DAVIS, Calif. – Softball season is officially upon as, as Saint Mary's Softball begins the 2022 season with loads of optimism. After returning a significant amount of their core from one season ago, the Gaels begin their season at the NorCal Kickoff, hosted by Sacramento State and UC Davis. The Gaels will play five games over the first three days of the season, beginning on Friday against the Montana Grizzlies.

THE DETAILS
GAME #1
Saint Mary's Gaels vs. Montana Grizzlies
Friday, February 11 at 11:30 am
Shea Stadium - Sacramento, Calif.
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GAME #2
Saint Mary's Gaels vs. Montana Grizzlies
Saturday, February 12, 9:00 a.m.
La Rue Field - Davis, Calif.
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GAME #3
Saint Mary's Gaels at UC Davis Aggies
Saturday, February 12, 11:30 a.m.
La Rue Field - Davis, Calif.
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GAME #4
Saint Mary's Gaels vs. San Jose State Spartans
Sunday, February 13, 9:00 a.m.
La Rue Field - Davis, Calif.
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GAME #5
Saint Mary's Gaels at UC Davis Aggies
Sunday, February 13, 11:30 a.m.
La Rue Field - Davis, Calif.
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LAST SEASON
Saint Mary's continues to improve under head coach Sonja Garnett, and last year was just another example. The Gaels posted their best winning-percentage since the 2017 season, winning 13 games and finishing fourth overall in the West Coast Conference. Despite a limited schedule due to complications over the COVID-19 pandemic, they managed to score some impressive wins.

None was bigger than their come-from-behind win over Stanford on March 11 in the back end of a doubleheader. The Gaels were down 7-2 in the top of the seventh, after losing game one 9-0. Saint Mary's rallied for a remarkable 10 runs in the top half of the inning, including a game-tying squeeze bunt from Holly Lusk and a go-ahead single from Angelina Franco. Stanford was just outside the top-25 nationally, making it the best win of the season for SMC.

Six Gaels earned All-WCC honors, the most since the WCC began sponsoring softball as a sport in 2014. Indya Smith was named First Team All-WCC after ranking fourth in the conference in batting average (.330), tied for third in doubles (9), and was in the top-10 in on-base and slugging percentages. Smith returns, as does Second Team honorees Jayda Alaan and Sofia Earle. 

RUN IT BACK
So much of last season's roster returns for the 2022 season, highlighted by the three All-WCC players mentioned above. 17 players will be returning, with just four of those players being seniors. Earle and Alyssa Vessel are seniors while Alaan and Maddie Gallagher are fifth year players who will provide loads of experience for the Gaels. Among the remaining 13 returning players, six are juniors and seven are sophomores.

NEW FACES
Nine newcomers will join the Gaels for the 2022 season, with eight freshmen and one junior transfer adding depth to the SMC roster. Ellen Ebbers is the lone transfer, coming to Moraga from Morgan State where she played third base and figures to provide an immediate boost to the lineup. Kailey O'Connor and Avrey Wolverton are new additions to the pitching staff, and both have the capability to be two-way players.

WCC PLAY
Saint Mary's will host two WCC schools at home this season, in the form of Loyola Marymount and Pacific. The first WCC home series of the year takes place on April 15-16, when the Gaels and Lions do battle in Moraga. SMC hosts Pacific on April 30 and May 1 in a three-game series. Road matchups for the Gaels in conference play come on April 9-10 (San Diego), April 23-24 (Santa Clara), and May 13-14 (BYU). Last season, Saint Mary's was 4-8 in WCC games, and in their last full-season of conference games (2019), the Gaels were 7-8.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS 
Montana is up in the first two games for Saint Mary's, and their offense was one of the best in the NCAA last season. The Grizzlies hit .313 as a team and slugged 37 home runs, but their problem came in the pitching staff. Montana posted a staff ERA of 6.34, and only one pitcher had an ERA of below 5.00. Maygen McGrath was Third Team NFCA All-Region last year for her .410/.470/.727 season that included 13 home runs and 44 RBIs, and she returns for her senior season.

The Gaels play the hosting Aggies of UC Davis twice this weekend. The Aggies enter the season predicted to finish third in the Big West as voted on by the conference coaches. UC Davis return three NFCA All-Region selections in junior second baseman Sommer Kisling, sophomore pitcher Kenedi Brown and freshman first baseman Sarah Starks. UC Davis finished third in the Big West Conference standings despite a roster of just 15 players, including 10 freshmen in 2021. The Aggies went 19-24 overall, 13-11 in league play.

San Jose State is the third team Saint Mary's will see this weekend, and they struggled in 2021 with just a 9-23 record. Their offense put up just 88 runs, but they were able to post some respectable numbers on the pitching side, with their top two pitchers posting a 4.65 ERA across 189.2 innings. These teams played a three-game series in Moraga last season, and the Spartan won the first two games.