Wheeling, W. Va. – Entering the 2023 season, the Wheeling University Softball team once again featured a young roster, with many of those on the rise. Although their record wasn't exactly where they would have wanted it, it was another year of growth with different players proving they can be key contributors to the team's future. The Cardinals look to use that growth on the field to push the team towards Mountain East Conference (MEC) North Division contention in 2024.
The season began with one of the most challenging non-conference schedules in recent history, as new Head Coach Sara Pelegreen wanted to challenge her team. Among their opponents were Seton Hill, Salem, IUP, and the University of Indianapolis. The Cardinals played tough throughout the stretch but were unable to pick up a win heading into their annual week-long Florida trip. Once down at The Spring Games, the Cardinals would get the monkey off their back, scoring a season-high nine runs as they took down Holy Cross 9-4. Wheeling played well in the sunshine state, being within four runs of their opponents in four of their remaining seven games, but that win against Holy Cross was their only win of the trip. They got a big momentum boost when they returned for their home opener, splitting a doubleheader with Ohio Dominican, and they headed into conference play looking to start strong.
They would do just that in their MEC-opening doubleheader as they earned their first sweep of the year over Alderson Broaddus. They won game one 7-3 and came back with a shutout performance in game two to claim a 3-0 victory and move to 2-0 in MEC play. They would go back and forth over their next two doubleheaders, being swept by Notre Dame College before coming home and sweeping West Virginia State. They sat at 4-2 in conference play but had a tough task taking on the eventual MEC Champions at the University of Charleston. They would end up being swept by Charleston and West Liberty to end the month of March and sat at 4-6 and right in the middle of the pack in the MEC North.
April wasn't nearly as kind to the Cardinals, as they dropped the first eight games of the month, and their record would dip to 4-14 in conference play. They would play the rematch of "The Battle for Wheeling" on April 12th and bounced back with a 10-8 win in game one to break the string before eventually splitting the series. They would not get a win for the rest of the month but honored their seniors in their final home game against Notre Dame College. Wheeling lost on the field by the final score of 6-2, but the girls shared an emotional moment after the game as Mia Smallwood, Abby Bumbico, and Jenee Brodeur were honored for their four years in a Cardinals uniform. They ended the year 7-43 overall and 5-17 in conference play as they continue into the future.
The big breakout star for the Cardinals in 2023 was junior Maddie Munoz, who earned Second Team All-MEC honors for her effort. She set a new career-high hitting .396 and led the entire MEC with eight triples during the season. She also ranked top 10 in the conference in batting average, total hits (61) and was tied for first in runners caught stealing with 11. Freshman Madison George was the only other Cardinal with a .300+ batting average, hitting .326 during her freshman season, splitting time in right field and behind the plate. In the circle, Randi Holder led the Cardinal's staff with an 8.08 ERA over a team high 84.2 innings of work.
The Wheeling University Softball team now heads into the offseason as they look to grow off this year's performance as they head into 2024.
