FIRST PITCH
 
The Snow College softball team begins its 2024 campaign at the College of Southern Nevada Coyote Kickoff Classic Friday and Saturday in Henderson, Nevada.  The Badgers will play three games Friday followed by a doubleheader Saturday to cap off the two-day tournament.
 
Snow College will begin its season against Pima Community College at 10:30 a.m.  The Aztecs finished the 2023 season with a 36-24 record and a 31-17 mark in conference play.
 
The Badgers will then face Yavapai College at 1:00 p.m.  A tough 2023 campaign saw the Roughriders go just 6-42 overall.
 
Snow College will wrap up opening day against Central Arizona College at 6:00 p.m.  The Vaqueros sported a 43-19 record a season ago and were the Region 1 Tournament Championship Runner-ups.
 
 The Badgers will begin day two of the tournament against Eastern Arizona College.  The Gila Monsters were 44-19 overall in 2023 and 38-10 within conference play.  They defeated CAC in the Region 1 Tournament Championship but were unable to advance in the NJCAA Softball World Series after dropping their first two games.
 
Snow College will finish the tournament against Gateway Community College at 1:00 p.m. the Geckos posted a 10-38 mark during the 2023 regular season.
 
PREVIOUSLY ON…  
 
The Badgers are coming off a 2023 season that saw them go 24-27 overall and 16-24 within Scenic West Athletic Conference play.  This is the third season in a row the Badgers have gone 16-24 in conference action.  
 
Snow College did not qualify for the Region 18 Tournament after finishing in fifth place in the standings – only the top four teams in the conference get a bid for the tournament.
 
BY THE NUMBERS:
 
As a team, the Badgers averaged 9.0 runs per game during the 2023 season.  They hit .365 as a team and posted a combined 1.091 OPS backed by a cumulative 132 doubles, 29 triples, and 84 home runs.  The Badgers also averaged 3.2 walks per game.
 
Inside the circle, the Badgers posted a 6.62 earned run average in 305.2 innings pitched.  Their hurlers put up a 2.16 WHIP while allowing opponents to hit .355 against them.  They put up nearly a 2-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio tallying 233 punch-outs to 165 free passes.
 
GUESS WHO'S BACK, BACK AGAIN…
 
The Badgers will return three starters from last season led by McCall Maxfield.  Maxfield was second on the team in hitting a season ago.  She posted a .420/.472/.755 slash line while hitting nine home runs and driving in 51 RBIs while starting 41 games for the Badgers, 27 of which at shortstop.
 
Tasia Shibuya returns for her second season in Badger Blue after leading the team last season in total hits.  She recorded 75 base knocks and was second on the team in home runs with 12.  She put up a .397/.426/.741 slash line while leading the team in total extra-base hits (38) and doubles (23).  She started in all but one game for the Badgers.
 
Hadlee Walker serves as the third and final returning starter from 2023.  Walker hit .365/.408/.774 in 44 games for the Badgers last season.  She was one of four players with double-digit home runs with ten.  Walker came on strong towards the end of the 2023 campaign.  She hit .442/.473/.963 with five home runs, a team-leading nine doubles, and 24 RBIs over her final 16 games of the season.
 
The Badgers will return three pitchers from last year's team.  Andrea Sweat posted a 6.21 ERA and a team-best 1.97 WHIP in 62.0 innings pitched.  She was 4-5 overall from inside the circle and pitched four complete games.  She struck out a team-leading 54 batters and posted a .329 batting average against.

Kenley Henson went 3-2 and pitched to an 8.04 ERA and a 2.32 WHIP across 42.2 innings pitched.  She appeared in 17 games for the Badgers, including four starts, and struck out 24 batters with a .392 batting average against. 
 
Saige Ewing returns to the Badgers after going 3-1 during 2023.  She posted an 8.24 ERA and a 2.41 WHIP in 17.0 innings pitched.  She struck out 18 batters and allowed 12 free passes during the season.
 
IN THE DUGOUT
 
The Badgers will once again be led in the dugout by Head Coach Mikelle Magalogo who enters her second season at the helm.  Magalogo will once again be joined by assistant coach Brooke Brown, who is also in her second season.  The pair will also welcome in new assistant coach Mia Fernandes Tupe, who begins her first season with the team.
 
A LOADED SCHEDULE
 
The Badgers will play a total of 56 games this season against 18 unique opponents across six different states.  The Badgers will play 40 conference games under the SWAC umbrella.  They will play a total of 20 home games during the season. 
 
Following the CSN Kickoff Classic, the Badgers will head to Yuma, Arizona, and participate in the Western Shootout hosted by Arizona Western College.  They will face six opponents across the three-day tournament.  
 
The Badgers will wrap up their non-conference schedule at the ACCC Invitational in Oxford, Alabama – a tournament the Badgers did not participate in last year.  They will play five opponents across three days.
 
The Badger's first conference action will come against Utah State University Eastern Friday, March 1 in Price.  The team will have its home-opening series against CSN Friday, March 8 in Ephraim.  
 
Snow College will have a pair of eight-game home stands beginning with Colorado Northwestern Community College and USUE Friday, March 29 with the other coming against the College of Southern Idaho and the preseason No. 12 Salt Lake Community College beginning Friday, April 19.  The Badgers will wrap up their season with a four-game series against CNCC May 2 and 3 in Rangely, Colorado.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Badgers will head to Yuma, Arizona to participate in the Western Shootout where they will play six games.  They will take on PCC and AWC to kick off the tournament Thursday before matchups with Glendale Community College and EAC Friday.  Snow College will conclude the tournament against PCC and Chandler-Gilbert Community College Saturday.  For additional information, visit snowbadgers.com.