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2020 Softball Campaign Begins at Rambler Rumble

| By: WIU Athletic Communications

Five teams are waiting for Western Illinois softball inside the Rosemont Dome this weekend.

RAMBLER RUMBLE
 
The Western Illinois softball team opens its season on Friday (Feb. 7) at the Rambler Rumble in Rosemont, Ill., hosted by Loyola Chicago. Live stats and live video will not be available.  
 
WIU SCHEDULE IN THE DOME | Every game will be played indoors at the Rosemont Dome.
 
Friday, Feb. 7 at 10 a.m. | vs. Green Bay
Friday, Feb. 7 at 3 p.m. | vs. IUPUI
Saturday, Feb. 8 at 10 a.m. | vs. Evansville
Saturday, Feb. 8 at 12:30 p.m. | vs. Miami (OH)
Friday, Feb. 9 at 12:30 p.m. | vs. Butler
 
2019 SEASON RECAP | The Leathernecks finished 2019 at 20-20 overall with a 12-6 Summit League mark under head coach Beth Golitko. The campaign was highlighted by a nine-game win streak to end the regular season. Golitko is now an assistant coach at Loyola Chicago.
 
AT THE HELM AGAIN | Holly Van Vlymen was the head coach of Western Illinois softball for 11 seasons until 2017 amassing an overall record of 238-287-2. The three-time Summit League Coach of the Year returns to the dugout for the 2020 campaign while still maintaining her role as Assistant Director of Academics and Student Athlete Development at WIU.
 
IN THE CIRCLE | The Leathernecks lost one of the top pitchers in program history due to graduation in Emily Ira. She finished the 2019 season leading all of NCAA Division-I in strikeout-to-walk ratio, sitting down 9.13 batters per each walk and struck out a team-high 146 batters.
 
Junior Abby Carlin will take over the top spot in the rotation coming off last year's campaign that featured a 3.46 ERA and 4-8 record. Carlin walked just 16 batters in 81.0 innings of work. Freshman Maddy Anderson and sophomore Savannah Rodriguez will also be featured heavily in the circle for the 2020 season.

WATCH OUT | Senior outfielder Jasmine Lara and sophomore catcher Danielle Olson were both named Summit League Players to Watch ahead of the 2020 season. Lara was a 2019 Second Team All-Summit League selection. She started and hit in the leadoff spot all 40 games collecting a team-high 40 hits and scored 31 runs.
 
Olson was a force at the plate last year in Summit League action and put together a 4-for-10 showing at the plate with eight RBI in a sweep over Omaha (May 4-5) that included her first collegiate home run. She recorded 16 of her 18 RBI in Summit League play. The Naperville, Ill., native strung together a team-high.324 batting average as a freshman with one homer and 18 RBI in 26 games (22 starts).

ROAD WARRIORS | The Purple and Gold will have to prove themselves on the road again this season, as the squad's first 25 games are on the road. The Leathernecks do not play in Macomb until March 21 against North Dakota to open up Summit League play.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS | The Leathernecks open play with the Green Bay Phoenix, a team that edged Western in extras, 4-3 last season in Rosemont. Sara Kubuske is the new head coach of the Phoenix after Green Bay turned in a 12-29 record.
 
Former Summit League foe IUPUI is next and the Leathernecks own a 53-17 all-time advantage over the Jaguars. WIU doubled up IUPUI twice last season inside the Rosemont dome (8-4, 4-2). IUPUI wrapped up 2019 at 18-38 overall and an 11-10 Horizon League mark.  
 
Evansville led by head coach Mat Mundell were 19-30 last season and 9-16 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Miami (Ohio) is coming off an impressive 35-16 overall mark and a strong 16-4 finish in the MAC. The last opponent of the tournament is Butler; the Bulldogs were 16-32 a year ago and 4-12 in Big East play. The Leathernecks bested Butler 7-1 in the second game of the season last year.
 
LOOKING AHEAD | WIU travels to Waco, Texas, for the Getterman Classic hosted by Baylor Feb. 14-16. The Leathernecks are guaranteed to play Prairie View A&M, Grand Canyon and Baylor with the remaining two rounds of opponents to be announced as the tournament progresses.
 
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