 last season as Kami Zimmerman posted a team best .333 average while Taylor Lambert followed at .327.
- Keelah Griffith finished with a team-high 30 RBI and seven home runs while Paxtyn Hayes scored 27 runs.
- In the circle, Taylor Compton is the top returning starter, going 4-9 on the season over 19 appearances with a 4.99 ERA and 52 strikeouts.
- The Gorillas are under new leadership, in head coach Jenny Fuller. The former Northern State (SD) head coach and Baylor pitcher, she owns a 144-116 record as a collegiate head coach.
ABOUT UPPER IOWA
- Upper Iowa comes off a 13-30 season in 2021 with an 11th place finish in the NSIC.
- Katie Crogan is the top returner for the Peacocks, after hitting .375 with 13 doubles, nine home runs and 25 RBI, all team highs, on her way to Second Team All-NSIC honors.
- In the circle, Sydney Wilcox appeared in 23 games last season with 20 starts, going 3-17 with a 5.27 ERA and 48 strikeouts.
- Kiki Stokes is the new head coach for UIU after spending three seasons with South Dakota State as an assistant coach. The former All-American at Nebraska holds the Cornhusker record with 200 runs scored.
ABOUT EMPORIA STATE
- Emporia State got off to an early start to 2022, having already played five games, going 3-2 at the Ronnie Hawkins/Mike McGhee Memorial Tournament last weekend. The Hornets finished the 2021 season with an overall record of 21-23.
- Brittanie Shepherd was named the MIAA Hitter of the Week after hitting .750 through five games last week, with six RBI and eight runs.
- Alexis Dial also started hot, hitting .538 with seven hits, including two doubles.
- Syndey Righi started two games for ESU in the opening weekend, going 1-1, with a win over Ouachita Baptist, while Gracie Rabe made two appearances without allowing an earned run.
- April Rosales is in her seventh season at the helm of the Hornet program and led Emporia State to an 2018 NCAA Tournament appearances.
ABOUT SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA STATE
- Southeastern Oklahoma also started last weekend, going 2-4 to open the year at the Arkansas Tech Invitational, defeating Texas A&M-International and Texas Woman's University. Last season, the Savage Storm went 36-11.
- In the opening weekend, Cheyenne Mahy led the offense, hitting .450 with four doubles, three RBI and three runs. Peyton Streetman (.381) and Kamryn Rackley (.368) also hit above .350.
- Mahy was also the leader in the circle, appearing in five of six games with two starts. She posted a 5.35 ERA with 16 strikeouts.
- Amberlyn Walsworth started the other four games, working 19 innings with a 2.21 ERA.
- Ron Faubion returned to the Savage Storm program in 2004 after previously serving as the head coach from 1997-2000. During his tenure he has led Southeastern to six NCAA Tournaments including a run the 2014 Division II finals.
ABOUT MISSOURI WESTERN
- The final foe of the weekend will be a familiar one in Missouri Western, who is off to a 2-3 start, after making the trek to Minnesota last weekend to open the season.
- Through five games, three players are hitting above .300, led by Sydni Hawkins at .500 with four runs and eight RBI.
- Natalie Kissinger and Sydney Rader have thrown 33.1 of the 34 innings thus far for the Griffons, going 2-3 with a 3.35 ERA and 27 strikeouts.
- Joe Yegge took over this season after the departure of long-time head coach Jen Bagley Trotter. Yegge came to Missouri Western after three seasons as the associate head coach at DePaul University and owns a 616-225 record as a head coach (15 seasons).
