By Scott Schultz | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

THE Spring Games, the largest college softball event in the world is the battleground where top Division II, Division III, and NAIA teams collide in central Florida. 

How To Watch | THE Spring Games

We take a look at some of the top Division II squads making their way to the southeast. 

What To Watch For At THE Spring Games This Week

Saint Anselm (5-0)

The Hawks travel to Florida for the week as the No. 1 ranked Division II softball team in the nation, according to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II Top 25 Week 3 Poll.

Saint Anselm is off to a hot 5-0 start to the 2019 campaign and received six first-place votes in this week's poll and 379 points. Although the Hawks were idle over the weekend, the previous No.1 team in the country, Angelo State, dropped in the poll after losing four of its five games last week.

Having scored 27 runs to date, including four home runs, sophomore Maddison Leite has accounted for three of them. Junior pitcher Morgan Perry leads the charge from the circle, posting three complete-game victories and allowing just seven runs while striking out 23 batters.

Since the start of last season, Saint Anselm has posted a 49-13-1 record for Head Coach Jill Gagnon. The Hawks won their first-ever NCAA Division II East Region Championship last year, winning five straight games to earn the program's first-ever trip to Salem, Virginia and the Division II National Championship series.

The Hawks opened their Spring Games schedule with a 6-3 loss to Davenport but bounced back with an 8-1 win over Missouri-St. Louis in Clermont on Friday afternoon. They take on Minnesota State on Saturday afternoon.

On the schedule: LIU Post (2), Georgian Court, Gannon, Cedarville, Southern Indiana, Jefferson, Wilmington, Mercy, and Ferris State.

Southern Indiana (6-4)

The Eagles’ offense stepped it up over their four-game stint in Midwest Region play last week, posting 42 hits and 41 runs. With a 4-0 record on the week, USI will head to Florida with a 6-4 mark on the season.

The Eagles slipped out of the NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches' poll last week, but the Eagles are receiving votes (14) in this week's top 25.

From the circle, All-American hurler Jennifer Leonhardt paces the Eagles’ staff with a team-best 4-1 record, one save and 33 strikeouts. She also has a 2.18 ERA with a .203 opponent batting average.

Through 10 games, junior shortstop Taylor Ricketts leads the Eagles’ offense with a .429 batting average, tallying three doubles, a triple and five RBIs. Junior outfielder Allison Schubert has driven in a team-best nine RBIs, while senior outfielder/pitcher Caitlyn Bradley has a .385 batting average with two doubles, two triples and eight RBIs. USI currently has a team batting average of .307, with seven Eagles hitting .333 or better.

The Eagles open play with two games Saturday morning against Cedarville and Northern State in Clermont.

On the schedule: Grand Valley State, Wilmington (DE), Ashland, Walsh, Minnesota State, Saint Anselm, Findlay, Notre Dame (OH), California (PA) and Dominican.

West Virginia Wesleyan (0-2)

The Bobcats enter the 2019 campaign as two-time defending Mountain East South Division champions and are the narrow favorites to win the division once again.

After a standout freshman season, Lauryn King will headline the lineup card for Head Coach Steve Warner. King was a league leader in several offensive categories last season, hitting at a .391 clip with 12 home runs, 19 doubles, and 58 RBIs. Sophomores Haylee Shires (12-5, 3.59 ERA) and Kelley Bourne (4-2, 4.67 ERA) will be called on to fill the gap left by the loss of three-time MEC Pitcher of the Year Hannah Vet in the circle.

The Bobcats will open play against the University of Findlay on Saturday morning, followed by a match-up with Felician University that afternoon.

On their schedule: Malone, Gannon, Mercyhurst, University of the Sciences, Walsh (OH), Georgian Court, Mercy, and Assumption.

Minnesota State Mankato (4-4)

Minnesota State heads to Clermont after a 1-3 weekend in Russellville, Arkansas, The Mavericks earned an 8-7 win over Northwest Missouri State followed by losses to Washburn, Arkansas Tech and Central Missouri.

Senior catcher Cori Kennedy currently tops the Maverick stat sheet team with a .520 batting average, a .760 slugging percentage and a .571 on-base percentage. Kennedy posted a 6-13 showing at the plate last weekend with two doubles and RBIs.  Sophomore Emma Schifferle leads the team with six RBIs and six runs scored.

On the basepaths, junior McKenzie Paap has five stolen bases already this season and has totaled 91 career stolen bases — ranking third on the MSU all-time stolen bases list.

Western Oregon and Saint Anselm are on the Mavericks’ schedule for Saturday’s action to open their Spring Games slate.

On their schedule: Felician, Edinboro, University of the Sciences, Wilmington, Mercyhurst, Southern Indiana, Grand Valley State, and Ashland.

