Valparaiso (0-4, 0-0 MVC)
Feb. 16-18 - at Pinnacle PC Invitational (Clinton, S.C.)
Feb. 16 - vs. Morehead State (0-0) - 9 a.m. CT | vs. Youngstown State (4-1) - 11:15 a.m. CT
Feb. 17 - vs. Morehead State - 9 a.m. CT | at Presbyterian (2-2) - 1:30 p.m. CT
Feb. 18 - vs. Youngstown State - 9 a.m. CT
Next Up in Valpo Softball: The Valpo softball team continues early-season action this weekend from the Palmetto State, as the Beacons visit Presbyterian for the Pinnacle PC Invitational. Valpo will also face Morehead State and Youngstown State twice apiece in addition to one matchup with the host Blue Hose.
Previously: Valpo opened the season at the Aggie Classic, falling to Lehigh twice and #24/RV Texas A&M and Tulsa once apiece.
Looking Ahead: The Beacons head to Chattanooga, Tenn. for the Frost Classic next weekend.
Following Valpo Softball: There will be no video streams this weekend. All five games will have live stats available, linked at ValpoAthletics.com.
Head Coach Meaggan Pettipiece: Meaggan Pettipiece was hired in September 2022 as head coach of the Valpo softball program and enters her second season in 2024. Pettipiece is in her 15th season overall as a collegiate head coach, most recently spending three seasons at Akron prior to coming to Valpo. Pettipiece, who owns 258 career coaching victories, was an All-American on the diamond and helped California University of Pennsylvania to a D-II national title in 1998 collegiately before playing internationally for Team Canada, including at the 2000 Summer Olympics.
Series Notes: Morehead State - Valpo and Morehead State have matched up just twice in program history, with Valpo winning both matchups in 1995 and 1996.
Youngstown State - Former conference mates in the Mid-Continent Conference and the Horizon League, Valpo and YSU will meet for the 48th and 49th times this weekend. Valpo holds a 34-13 advantage in the all-time series. In their final season together in the Horizon League in 2017, Valpo claimed two of three games in the regular season series before the Penguins earned a win in the league tournament.
Presbyterian - This weekend is the second meeting all-time between Valpo and Presbyterian, with Valpo earning a 4-2 win in the only prior meeting in March 2016 at the Spartan Invitational.
Who's Back: Valpo returns 12 of 16 letterwinners from last year's squad for the 2024 season. In all, 69.2% of Valpo's plate appearances are back for this season and 49.4% of last season's innings pitched return.
Who's New: A group of nine newcomers joins the Beacons for the 2024 season. Kam Utendorf transferred in after playing her freshman season at Black Hawk College, joining eight true freshmen on this year's team.
A Large Roster: The combination of 12 returnees and nine newcomers gives Valpo a 21-player roster entering the 2024 campaign. That's a five-player increase over last season's group of 16 players, and it is the largest roster the softball program has had since fielding 21 players for the 2008 season.
Heading to the Palmetto State: This weekend marks the fifth time in program history that Valpo will compete in early-season tournament action in South Carolina. The Beacons last traveled to South Carolina in 2022, when they posted a 4-1 record at the Charleston Invitational.
Hitting the Road: This weekend's games continue a long and winding road for the Beacons before they finally get the chance to play at the Valpo Softball Complex. This is the second of five weekends of action prior to the start of Missouri Valley Conference play, as Valpo already played at Texas A&M and will also play in tournaments at Chattanooga, Indiana and Omaha in preconference action. The Beacons will open MVC action with back-to-back weekends on the road at Evansville and at Drake before finally opening the home slate March 29 against Bradley. All told, Valpo is scheduled to play its first 30 games of the season away from home.
Making Debuts: Seven members of Valpo’s roster made their debuts in the Beacon uniform last Friday on opening day. Four of those debuts came in the season opener against Tulsa, as Kam Utendorf started at shortstop, Anna Wilming pitched in relief and Cici Wilson and Natalie Bush both appeared as pinch-hitters. Three debuts came against Texas A&M, as Sydney McDermott started in the circle, Kayden Krug entered as a pinch-hitter and Carson Kuhlmann was a defensive replacement in center field.
Hecker Hacking: Senior outfielder Regi Hecker started the 2024 regular season just as she closed the 2023 regular season. Hecker, who paced Valpo last year in batting average, hits, doubles, RBIs and stolen bases, closed 2023 by hitting .412 (14-for-34) with four multi-hit games over the Beacons' final 12 games of the regular season. She started this season by hitting .556 (5-for-9) on opening weekend, including a perfect 3-for-3 game in the weekend finale against Lehigh - her fourth career three-hit game.
International Experience: Sophomore infielder Kim Rodas continued her international career playing for Mexico over the summer, as she earned a bronze medal at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games. Rodas previously medaled with Team Mexico at the 2021 Junior Pan American Games, where her squad claimed the silver.
