Despite the cool weather that has struck Madison over the past two months, the spring sports season is heating up quickly. That includes the Wisconsin softball team, who will begin their regular season campaign this week.
Coming off of a 30-21 record last season, including an appearance in the NCAA Tournament where they won two games and made it to the NCAA Regional Final, the Badgers are back and ready to take on the 2023 season.
Wisconsin’s head coach, Yvette Healy, returns for her 13th season with the program. Healy enters the season with a career record of 362-237-1 at Wisconsin, including a Big Ten championship in 2013. In 2023, she has a solid core of players returning along with a couple of new prospects.
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Among those returning for Wisconsin this spring is graduate student Kayla Konwent, who will be a key presence towards the top of the lineup. Konwent hit .355 last season with 10 home runs, showcasing her power in the 50 games that she played in. She led the team in walks, hits and OPS.
Konwent will be joined by Fiona Girardot and Ellie Hubbard, both who had significant starting roles in 2022. Girardot was able to pick up some steam offensively towards the end of the season in 2022, including a 3-for-3 game against Georgia Tech in the NCAA Tournament, where she hit a home run.
Peyton Bannon, a utility player, will be another bat that returns for the Badgers this season. She comes off a 2022 showcase where she hit .314, and she also hit a home run against Georgia Tech in the NCAA Tournament. Bannon was the second best run producer on the team with 25 RBIs, only behind Konwent’s 32.
Molly Schlosser and Skylar Sirdashney also return for the Badgers. Both had ample playing time in 2022 and will have key roles in 2023.
Defensively, the Badgers will rely on the right arm of Maddie Schwartz to continue to put up the numbers that she did last year. Schwartz comes back as a second team All-Big Ten pitcher and arguably one of the top pitchers in the conference and nation. She posted a 2.50 ERA last season with 130 strikeouts and a 23-12 record in 41 appearances.
With Schwartz, Tessa Magnanimo returns for the Wisconsin pitching staff, who earned a few starts behind Schwartz last season. She will be a key piece in the bullpen as well. Freshman Paytn Monticelli should see some time in the circle as well. Monticelli was named the Wisconsin softball Gatorade Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022 at Cedarburg High School for her dominant pitching performances.
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The Badgers kick off their season on Feb. 9 by traveling to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to play in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge. Wisconsin also travels to Georgia, Florida, Texas and Indiana in the next month and a half to compete in tournaments, something that boosted their tournament resume last season.
The Big Ten roster, similar to other sports, will present strong competition. Northwestern, picked to take the crown this season, returns a majority of their players from their World Series run last season. Nebraska, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin will also fight for the top spots in the conference. The Badgers placed eighth last season, with a record of 12-11.
Conference play begins for the Badgers on Mar. 24 at Michigan State. Their first game at Goodman Diamond will be a doubleheader on Mar. 28 against Green Bay, followed by their first conference series against Illinois that weekend.
