KENOSHA, Wis. – Parkside softball opens play at Case Softball Complex for the first time this season this week as the Rangers are set for three GLIAC doubleheaders in a five-day span against Purdue Northwest, Wayne State and Saginaw Valley State.
The stretch begins Wednesday, March 25, when Parkside hosts Purdue Northwest in Kenosha in a makeup doubleheader originally scheduled for Sunday, March 22, before being postponed due to weather. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. CT, with game two to follow 20 minutes after the conclusion of game one. The Rangers then head to Detroit on Saturday, March 28, for a road twinbill against Wayne State at Gary L. Bryce Field beginning at noon CT, before wrapping up the weekend Sunday, March 29, in University Center, Michigan, with a doubleheader against Saginaw Valley State at SVSU Softball Complex starting at noon CT.
ABOUT THE RANGERS:
Parkside enters the week 10-14 overall and 1-1 in GLIAC play after going 3-1 last week. The Rangers opened the stretch with a road sweep at Quincy, highlighted by Casey Jo Vermett's no-hitter in game two, the 18th no-hitter in program history. Parkside then split its conference-opening doubleheader against Grand Valley State, dropping game one before bouncing back for a 2-0 win in game two behind a complete-game shutout from Vermett and solo home runs from Ava Swain and Isabel Aranda.
Through 24 games, the Rangers are hitting .277 as a team with 180 hits, 42 doubles, 20 home runs and 105 RBI while posting a .441 slugging percentage and .369 on-base percentage. Parkside has been one of the most productive offensive teams in the GLIAC, leading the league in doubles, hit by pitches, walks and home runs while ranking second in slugging percentage. In the circle, the Rangers carry a 3.85 team ERA with 133 strikeouts in 156.1 innings.
Mia Johnson continues to be the centerpiece of the offense and has put together one of the best starts in the conference and the country. Johnson enters the week batting .515 with 35 hits, 13 doubles, eight home runs, 22 RBI, 27 runs scored and 28 walks, while also carrying a 1.088 slugging percentage and .656 on-base percentage. She leads the GLIAC in batting average, doubles, on-base percentage, runs scored, total bases, slugging percentage, and home runs while also ranking second in runs driven in.
Parkside has also received strong production throughout the lineup. Aranda is batting .338 with four doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI, while Swain has added three home runs and 13 RBI. Reese Valha has six doubles, two homers and 10 RBI, and Cici Di Silvio has chipped in seven doubles and 15 RBI. Peyton Klikno is hitting .300 in 16 appearances and has scored eight runs.
In the circle, Vermett has emerged as the top strikeout pitchers in the GLIAC, leading the league with 66 strikeouts in 50.1 innings while posting a 5-2 record and 3.75 ERA. Holly Lowenberg has also been a steady presence with a 5-4 record, 3.02 ERA and six complete games in 60.1 innings.
SCOUTING PURDUE NORTHWEST:
Purdue Northwest enters the week 15-9 overall and 1-1 in conference play after splitting its GLIAC-opening doubleheader at Roosevelt. The Pride won game one 8-0 in six innings before dropping game two 8-4. Purdue Northwest has put together one of the best starts in the conference and owns the second-most overall wins of any GLIAC team entering the week.
The Pride have been one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the league so far, batting .334 as a team with 224 hits, 39 doubles, 16 triples, five home runs and 118 RBI. Purdue Northwest leads the GLIAC in hits, on-base percentage, scoring, slugging percentage and stolen bases. The Pride are averaging 5.8 runs per game and have swiped 50 bases in 58 attempts through 24 games.
Gracie Jensen has been one of the top run producers in the conference, batting .406 with 23 RBI, six doubles and a .594 slugging percentage. Kylie Dugan remains one of the most dynamic players in the GLIAC, hitting .390 with 30 hits, 21 runs scored and a league-best 17 stolen bases. Kylie Madura is batting .379 with 11 RBI and a .652 slugging percentage, Emma Fair is hitting .367 with 18 RBI, Amanda DeBoer also has 18 RBI, and Jessy Del Toro is hitting .404 with a .481 on-base percentage.
In the circle, Purdue Northwest owns a 3.25 ERA, which ranks third in the GLIAC. Hailie Charmat has been outstanding with a 1.68 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 41.2 innings, while Jordyn Roop has posted a 2.78 ERA and Chloe Tanner is 3-2 with 16 strikeouts in 30.2 innings.
