Dartmouth Softball Embarks on 2023 Season in Florida

HANOVER, N.H. — The Dartmouth softball team embarks on the 2023 season this weekend in Madeira Beach, Florida. The Big Green battle five different teams as part of the Spring Games tournament to kick off a new campaign.

Dartmouth opens the year with matchups against FIU and UT Martin this Friday, Feb. 24. The Big Green take on Valparaiso and Siena the following day before capping off the weekend with a game against Notre Dame Sunday, Feb. 26.

SENIORS, LEAD THE CHARGE
The Big Green feature three seniors who will serve as program leaders for their team. Head coach Jen Williams will look for Maria Angelino, Kate Farren and Maddie Katona to lead the charge for their final go-around in The Woods.

Farren recorded 24 RBIs a season ago, the second-most on the team, and started all 43 games she competed in. Following the 2022 season, she was named a first-team All-Ivy League honoree at shortstop for the Big Green. Williams will look for Farren to anchor the infield once again for her senior campaign.

"Last year, Kate was incredibly solid for us on defense," Williams said of Farren. "She got better and better as a hitter as the year went on as well. This year her hitting is at a whole new level. We expect to see evenness from her throughout the season. She has upped her game as a hitter and continues to be stellar as our shortstop."

Angelino will be relied on in the infield for the Big Green, specifically at first and third base as the 2023 season begins. Williams noted Angelino's ability to adapt to different situations on defense, which will be crucial for a young Dartmouth team as it heads into the season this weekend.

"We worked with Maria a lot to expand her abilities to play first or third base and she's ready for either of those positions," Williams said of Angelino. "Having a third baseman as your first baseman is such an asset. If we can make that work, we want to try to because she has tremendous range."

Maddie Katona has overcome adversity and injury to suit up for the Big Green for her senior season. The coaching staff has seen her drive and determination to compete and has earned the opportunity to be featured in right field for Williams' squad.

"Maddie has come back with an absolute fire lit inside of her," Williams said. "She has gotten after building her skillset and has connected with the team in a great way. She came in with a list for the staff of what she needs to work on and has done so. Maddie's been inspirational to so many of our players in earning the opportunities that she's going to get."

Williams will lean on her seniors to head the team both on and off the field as the 2023 season kicks off. She credits Angelino, Farren and Katona for being positive role models for the younger members of the team.

"They're very dedicated to this being a tremendous year for the team," Williams said. "That's a key element. Sometimes seniors come in looking for their last year to be great for them. These three want this to be a great year for Dartmouth softball. You can tell in everything they do that it's a priority for them over any individual goals."

DOUBLING THE TOURNAMENT FIELD
The path to the postseason has expanded in the Ivy League, as four teams will qualify for the conference championship tournament this year. Dartmouth was selected to finish third in the Ivy League preseason coaches' poll and looks to play postseason softball for the first time since 2018.

"This is a great move for the league to make for the sport of softball," Williams said. "The four-team playoff is exactly the type of format that we'd face if we win the tournament. The winner of the conference tournament is the automatic qualifier for the NCAA Regional round. We will be more prepared as a league nationally because of this move."

LAST SEASON
The Big Green take the field following a successful season under head coach Jen Williams a year ago. Dartmouth closed the year with a 14-7 record in Ivy League conference play, finishing third in the standings. The Big Green finished just one game outside the Ivy League Championship series and look to make waves this year.

Dartmouth featured seven student-athletes who earned Ivy League postseason honors a season ago. Graduating senior Billie McFadyen earned Ivy League Player of the Year and first-team All-Ivy honors following a stellar season.

McFadyen was joined by Kate Farren and Alaana Panu as a first-team selections, while Brooke Plonka earned second-team honors. Jenna Brown and Emily Lipsett were named All-Ivy honorable mentions, while Maria Angelino was named Dartmouth's representative on the Ivy League All-Academic team.

SCOUTING FIU
Dartmouth's first test of the 2023 season will be against the FIU Panthers, who enter the Spring Games with a record of 6-5 to open the year. The Panthers are battle-tested, having faced off with two top-25 opponents, including a matchup against then-No. 23 Missouri and a pair of meetings with then-No. 10 Clemson.

FIU has been led offensively through 11 games by Brooke McCann. The sophomore outfielder holds a batting average of .476 and has recorded 10 hits and seven RBIs. A quartet of pitchers featuring Ella Whitney, Brooke McNichols, Sydney Birling and Megan Kruger have all seen time in the circle this year.

SCOUTING UT MARTIN
The Big Green's second Friday game will feature UT Martin. The Skyhawks opened the season with a 4-1 victory over Kennesaw State on Feb. 10. UT Martin was slated to play five games at the Stinger Classic, which was ended after the first day due to rain.

The Skyhawks dropped four contests against Green Bay and Kansas City last weekend at the Evansville Softball Invitational. UT Martin was competitive throughout the weekend, losing the four games by an average of just 1.25 runs.

Kaci Fuller has been a force for the Skyhawks thus far with a batting average of .632 in 19 at bats. The junior has racked up 12 hits and a trio of home runs to open the 2023 season.

SCOUTING VALPARAISO
Valparaiso will serve as Dartmouth's first Saturday opponent. The Beacons opened the season last weekend at the DePaul Dome Tournament, going 1-4 over the weekend. Valparaiso's lone win of the tournament came against Western Illinois by a score of 1-0.

Senior pitcher Easton Seib recorded a six-hit shutout in Valpo's first win of the year. Meaggan Pettipiece is in her first season at the helm of the Beacon program and looks to lead her team to success at the Spring Games.

SCOUTING SIENA
Siena awaits Dartmouth for both teams' second game of Saturday. The Saints have been dominant in their first five games of the season, with a perfect record and a run differential of plus-25 to open the year.

The Saints kicked off the season with a pair of wins in a doubleheader against Monmouth Feb. 10. Siena then traveled to take on North Carolina Central, sweeping the three-game series in emphatic fashion.

Siena featured three student-athletes with batting averages of .500 or above. McKenzie Swinson, Ava Fitzmaurice and Emmalynn Skaff have been stellar at the plate through five games. The Saints have received solid pitching from Nicole Patille, Alissa Eimont and Fitzmaurice, as Siena holds an ERA of 1.85.

SCOUTING NOTRE DAME
Dartmouth closes its opening weekend with a Sunday tilt against Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish opened the season strong, winning four of five games at the SDSU Season Kickoff two weeks ago. Notre Dame was not as successful last weekend, however, at the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, dropping three of four games to Northwestern and Ohio State.

The bats of the Fighting Irish have been solid through nine games, as five student-athletes hold batting averages of .333 or higher. Notre Dame's offense has been led by Jane Kronenberger, who leads the team in hits, batting average and runs scored.

FOLLOW ALONG
Dartmouth opens the 2023 season this weekend in Madeira Beach for the Spring Games. Live streams all the games will be available on FloSoftball.com.

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