CHICAGO (February 8, 2018) – A year after winning 27 games and reaching the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Championship, the Loyola University Chicago softball team is ready to open the 2018 season Friday, despite 10 inches of snow forecast for the Chicagoland area. The Ramblers will be hosting the seven-team Total Control Sports Invitational at The Dome in Rosemont this weekend, opening the 2018 campaign at 2 p.m. Friday (Feb. 9) when they battle Northern Colorado.
"It's great to get to not only start the season after a few weeks of going against your teammates in scrimmages, but also being in Chicago makes it more special," fourth-year Loyola head coach
Jeff Tylka said. "We get to play in front of our families and friends and most teams in the Midwest don't get that opportunity. I think our players really enjoy that and will be ready for the challenge this weekend presents."
Tylka welcomes back several key players from last year's team, including catcher
Katie Kasubke, who was named to the All-MVC Defensive Team in 2017. The junior batted .252 with team highs of seven home runs and 30 RBI and finished the year strong, earning MVC All-Tournament Team accolades after hitting .500 (3-for-6) with a pair of homers and five RBI in two games at the league tournament.
Also returning is sophomore outfielder
Shannon McGee, who is coming off an impressive rookie campaign, in which she led the Ramblers in batting average (.290), runs (28) and doubles (11). Tylka will also be able to lean on several veterans who have seen substantial playing time in their careers in outfielder/designated player
Jordyn Cordell, shortstop
Jamie O'Brien, third baseman
Ashley Parenti, and outfielder
Brooke Wilson.
Loyola should have one of the top pitching staffs in The Valley again in 2018 after leading the league in earned run average (2.40) last spring. Junior righthanders
Kiley Jones and
Keenan Dolezal anchor the staff and this year will receive backing from freshman lefthander
Madison Veres. Jones had a breakthrough season in 2017, winning 19 games, one shy of matching the single-season school record, and posting a 2.24 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 212.2 innings. Meanwhile, Dolezal went 8-11 despite running into some tough luck, and posted a solid 2.62 ERA and a pair of saves.
The Ramblers also have a talented and highly regarded freshman class that should vie for playing time right off the bat.
Following this weekend's games, Loyola heads to Houston next weekend, where it will take on Texas Southern and Houston Baptist, February 16-17.
