University of St. Thomas Athletics
Softball releases 2023 schedule
1/20/2023 2:14:00 PM | Softball
St. Paul, Minn. – University of St. Thomas softball has announced its 2023 schedule, which includes five weekend tournaments, and a 21-game conference slate as part of the team's second year in NCAA Division I. The Tommies play 14 games at home at South Field, featuring a home-and-home series battle against non-conference foe Green Bay (25-25, 15-10 Horizon). The Purple will also travel to Ames, Iowa for a non-conference matchup at Iowa State (28-27, 6-12 Big 12), and to Madison, Wisconsin for two games against the Badgers of the University of Wisconsin (30-21, 12-11 Big Ten).
"It's that time! Loading up and hitting the road with this team is going to be fun," said head coach Jennifer Bagley Trotter. "This schedule and the results of it are still only one measurement in how much out team has progressed this year."
The Tommies add six freshmen to a team that secured an 8-13 Summit League record while going 14-36 overall. In what was their first season in Division I the Tommies took down No. 22 ranked South Florida 10-4 on the road and grabbed one win off every team in the conference but the ultimate champions, South Dakota State.
St. Thomas returns 19 players from last season's campaign, including Summit League Freshman of the Year, Brooke Ellestad. The shortstop slashed .425/.455/.604 with six homeruns, two doubles, two triples, 27 runs batted in, seven stolen bases, and just 13 strikeouts in 145 plate appearances. The Tommies also return their primary starting pitcher, Christina Crawford. The right-hander made 27 appearances and 23 starts in the circle for Coach Trotter last season. In conference play she pitched to a 5-5 record with a 4.29 earned run average, in 65.1 innings pitched and 39 strikeouts to 28 walks.
The makeup of the Tommie roster includes seven infielders, six outfielders, six pitchers, four catchers, and two utility players.
The Tommies will battle against the University of Evansville (24-27, 9-18 MVC), Eastern Kentucky (13-36, 9-15 ASUN), Creighton (15-27, 5-17 Big East) for two games, and Saint Louis University (22-29, 13-10 A-10) as part of the season-opening DePaul Dome Tournament in Rosemont, Ill. on Feb. 10-12.
Just five days later, St. Thomas travels to Lafayette, La. for the Mardi Gras Mambo on Feb. 17-19 featuring Northwestern State (29-22, 10-8 SLC), Nicholls (12-38, 4-14 SLC), Louisiana Tech (39-20, 18-6 C-USA), Southeastern Louisiana (40-16, 14-4 SLC), and Houston Christian (19-29, 4-13 SLC).
At the Evansville Invite in Evansville, Ind. on Feb. 24-26, the Tommies will play Bowling Green (34-21, 16-11 MAC) and Purdue Fort Wayne (7-42, 6-20 Horizon) twice each while rounding out the weekend against Evansvillle (24-27, 9-18 MVC) for their second meeting of the season.
The team's penultimate pre-conference tournament sees the team travel just across the river to the US Bank Stadium Invite to face of twice against Central Michigan (27-26, 17-11 MAC) along with one game against Idaho State (25-27, 8-10 Big Sky), Drake (21-29, 14-12 MVC), and Minnesota (27-26-1, 11-12 Big Ten) from Mar. 10-12.
St. Thomas' final tournament will be played in Oxford, Miss. on Mar. 17-19. The Tommies square off with Samford (34-19, 15-3 SOCON) for two games, Purdue (24-31, 7-15 Big Ten) for two games, and finish the weekend with a matchup against the hosting Ole Miss squad (41-19, 12-12 SEC).
Without stopping in St. Paul, the Tommies will travel directly from Mississippi to California for their final four games before the start of Summit League play. First up on their last big road trip are two games against California Baptist (30-26, 12-12 WAC) in Riverside. They will then head south down to San Diego for two games against the University of San Diego (20-34, 5-9 WCC).
The Tommies begin conference play at Omaha (32-14, 17-4 Summit) on Mar. 25-26 in Omaha, Neb. with a doubleheader on Saturday followed by one game on Sunday.
