Wheeling, W. Va. - The 2022 Softball season was a learning year for the Wheeling University Softball team as they featured a roster comprised mostly of freshmen and sophomores. As they head into 2023, the girls have some experience under their belt and are looking to take a step forward in the competitive Mountain East Conference (MEC). On Thursday, the team unveiled their 2023 regular season schedule, featuring 11 home doubleheaders between the months of March and April.
Last season, the Cardinals were forced to be road warriors due to the considerable amount of rain the Ohio Valley experienced during the spring. The team played just five home doubleheaders all last season and finished the year at 14-33 overall and 6-25 in MEC play, missing the MEC Tournament. However, it ended up being a four-win improvement for the team but came with three less wins in conference play. After a strong start to the season, the Cardinals went just 5-15 in road games during the season as they fell out of playoff contention. They ended up splitting their final four games of the regular season, sweeping Notre Dame College before being swept by Alderson Broaddus to end the season.
Once again in 2023, the schedule begins with a heavy dosage of non-conference action, including two big tournaments. The team opens the season on the road on February 16th, when they take on Salem in doubleheader actions. They then head into their two big tournaments of the season, competing in the Chicago Dome Series February 23rd through 26th and the annual Spring Games March 6th through March 10th. They end their early season non-conference schedule with their 2023 Home Opener on March 15th when they host Ohio Dominican in doubleheader action at the J.B. Chambers I-470 Softball Field.
After that, they dive headfirst into MEC action with their opening doubleheader on the road against Alderson Broaddus on March 18th and their second doubleheader at Notre Dame College the following day. MEC play comes to Wheeling for the first time on March 25th and 26th when the team plays host to Charleston and West Virginia State. They kick-off their home conference schedule with their Cash & Prize Bash game against Charleston on March 25th. Wheeling ends the month of March with their first "Battle of Wheeling" doubleheader when they take on rival West Liberty on Wednesday, March 29th.
After spending a lot of March on the road, Wheeling opens April with a pair of doubleheaders against Fairmont State and Frostburg State on April 1st and 2nd as they kick-off a month that sees them home for seven doubleheaders. They then hit the road for three straight against Concord, Glenville State, and West Liberty before returning home April 15th and 16th to take on West Virginia Wesleyan and Davis & Elkins. They finish off their road schedule with a non-conference doubleheader against Findlay and doubleheaders against Frostburg State and Ohio Dominican. The regular season concludes with a pair of home doubleheaders against Notre Dame College (April 28th) and Alderson Broaddus (April 29th), which will also be senior day.
The Wheeling University Softball team will kick-off the 2023 regular season on Thursday, February 16th, when they go on the road for doubleheader action against Salem.