Wednesday's twinbill will be the 26th and 27th all-time meetings between Parkside and Purdue Northwest, with the Pride holding an 18-7 advantage in the series. However, the Rangers have won four of the last six meetings and carry momentum into the matchup after a 9-1 win over the Pride in Kenosha on April 18, 2025. Parkside has also been much stronger at home in the series, going 6-6 against Purdue Northwest in Kenosha compared to 1-10 on the road.
SCOUTING WAYNE STATE:
Wayne State enters the weekend 8-13 overall and 0-4 in GLIAC play, the only team in the league still searching for its first conference win. The Warriors were swept in both of their opening conference doubleheaders last weekend, falling twice at Davenport before dropping two more games at Ferris State. Wayne State was picked fifth in the GLIAC preseason poll, one spot behind Parkside, and is led by fifth-year head coach Nicole Tines.
The Warriors are hitting .302 as a team with 185 hits, 38 doubles, eight triples, seven home runs and 78 RBI. Wayne State has shown balance throughout the order, with seven regulars batting .298 or better.
Hunter Near leads the offense at .343 with 23 hits, four triples, two home runs and 10 RBI, while Elly Koopman is batting .327 with six doubles and 10 RBI. Molly Hool is hitting .321 with six doubles and 10 RBI, Kate DeWitt is batting .313 with two home runs and 10 RBI, and Brooke Bunch has added eight doubles and nine stolen bases. Sydney Long has also provided a spark in limited action, batting .353 with three doubles, two home runs and a .676 slugging percentage.
In the circle, Sydney Long has logged the most innings and owns a 3.66 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 57.1 innings. Kyra Shadduck has posted a 3.87 ERA in 38 innings, while Koopman has also contributed 32.2 innings with 21 strikeouts. As a staff, however, the Warriors have allowed opponents to hit .300 and carry a 4.74 ERA.
Saturday's doubleheader will mark the 56th and 57th all-time meetings between Parkside and Wayne State, with the Rangers holding a narrow 28-27 edge in the series. Parkside has dominated the recent matchup, winning four straight, eight of the last nine and five of the six meetings last season. That run included a road sweep in Detroit and two GLIAC Tournament victories over the Warriors, including a 12-inning win in Rosemont. All-time, Parkside is 9-10 against Wayne State in Detroit.
SCOUTING SAGINAW VALLEY STATE:
Saginaw Valley State enters the week 12-8 overall and 2-0 in GLIAC play. The Cardinals are set to face Ferris State on Tuesday in Big Rapids and Roosevelt on Saturday before hosting Parkside on Sunday. SVSU was picked as the preseason GLIAC favorite after winning both the conference regular-season and tournament championships a year ago. The Cardinals also advanced to the NCAA Midwest Regional for the fourth straight season and reached the NCAA Division II Championship for just the second time in program history.
Saginaw Valley State opened the season ranked No. 5 in the NFCA poll and returns a loaded roster that includes several of the top players in the conference. The Cardinals are batting .287 as a team with 162 hits, 22 doubles, 11 home runs and 91 RBI while also pairing that offense with one of the league's best pitching staffs.
Emma Helvie leads the lineup with a .407 batting average, five doubles, two home runs and 16 RBI. Aalana Kimble is batting .386 with 22 hits and has also been dominant in the circle, while Olivia Elliott has three home runs and 14 RBI. Ella Schneider has added 15 hits and two home runs, and Kenzie Bromley has contributed two home runs and eight RBI.
The pitching staff continues to be the Cardinals' biggest strength. Kimble owns a 1.81 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 58 innings, while Macy Irelan has a 2.66 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 55.1 innings. As a team, Saginaw Valley State carries a 2.84 ERA and has held opponents to a .223 batting average.
Sunday's twinbill will mark the 37th and 38th all-time meetings between Parkside and Saginaw Valley State. The Cardinals have won 21 straight in the series, with the Rangers' last win coming on April 14, 2021, in Kenosha. Saginaw Valley State also defeated Parkside twice in the GLIAC Tournament last season, including in the championship game. On the road, the Rangers are just 2-13 all-time against the Cardinals in University Center and have not beaten SVSU there since March 28, 2021.
LOOKING AHEAD:
After this week's six-game stretch, Parkside returns home to Case Softball Complex next weekend for two more GLIAC doubleheaders. The Rangers will host Davenport on Friday, April 3, at 1 p.m. CT before taking on Ferris State on Saturday, April 4, with the doubleheader beginning at noon CT.
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