After 32 games on the road to start the season, the Tommies will head back to South Field as they host the reigning Summit League Champion South Dakota State Jackrabbits (41-13, 18-2 Summit) Apr. 1-2 for three games in St. Paul.
Just two days later the Purple hit the road once again, this time a short trip on I-90 to Madison, Wis. to play the Badgers (30-21, 12-11 Big Ten) in a non-conference doubleheader on Apr. 4th.
The team returns home for a five-game homestand in which they are thrust into another Summit League matchup with Western Illinois (8-37, 4-17 Summit), on Apr. 7-8. They are then slated for a midweek nonconference doubleheader with Green Bay (25-25, 15-10 Horizon) on Apr. 11th.
St. Thomas plays its next four games away from South Field. The Tommies do battle at North Dakota (14-39, 4-16 Summit) Apr. 15-16 in Grand Forks, ND. and at Iowa State (28-27, 6-12 Big 12) Apr. 18th in Ames, IA.
After a week on the road, the Tommies again return home when they go toe-to-toe with North Dakota State (30-23, 10-8 Summit) on Apr. 22-23.
Five of the Tommies' last eight games are outside of St. Paul. They complete their home-and-home doubleheader series against Green Bay Apr. 25th in Wisconsin. That weekend St. Thomas finishes its road Summit League schedule with three games in Vermillion against South Dakota (28-25, 11-10 Summit) on Apr. 29-30.
As April turns into May the Tommies play their final three regular season games against Kansas City (13-34, 9-11 Summit) at South Field in St. Paul on May 5-6.
In-all, the Tommies will play a 60-game slate in 2023, featuring four teams that finished in the 2022 NCAA RPI Top-50 (No. 25 Ole Miss, No. 36 Wisconsin, No. 41 Minnesota, and No. 48 South Dakota State) and one team ranked in D1Softball's preseason top-25 (No. 25 Ole Miss). The Toms will play 11 mid-week games (California Baptist, San Diego, Wisconsin, Green Bay, and Iowa State), 12 home Summit League games (South Dakota State, Western Illinois, North Dakota State, and Kansas City), and nine road Summit League matchups (Omaha, North Dakota, and South Dakota).
Follow Along
For more information on St. Thomas softball, follow along on Twitter and Instagram at @TommieSoftball.
Up Next
The Tommies kick off the season at the DePaul Dome Tournament on Feb. 10 against Evansville. First pitch is set for 10:00 a.m.
"It's that time! Loading up and hitting the road with this team is going to be fun," said head coach Jennifer Bagley Trotter. "This schedule and the results of it are still only one measurement in how much out team has progressed this year."
The Tommies add six freshmen to a team that secured an 8-13 Summit League record while going 14-36 overall. In what was their first season in Division I the Tommies took down No. 22 ranked South Florida 10-4 on the road and grabbed one win off every team in the conference but the ultimate champions, South Dakota State.
St. Thomas returns 19 players from last season's campaign, including Summit League Freshman of the Year, Brooke Ellestad. The shortstop slashed .425/.455/.604 with six homeruns, two doubles, two triples, 27 runs batted in, seven stolen bases, and just 13 strikeouts in 145 plate appearances. The Tommies also return their primary starting pitcher, Christina Crawford. The right-hander made 27 appearances and 23 starts in the circle for Coach Trotter last season. In conference play she pitched to a 5-5 record with a 4.29 earned run average, in 65.1 innings pitched and 39 strikeouts to 28 walks.
The makeup of the Tommie roster includes seven infielders, six outfielders, six pitchers, four catchers, and two utility players.
The Tommies will battle against the University of Evansville (24-27, 9-18 MVC), Eastern Kentucky (13-36, 9-15 ASUN), Creighton (15-27, 5-17 Big East) for two games, and Saint Louis University (22-29, 13-10 A-10) as part of the season-opening DePaul Dome Tournament in Rosemont, Ill. on Feb. 10-12.
Just five days later, St. Thomas travels to Lafayette, La. for the Mardi Gras Mambo on Feb. 17-19 featuring Northwestern State (29-22, 10-8 SLC), Nicholls (12-38, 4-14 SLC), Louisiana Tech (39-20, 18-6 C-USA), Southeastern Louisiana (40-16, 14-4 SLC), and Houston Christian (19-29, 4-13 SLC).
