After losing three of their four games during the Swamp Fox Sizzler Invitational, the Ferris State softball team looks to get back on track when they take part in the Dome Invitational.
The Swamp Fox Sizzler started rough for the Bulldogs, playing three games against the No.10-ranked Francis Marion, and losing all three, being outscored 22 runs to five.
Ferris was able to pull out a win in their fourth game, this being a 9-1 win over the Tusculum Pioneers, with freshman outfielder Ava Gardner being the standout player from this game. Gardner went 2-3 with two RBI doubles in the game, with freshman pitcher Katie Shuboy earning her first collegiate win, pitching five innings and only allowing three hits, one run, one walk, and striking out six.
The Bulldogs (3-5, 0-0 in GLIAC) will now travel to Rosemont, Illinois, to play four games, one of each against Bemidji State, Minnesota Duluth, Quincy, and Missouri S&T.
Head coach Jake Schumann is confident in his squad and believes that this team has grown from last season.
“I’m super optimistic about this team,” Schumann said, “We had an outstanding fall season, and after last weekend and beating the number 20 team in the country, it gives our staff great hope for the season. We ran out of pitching and the bats went cold the last week of the season last year. We have added pitching depth and a talented roster of hitters in the hopes we can improve that this season.”
On Thursday, the Bulldogs will match up against the two Minnesota teams, with the first coming against Bemidji State. The Beavers are off to a slow start this season, losing all four of their games this season, with three of those losses coming during extra innings.
The two squads match up well, as both are a contact first team, and do not hit for much power. As during the 2025 season the Bulldogs hit six home runs as a team and a .357 slugging percentage, while the Beavers also hit for five home runs as a team and a .345 slugging percentage.
On the mound for the Bulldogs, a standout player for them this season has been freshman Sally Leask. Leask has pitched 11.1 innings, allowing 15 hits, seven runs to the tune of a 3.71 ERA, while striking out four and walking four.
The second matchup on Thursday comes against the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs (4-3, 0-0 in NSIC). Minnesota Duluth is coming off a season where they went 39-17 but failed to make the playoffs.
A standout player for Minnesota Duluth would be freshman outfielder Daphne Evans. Evans has 11 hits in 26 at bats for a .423 average, while hitting two doubles, two home runs while knocking in six RBIs and having a .731 slugging percentage.
The first of two Friday matchups comes against the Missouri S&T Miners (8-3, 0-0 in GLVC). The Miners come into this game 4-1 in their last five games, outscoring their opponents 18 runs to two runs in the four victories.
The Miners are led on offense by senior catcher Trista Grobe, who has 17 hits in 36 at bats for a .472 average, while hitting six doubles, two home runs, and totaling seven RBIs.
On Friday, the second of two games comes against the Quincy Eagles (2-6, 0-0 in GLVC). The Eagles have had a rough couple of seasons, last season going 8-40, 2024 the team went 15-35, and in 2023 the team went 22-22.
Quincy is coming into the matchup riding a three game losing streak, during that streak the Eagles have been outscored 22 runs to four.
The Eagles standout player would be freshman pitcher Hailey Platt. Platt has pitched 13 innings, allowing eight hits, only one earned run, while striking out six and walking five.
Junior outfielder Ella McDonald is excited for the Dome Invitational, and believes they can keep the momentum from the victory over Tusculum rolling.
“I think that our team definitely has a lot of momentum going into the Dome Invitational,” McDonald said. “We are able to have solid games against two of the top 50 teams in the country, and we held our own. We have all of the right parts and now we just need to put them all together.”
The Ferris State softball team will travel to Rosemont, Illinois to take on the Bemidji State Beavers and Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs on Thursday, Feb 19. Before taking on the Missouri S&T Miners and Quincy Eagles on Friday, Feb 20.