Division III Players To Watch At THE Spring Games
Division III Players To Watch At THE Spring Games
With nearly 200 teams taking part in the Division III portion of THE Spring Games, there will be tons of talent on display for the month of competition.
With nearly 200 teams taking part in the Division III portion of THE Spring Games, there will be tons of talent on display for the month of top-tier competition.
Some of the top hitters and pitchers in the country, who eventually will be in the running for conference and national awards, are slated to appear. They have a chance to boost their profiles in front of a national audience, with each of the games at the event being streamed exclusively on FloSports.
Here’s a look at some of the top players scheduled to hit the fields at THE Spring Games, starting this weekend.
Adrienne Rosey, Trine
Rosey is the leading arm for Trine, the highest-ranked team playing at THE Spring Games. Part of that ranking is due to Rosey, who posted a 1.04 ERA last season, winning 16 games.
THE Spring Games will be the first action of the season for Rosey and Trine.
Ella Link, Wartburg
Link was one of the best power hitters in the country last season, placing among the top 20 nationally with 12 home runs, in addition to a .353 average and a team-best 51 RBIs.
Her power makes her a threat each time she steps up to the plate for the Knights.
Ally Kim, Rochester
One of the finalists for the Division III National Freshman of the Year, Kim did it with flashes of power, speed and the ability to put the ball in play.
#Team26 coming in at 𝗡𝗼. 𝟮𝟭 in the NFCA Preseason Coaches Poll! #ursb #allin pic.twitter.com/Z9UzWK8R8n
— UofR Softball (@Rochester_SB) February 8, 2023
Her .393 average was impressive enough, but add in that she stole 46 bases, while hitting five home runs, and she’s a true triple-threat in the Yellowjackets’ lineup.
Giselle Bahena, Hiram
A key piece back for Hiram, Bahena led the team in pretty much every offensive category last season on her way to a number of league awards.
She posted a team-best .449 average, led the team with 17 doubles and drove in 35 runs, while drawing 16 walks.
Her combination of patience and gap power, along with her contact skills, makes her one of the most well-rounded hitters at the event.
Kayla Simacek, Bethel
Simacek may be the most talked about pitcher at the Division III level, and with good reason, after she went 35-5 last season with 349 strikeouts in 268 innings of work.
Just two games into the 2023 season, she’s picked up right where she left off, going 2-0 with 20 strikeouts in just 13.2 innings of work in her first two starts of the year.
Dani Torres Werra, Amherst
After splitting starts a season ago, Torres Werra is the unquestioned ace for the Mammoths. She was 11-3 with a 1.84 ERA last year, while walking just 13 batters in 114 innings of work.
She should see the bulk of the starts for Amherst, which will start its season at THE Spring Games and is slated to play 12 games during the trip to Florida.
Kaitlyn Schmitz, SUNY Geneseo
Schmitz burst onto the scene for the Knights last year with a freshman season that saw her hit .364, post 28 RBIs and a team-best 13 doubles, while also tying for the team lead in home runs.
As if that wasn’t impressive enough, she also was 5-0 in the circle with a 1.52 ERA across 46 innings of work.
She should be primed for a big sophomore campaign.
Allie Gordon, Belhaven
Another well-rounded hitter who is back after a big year, Gordon hit .384 last season, leading the team in hits (66), home runs (10) and RBIs (48).
The Belhaven squad that has national title hopes this year, and she’s out to a strong start early in the 2023 season, batting .500 at the time of this writing.
Moira O’Reilly, Babson
One of the top pitchers at the event and in the country, O’Reilly won 22 games last season and was one of the top strikeout pitchers in the country, averaging over 10 per seven innings of work.
Keep an eye on this one 👇 #GoBabo #StrictlyBusiness #DamGood pic.twitter.com/oapmCZ1oO2
— Babson Softball (@babsonsoftball) January 21, 2023
Just a sophomore last season, O’Reilly should be in line for an even bigger junior year, especially with the graduation of last season’s No. 2 pitcher.
KaiLi Gross, Case Western Reserve
As a sophomore last season, Gross paced the Spartans in average and hits, finishing the year at .398, collecting 49 hits, and tying for second on the team with six home runs.
She should see an uptick in RBIs this year moving to the heart of the order, after posting just 12 last year.
McKenzie Melvin, Rowan
With the departure of last season’s top hitter in terms of home runs and RBIs, Melvin will be asked to shoulder the load, after leading the team with a .375 average last year and finishing second on the team with six home runs, in addition to 12 combined doubles and triples.
Melvin also is a terror on the bases, nabbing 36 of her 37 tries last year.
She should make an impact each game at THE Spring Games.
Macy Cornelius, Mount St. Joseph
The top returning hitter from last season for the Lions, Cornelius hit .421 with 15 extra base hits, while nabbing 10 bases.
Her 27 RBIs were good for second on the team.
She’s off to a similarly strong start to open 2023, hitting .417 through four games at the time of this writing.
Sophia DiCocco, Tufts
Another big arm who will take the national stage at THE Spring Games, DiCocco dominated last season, finishing the year with an ERA under 1.00, winning 19 games.
She’s not a power pitcher, fanning just half a batter per inning, but she walked only 12 a year ago.
THE Spring Games will mark the start of the season for her and the Jumbos.
Megan Maruna, Wisconsin-Eau Claire
A terrifically well-rounded hitter, Maruna is back after besting the Blugolds last season in average, home runs and stolen bases.
Her .459 average was impressive enough, but throw in seven home runs, plus another 18 doubles and triples, along with 19 steals, and she is a hitter who can do it all when she steps into the box.