As Concordia University Chicago's softball team prepares to kick off their season this Saturday, catch up on what the team did last season and how the team looks heading into this season.

Last Season

The Cougars finished two spots shy of a playoff berth last season, finishing eighth in the NACC, going 17-20 overall and 11-13 in conference play. 

After losing a season-opening double-header to Lake Forest, Concordia's annual Florida trip proved fruitful, as CUC went 5-2 over the course of the week. With a 6-7 record going into conference play, the Cougars rattled off four straight NACC wins.

Sitting at 10-7, Concordia would struggle from April 15 through April 21, losing four while picking up two wins. A seven game slide then commenced, knocking CUC down to 12-18. A 5-2 finish, including winning the last four games, ended the season on a high note, but was not enough to sneak the Cougars into the playoffs. 

"Last season we made tremendous strides as a team and we look forward to continue to build our foundation for a 2023 season," says head coach Sarah O'Malley-Fisher about last year. 

Coach O'Malley-Fisher

O'Malley-Fisher is back for season 11 with Concordia. During her tenure, she has compiled a 175-188-1 overall record while going 98-82 within the NACC. Her teams have made the conference tournament four times, with their last trip coming in 2018. 

Regarding the upcoming season, O'Malley-Fisher said, "We have a mix of new and old faces and we are excited to see Team#63 hit the ground this weekend in Rosemont and in Florida for our Spring Break Trip."

Joining O'Malley-Fisher in the dugout are assistant coaches Dave Golitko and Sydney Paulauskis-Lauher as well as graduate assistant Izzy Ortiz. Tony Leopold also returns as the team's recruiting specialist. 

Returning Players

On the field, CUC is sporting a strong group of returning players. 

Chief among the veterans is Becky Pieroni (Montgomery, Ill.). The 2021 Third Team All-American is coming off her second straight First Team All-NACC award as well as a NFCA All-Region Second-Team appearance. Pieroni led Concordia in almost every major offensive stat, including batting average, home runs, runs batted in, on base plus slugging percentage, and on base percentage among other stats. The senior also provided strong defense all season, serving as the team's primary catcher. 

Pitching wise, Ashley Shroll (Tampa, Fla.) looks to lead the charge, having pitched the second most innings for CUC last year (82.0). Shroll's 3.84 ERA was the second lowest among eligible pitchers, and she led the Cougars in opponent batting average (.271). The sophomore also provided 70 at-bats, finishing top three in OPS (.876), home runs (2), total bases (39), and slugging percentage (.557). She led the team in triples with four.

Filling out the lineup are the likes of Jessica Geng (Phoenix, Ariz.), Annabella Archuletta (Pueblo, Colo.), and Gina Westphal (Elmhurst, Ill.). 

Westphal sported a .346 batting average, third best on the team. 

With six, Geng was tied for the second most doubles; she was also tied for the third most triples with two. Geng's .470 slugging percentage was third best amongst eligible players. 

Archuletta won NACC South Freshman of the Year in 2021 and was also a NACC South First-Team honoree. Last season Archuletta hit .303 in 32 games. 

New Faces

Bolstering the returning corps is a crop of freshmen and one transfer. 

Haley Gulsby (Englewood, Fla.), Melisa Hadzic (Westchester, Ill.), Arissa Santos (Moreno Valley, Calif.), Eden Pufahl (Laguna Hills, Calif.), Stormie Devine (Mount Carmel, Ill.), Emma Borrelli (Arlington Heights, Ill.), and Katelyn Smith (Chatsworth, Ga.) join the squad for their first year of college ball and look to make immediate impacts.

From the transfer portal comes junior Jaidyn Harris (Jurupa Valley, Calif.). Harris comes from Citrus College, a community college in Glendora, Calif., where she earned First Team All-Conference honors in 2022. She grabbed 11 wins in 26 appearances while racking up 95 strikeouts. 

A Look Ahead

After opening the season against Lake Forest on Feb. 25, Concordia heads to Florida for their annual Spring Break Trip. This year, the team will take on eight squads across Jan Phyl Village and Winter Haven starting on March 5. 

Once the team returns home on March 20, CUC hosts four straight home games against Wheaton College and North Park University. The Cougars end non-conference play with a double-header at Carthage College on March 30.

NACC competition starts on April 1 with a home double-header against St. Norbert College. The one prolonged road trip of the season comes from April 9 until April 15 with four games at Wisconsin Lutheran College and Edgewood College. 

Concordia is home for four straight contests against Aurora University and Benedictine University on April 23 and April 29. The season ends at Dominican University on May 6 with two games. 

2022 Stats Leaders

Batting

• Batting Average: Becky Pieroni (.410)

• OPS: Becky Pieroni (1.208)

• Home Runs: Becky Pieroni (8)

• RBIs: Becky Pieroni (30)

• Slugging Percentage: Becky Pieroni (.730)

• Walks: Sydney Sterrett (13)

• On Base Percentage: Becky Pieroni (.478)

Pitching

• ERA: Holly Bathje (2.86)

• WHIP: Holly Bathje (1.43)

• Innings Pitched: Holly Bathje (90.2)

• Strikeouts: Ashley Shroll (69)

• Opponent's Batting Average: Ashley Shroll (.271)