MACOMB, Ill. - Fighting Leatherneck softball starts its 2015 campaign where it began its 2014 season, Rosemont, Ill. Western Illinois hopes for a repeat performance, as the Leathernecks took all four games at the Total Control Sports Invitational. In the 2015 edition of the edition, Western Illinois will face Butler, Central Michigan, Syracuse, and North Dakota. The Purple and Gold begin the 2015 season on Saturday (Feb. 7) against Butler at 2 p.m. The Leathernecks then face Central Michigan at 7 p.m. Western plays back-to-back games on Sunday (Feb. 8) beginning at 9 a.m. against Syracuse before action concludes against North Dakota. 

Prior to the contests on Saturday, head coach Holly Van Vlymen will join Leatherneck Club members and softball alumni at Five Roses Pub in Rosemont, Illinois for a pregame social. The social is set to begin at 11:00 a.m.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS: Butler lost four field players from a 24-28 team in 2014... Rising senior Cassie Rupel led the team with a .314 average last season in 40 games... Rupel collected only a pair of extra base hits with one stolen base... Alex Kotter led Butler with 13 doubles in 2014 and drove in a team-high 27 RBIs... Kotter also led the team with three home runs, tied with Kristen Boros and Brandyce Sallee... Kristin Gutierrez returns in the circle for the Bulldogs after a 14-13 season... Gutierrez ended the year with a 2.69 ERA and 155 strikeouts in 182.1 innings... Alie Tarrant made eight starts last season for Butler, finishing with a 2-8 record... Scott Hall is in his fifth season at Butler... The Bulldogs were picked to finish fourth in the Big East, behind DePaul, St. John's and Georgetown.

SERIES HISTORY: Western Illinois and Butler have only met once prior to the 2015 season... In 1996, the Leathernecks defeated Butler 9-6, also at a neutral site.

SCOUTING THE CHIPPEWAS: Central Michigan hit 48 home runs last season but allowed 37 en route to a 34-win season... Trista Cox provided 12 homers and 40 RBIs along with a .343 average in 2014... CarolAnn Sexauer missed 13 games last year but hit .322 in 42 games... Chelsea DeLamielleure finished second on the team with ten home runs but struck out 42 times... Rachael Knapp ended her freshman campaign with a 15-6 record and a 2.21 ERA... Knapp led the team with 144 strikeouts through 142.2 innings of work... The Chippewas lost both Morgan Yunker (9-5, 2.62 ERA) and Chelsea Sundberg (9-8, 3.51 ERA) to graduation...  Margo Jonker enters her 35th season at the helm in Mount Pleasant, Michigan... Central Michigan was selected to win the MAC West.

SERIES HISTORY: After losing the first six meetings, Western defeated CMU in 1989, 1994 and 1995... The first meeting between the two programs was in 1981, a 1-2 loss for Western... In the latest meeting, the Leathernecks came away with a 4-2 victory in 1995... All previous meetings took place at neutral sites. 

SCOUTING THE ORANGE: Syracuse was led in 2014 by Corinne Ozanne who ended the year with a .351 average and 12 home runs... Jasmine Watson led the team with 44 RBIs powered by a team-leading 16 home runs. The Orange ended 2014 ranked 31st in slugging as a team and 16th in home runs per game... Sydney O'Hara led the team in the circle her freshman season with a 16-12 record and a 3.83 ERA. O'Hara also finished second on the team with a .333 average 14 doubles... Now a sophomore, O'Hara struck out 159 batters last season... The Orange will have to replace their No. 2 starter, as Christina Clermont graduated following the 2014 season... Syracuse is coached by Leigh Ross, who is in her tenth year at Syracuse... The Orange were picked seventh in the ACC preseason poll. 

SERIES HISTORY: The Leathernecks hold a 1-0 record against the Orange... The only meeting between the two programs came on March 10, 2000... In that game, Holly Van Vlymen (then Killion), earned the victory... Western won 3-0 as the current head coach of WIU allowed just two hits en route to her sixth victory of the season.

SCOUTING NORTH DAKOTA: North Dakota is coming off of a difficult 6-39 season but are now under first year head coach Jordan Stevens... Stevens was previously at Valparaiso where he compiled a 131-96-1 record in four years... UND lost four of its top five hitters from last season... Emily Bell hit .304 last season with 16 RBIs... Kayli VanDomelen is one of four returning pitchers in 2015... VanDomelen ended the year with a 3-18 record and a 9.09 ERA in just under 100 innings of work... UND was picked to finish last in the Big Sky.

SERIES HISTORY: Western Illinois defeated North Dakota 4-0 on Feb. 11, 2012 at the UNI Dome Tournament in the only meeting between the two programs. 

MARSHALL ONE TO WATCH: Shortstop Sammy Marshall was named to the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 "Watch List" on Jan. 28... The Naperville, Illinois native joins student-athletes from 32 teams and 13 conferences... Eight members of the watch list are members of USA Softball Women's National Team this summer... The 25 finalists for the award will be announced on April 8... On May 6, the list will be narrowed down to ten and then three on May 20... The Player of the Year will be announced on May 26... A player's inclusion on the Watch List does not guarantee a spot in the final 25 and players not on the Watch List remain eligible. 

REPEAT PERFORMANCES: The Leathernecks return to two tournaments from last season, in which WIU went a combined 8-0... At the Total Control Sports Invitational, Western defeated Loyola and Drake, before taking down Eastern Illinois and UIC... Two weeks later, the Leathernecks left the UCA Tournament following victories over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Alabama State, Drexel and hosts Central Arkansas... During those eight games, Western Illinois outscored its opponents 61-25 while hitting .360 as a team... Kacyee Hart and Kayla Kirkpatrick went a combined 6-0 in those games, while Western pitching recorded a 2.55 ERA.

GOLITKO COMES HOME: Beth Golitko was appointed assistant coach of Western Illinois on July 1 following a one year stint at Cleveland State... Golitko previously had spent four years wearing the Purple and Gold and two additional years learning under Holly Van Vlymen as a graduate assistant... During her career (2008-11), Golitko appeared in 160 games and recorded a .326 average... The La Grange, Ill. native scored 70 runs and drove in 81 during her time... As a senior, Golitko led The Summit League in doubles and triples.

TOURNAMENT COMPETITION: In 2015, Western Illinois faces eight 2014 NCAA Tournament teams... Beginning with a matchup against UAB (Feb. 28), the Leathernecks will also face Green Bay (March 7), Virginia Tech (March 13), North Dakota State (March 21-22), Bradley (March 31), SIU-Edwardsville (April 7), Missouri (April 15), and Wisconsin (April 21)... Western plays host to NDSU, Missouri and SIU-Edwardsville this season... Only Bradley and Wisconsin are true road games for the Leathernecks this year against 2014 NCAA Tournament teams.