Central softball team eyes another successful season in 2025

The Dutch start their season February 28th

by Peter Leithauser

Pella, IA (02/20/2025) — Coming off a season where it advanced to the Super Regionals, the Central College softball returns with high expectations.

The preseason ranked No. 11 Dutch return seven seniors, seven juniors, six sophomores, and they welcome eight freshmen.

For his 40th season, the squad led by the winningest softball coach in NCAA Division III history George Wares. The Dutch return five starters from last seasons 33-13 team. Leading the returners is NFCA All-American second base Haley Bach (senior, Council Bluffs, Lewis Central HS). Thid base Hannah Higgins (junior, Macomb, Ill.) and pitcher Emma Beck (junior, Holland, Grundy Center) were both named to the NFCA Division III Region IX second team.

"Despite losing impactful seniors, we have all-region players returning to fill the holes that we lost," Wares said. "There is a high belief after the past two seasons and our players expect to make a post season push. Our goals don't change much, it starts out by qualifying for the post season. We also focus on improving day-to-day and do all the little things well and the wins and losses will take care of themselves."

Higgins led the team last season with a .371 batting average and a .919 OPS. She also collected 35 runs batted in (RBIs) and had 10 doubles. Bach hit .349 with a .916 OPS and a team leading .446 on base percentage. Returning American Rivers pitcher of the year went 9-0 and carried a 2.08 earned run average and held opposing hitters to a .196 batting average in eight conference starts.

"We are still pretty veteran even though we lost a lot, and we are good at places where we need to be good," Wares said. "Beck is looking to improve from All-Region to All-American and we have one of the best two-way second baseman in the country with Bach."

Other returning starters are catcher Rylee Dunkin (sophomore, Hamilton, Twin Ceders) who hit .313 and collected 28 RBIs. She was also 21-22 on stolen base attempts and right fielder Mariah Parton (junior, Ankeny) who hit .242 and drove in 14 runs.

Central opens the season February 28 and March 1 in St. Louis Missouri with four games against highly regarded teams. It will play No. 20 ranked Calvin College (Mich.) and Washington University (Mo.) which received votes to be ranked. On March 2, the Dutch will take on Webster University (Mo.) for a doubleheader.

The squad will travel to Elizabethtown, Kentucky for six games competing in the Pioneer Classic hosted by Transylvania University. It will start out playing against Adrian College (Mich.) and Muskingum University (Ohio) on March 14. Greenville University (Ill.) and Depauw University (Ind.) will play Central on March 15. The classic concludes with games against Franklin College (Ind.) and Transylvania (Ky.) March 16.

"We start off with a difficult schedule, playing six games in Missouri," Wares said. "It is the same type of schedule compared to the leadoff classic, which we have played in the past, just different teams."

As for the Conference, Central was picked to finish first ahead of Nebraska Wesleyan University who as second, Luther College and Simpson College were picked to tie for third. The Dutch will open conference play with a doubleheader at Simpson April 4, starting at 3 p.m. The Dutch will host double headers against Buena Vista University on April 8 at 2 p.m., Luther April 18 at 2 p.m., Nebraska Wesleyan April 29 at 2 p.m. and Dubuque May 3 at 1 p.m.

"Nebraska Wesleyan returns veteran players, so they are going to be the toughest test in the conference," Wares said. "They are veteran like our team and Coe last season and when your veteran players are good it makes your team good."

Haley

Bach