Mercy (2-2)

Mercy traveled to South Carolina to open its 2019 season for a two-week trip, with matchups against Chowan, Emmanuel, and Francis Marion. The Mavericks split their four games, with wins over Chowan and Emmanuel and were led by East Coast Conference (ECC) Player of the Week Kaylee Stevens, who batted a team-high .833 with eight RBIs and two runs scored.

The senior also went 1-1 in the circle with a 7.41 ERA and five strikeouts in 5.2 innings. Junior Erika Byrne was named to the ECC Honor Roll after hitting .625 with a team-high nine RBI, a home run and five runs scored. 

Senior Mikayla Newham was also named to the Honor Roll after batting .533 with a team-high nine runs scored while sophomore Hannah Mueller also received Honor Roll recognition after hitting .467 with eight runs and two RBI.

The Mavericks open play on Sunday, March 3, with games against Stonehill and Seton Hill.

On the schedule: Walsh, Gannon, West Virginia Wesleyan, Wilmington (DEL), Indiana (Penn), Merrimack, Saint Anselm, and Bentley.

Seton Hill (2-0)

The Griffins have been selected to finish second in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference - West Division Coaches Preseason Poll this season.

Seton Hill opened the 2019 season with a home doubleheader against Wheeling Jesuit on Sunday afternoon, giving first-year Head Coach Jessica Strong her first head coaching win with an 8-0 win in game one, followed by a walk-off 7-6 win in game two to complete the sweep.

Seniors Brooke Bower and Devyn Terry return to lead the charge for the Griffins offense. Terry blasted six home runs along with a .368 batting average and 1.162 OPS last season, while Bower led the at the plate posting a .390 average.

The Griffins open play against the University of Mary and Mercy on Sunday, February 3.

On the schedule: Trevecca Nazarene, Clarion, Wheeling Jesuit, Cedarville, Northern State, Malone, Concordia-St. Paul and Truman State.

LIU Post (0-0)

LIU Post is coming off an East Coast Conference title in 2018 and the league coaches have voted the Pioneers to repeat as conference champions in 2019.

ECC coaches also chose junior Abbey Fortin to repeat as the league’s Player of the Year, and senior Katie Humhej to repeat as Pitcher of the Year.

The Green and Gold compiled an overall record of 38-19, their highest win total since posting a program record 50 wins during the 2014 season. After capturing the conference crown, they reached the East Super Regional after sweeping the first three games of the NCAA Championship before falling to eventual national runner-up, Saint Anselm College.

A consensus All-American in 2018, Fortin hit at a .413 clip for the Pioneers with 19 home run, 63 RBIs and an .821 slugging percentage. Humhej was unbeaten in ECC play in the circle, compiling a 19-11 overall record with a 2.31 ERA and 133 strikeouts.

The Pioneers open with a doubleheader against Saint Anselm on Sunday, March 3.

On the schedule: Assumption, Ashland, Felician, Georgian Court, Mercyhurst, Grand Valley State, Bentley and Quincy.

Illinois Wesleyan (0-0)

Following a national Division III runner-up finish in 2018, Illinois Wesleyan is predicted to win their second-straight College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) softball title, according to the results of the conference's annual preseason coaches' poll.

The Titans are led by the trio of Sam Berghoff, Jillian Runyon, and Ally Wiegand. The three are among the 50 softball players who have been chosen for the 2019 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division III National Player of the Year watch list.

Berghoff, a first-team NFCA All-American in 2018, led the Titans with a .470 average and has established new school season records in hits (78), doubles (21), home runs (13), runs batted in (68) and total bases (146). After two seasons, Berghoff has the highest career slugging percentage in IWU history (.769) and her career .421 batting average is second best in IWU history. Her 21 home runs is tied for second and she is tied for fifth with 35 doubles and sixth with 109 career RBIs.

Now a three-time NFCA watch list selection, Runyon hit a .351 clip last season, with 65 hits, 62 runs, five doubles, four triples, two home runs, and 22 RBI. She also swiped 50 bases on 52 attempts and is IWU's all-time leader in runs (167) and steals (148), and ranks fourth in at-bats (516) and hits (184).

In the circle, Wiegand was a second-team NFCA All-American in 2018, posting a 1.15 ERA and a 19-5 record. She had an IWU single-season record of 229 strikeouts in 158.1 innings opposed to just nine walks. She had 16 complete games and seven shutouts as opponents hit just .159 against her.

The Titans will open play against Catholic and Stockton on Tuesday, March 12.

On the schedule: Millsaps, Amherst, Thomas More, Linfield, Calvin, and Rowan.