This Week: Notre Dame College softball begins the 2022 season at the Blue Bridge Battle in Owensboro, Ky. They will play four teams in two days, beginning with a matchup against the University of Illinois Springfield, on Feb. 25, at 3 p.m. Later that day, the Falcons take on Cedarville University, at 5 p.m. On Saturday, Feb. 26, the Falcons take on Quincy University, at 3 p.m., and the University of Southern Indiana, at 5 p.m.

Blue Bridge Battle Information: For more information, click here.

Tickets: To get your tickets, click here.

Records: Last season, the Falcons put together a record of 17-27 and they were 14-18 in the MEC. Three of the four NDC opponents this weekend have already played a few games this spring. Illinois Springfield has an early season mark of 6-1, Quincy has gone 0-7 and Southern Indiana is currently 8-4. Cedarville has not taken the field in 2022. They had a 21-22 record last season.

Coaches Corner: Kelsey Stopp enters her fourth season as head coach, holding a record of 41-65 (24-40 MEC). Shannon Guthrie is in her eighth year at Illinois Springfield and has a coaching record of 191-152. Kelsey Chapman is currently the interim head coach at Cedarville University. Carla Passini enters her seventh season in dugout for Quincy. And Sue Kunkle is in her 21st season with Southern Indiana and has a 587-411-1 record.

Rankings: None of these teams are ranked in the NFCA Division II top 25 poll.
 
Series History: Notre Dame is 1-5 all-time against Cedarville and 2-1 against Quincy, but they have not played QU since 2014. The Falcons have gone 0-1 against Southern Indiana and have never played Illinois Springfield.

Noting the Falcons: Notre Dame looks to build off of momentum from last season's Mountain East Conference Tournament when they won two games, defeating Concord (5-1) and Fairmont State (6-3). In the MEC Preseason Poll, the Falcons were picked to finish fourth in the North Division.

NDC brings back many of their top hitters from last season. Lexi Rehm (.338) and Daniele Rivera (.331) led the team in batting average and they return to the lineup on the left side of the infield in 2022. Bringing the power last season was Alexi Maciejowski (four home runs, six doubles, three triples), Mikaela Fording (four homers), Mya Wright (three homers) and Rehm (2 home runs, nine doubles) and they all return this season.

The Falcons will look to replace their top two pitchers, who had been mainstays in the lineup for the past four years. Last season, Taylor Olson threw 108 2/3 innings, winning seven games with 77 strikeouts. McKenzie Zigmont went 121 2/3 innings in 2021, winning eight games and striking out 64. Chloe Vance spent 47 2/3 innings in the pitcher's circle, making 18 appearances and eight starts. She returns to the pitching staff this season.
 
Noting the Prairie Stars: Illinois Springfield has gotten off to a tremendous start this season. They went 4-1 at the Alvy Early Memorial Classic in Arkansas, earlier this month. And last Sunday, the Prairie Stars swept a doubleheader with Millikin. They have scored an average of 7.5 runs in their wins in 2022.

Carolyn Franke (.529), Taylor Zawacki (.500) and Danielle Dennis (.476) all hold a batting average over .400 with at least nine hits. Dennis already had four home runs and 11 RBI. UIS has stolen 28 bases and Carly Chovanec leads the way with seven swiped bags in five games. In the pitcher's circle, Payton Long already has three wins and a complete game shutout in three starts.
 
Noting the Yellow Jackets: Cedarville was picked to finish 7th in the GMAC Preseason Poll. The Yellow Jackets won 21 games last season, including an upset of the No. 1 seed Trevecca to start the GMAC Tournament.

Two players, McKenna Smith (.342) and Arica Flaugher (.303), hit over .300 for the season and return this season. Mariah Wallace totaled six home runs, eight doubles and 29 RBI as a freshman in 2021. Their pitching staff is still young as Casey Bertke and Adaline Ziehmer are both sophomores. Last season, they combined for 14 wins, 19 complete games and 156 strikeouts.

Noting the Hawks: Quincy has had eight contests canceled this season. They played three at the Alvy Early Memorial Classic in Arkansas and four at the Emporia State University Classic in Kansas. The Hawks lost all seven games and scored two, or fewer runs, in four of them.

QU has five players who are hitting over .300. Audrey Hermann (.409), Bailey Mitchell (.368), Casey Brennan (.353), Jayle Jennings (.348) and Taylor Downen (.333) all have at least six hits and eight total bases on the season. The Hawks have struggled in the pitcher's circle, holding a team ERA of 10.79.

Noting the Screaming Eagles: Southern Indiana went 3-3 in their first invite of the season, the University of Alabama in Huntsville Charger Chillout. They played solid competition, including host UAH, who was ranked No. 23 in D2. In Tennessee, the Screaming Eagle defeated Tiffin, Kentucky Wesleyan, Findlay, Ferris State and Wisconsin-Parkside. They enter the Blue Bridge Battle on a four-game winning streak.

USI is hitting .376 as a team and have three players (Kennedy Nalley - .463, Lexi Fair - .432, Sammie Kihega - .419) who are hitting over .400 at the plate. All three of those players, who are all underclassmen, already have at least four doubles and 19 total bases in the first 12 games. The Screaming Eagles have four pitchers who have started at least two games. Hailey Gotshall holds a 2.41 ERA, with a 3-0 record in 20 1/3 innings pitched.