At the Evansville Invite in Evansville, Ind. on Feb. 24-26, the Tommies will play Bowling Green (34-21, 16-11 MAC) and Purdue Fort Wayne (7-42, 6-20 Horizon) twice each while rounding out the weekend against Evansvillle (24-27, 9-18 MVC) for their second meeting of the season.
The team's penultimate pre-conference tournament sees the team travel just across the river to the US Bank Stadium Invite to face of twice against Central Michigan (27-26, 17-11 MAC) along with one game against Idaho State (25-27, 8-10 Big Sky), Drake (21-29, 14-12 MVC), and Minnesota (27-26-1, 11-12 Big Ten) from Mar. 10-12.
St. Thomas' final tournament will be played in Oxford, Miss. on Mar. 17-19. The Tommies square off with Samford (34-19, 15-3 SOCON) for two games, Purdue (24-31, 7-15 Big Ten) for two games, and finish the weekend with a matchup against the hosting Ole Miss squad (41-19, 12-12 SEC).
Without stopping in St. Paul, the Tommies will travel directly from Mississippi to California for their final four games before the start of Summit League play. First up on their last big road trip are two games against California Baptist (30-26, 12-12 WAC) in Riverside. They will then head south down to San Diego for two games against the University of San Diego (20-34, 5-9 WCC).
The Tommies begin conference play at Omaha (32-14, 17-4 Summit) on Mar. 25-26 in Omaha, Neb. with a doubleheader on Saturday followed by one game on Sunday.
After 32 games on the road to start the season, the Tommies will head back to South Field as they host the reigning Summit League Champion South Dakota State Jackrabbits (41-13, 18-2 Summit) Apr. 1-2 for three games in St. Paul.
Just two days later the Purple hit the road once again, this time a short trip on I-90 to Madison, Wis. to play the Badgers (30-21, 12-11 Big Ten) in a non-conference doubleheader on Apr. 4th.
The team returns home for a five-game homestand in which they are thrust into another Summit League matchup with Western Illinois (8-37, 4-17 Summit), on Apr. 7-8. They are then slated for a midweek nonconference doubleheader with Green Bay (25-25, 15-10 Horizon) on Apr. 11th.
St. Thomas plays its next four games away from South Field. The Tommies do battle at North Dakota (14-39, 4-16 Summit) Apr. 15-16 in Grand Forks, ND. and at Iowa State (28-27, 6-12 Big 12) Apr. 18th in Ames, IA.
After a week on the road, the Tommies again return home when they go toe-to-toe with North Dakota State (30-23, 10-8 Summit) on Apr. 22-23.
Five of the Tommies' last eight games are outside of St. Paul. They complete their home-and-home doubleheader series against Green Bay Apr. 25th in Wisconsin. That weekend St. Thomas finishes its road Summit League schedule with three games in Vermillion against South Dakota (28-25, 11-10 Summit) on Apr. 29-30.
As April turns into May the Tommies play their final three regular season games against Kansas City (13-34, 9-11 Summit) at South Field in St. Paul on May 5-6.
In-all, the Tommies will play a 60-game slate in 2023, featuring four teams that finished in the 2022 NCAA RPI Top-50 (No. 25 Ole Miss, No. 36 Wisconsin, No. 41 Minnesota, and No. 48 South Dakota State) and one team ranked in D1Softball's preseason top-25 (No. 25 Ole Miss). The Toms will play 11 mid-week games (California Baptist, San Diego, Wisconsin, Green Bay, and Iowa State), 12 home Summit League games (South Dakota State, Western Illinois, North Dakota State, and Kansas City), and nine road Summit League matchups (Omaha, North Dakota, and South Dakota).
Follow Along
For more information on St. Thomas softball, follow along on Twitter and Instagram at @TommieSoftball.
Up Next
The Tommies kick off the season at the DePaul Dome Tournament on Feb. 10 against Evansville. First pitch is set for 10:00 a.m.
Players Mentioned
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