Drake Bulldogs
Overall Rank: #30
Conference Rank: #1 Missouri Valley
Drake enjoyed a banner year in 2018. The team went 24-1 in Missouri Valley play and won the conference tournament. That led to their first ever victories in the NCAA Tournament too. The Bulldogs beat BYU twice, but lost twice to Oregon. Drake will hope to build off that success and look to take the next step and reach the Super Regionals.
2018: 45-12, 24-1
2018 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Rich Calvert
Key Departed Players:
Tasha Alexander, .259 BA, 5 HR, 28 RBI, 16 SB
Kailee Smith, P, 1.18 ERA, 9-3 W/L, 112.1 IP, 80 SO
Key Returning Players:
Mandi Roemmich, IF, .356 BA, 23 RBI
Macy Johnson, OF, .345 BA, 23 RBI, 21 SB
Sarah Maddox, IF, .321 BA, 4 HR, 30 RBI
Taryn Pena, IF, .260 BA, 29 RBI
Kennedy Frank, IF, .259 BA, 15 RBI, 15 SB
Nicole Newman, P, 0.89 ERA, 22-5 W/L, 157.2 IP, 245 SO
Nicole Timmons, P, 1.85 ERA, 14-4 W/L, 117.0 IP, 129 SO
Projection:
The Bulldogs boasted the third best ERA in the country last season and they could be even better in 2019. Kailee Smith is a significant loss, but both Nicole Newman and Nicole Timmons are back. Newman is one of the best pitchers in the country and last year sported a 0.89 ERA with a 22-5 record. In 157.2 innings pitched, she struck out 245 batters. Timmons is not as dominating when it comes to strike outs, but she went 14-4 on the season with a 1.85 ERA. Those two will get all the headlines for Drake, but the bats are not too bad either. Mandi Roemmich, Macy Johnson and Sarah Maddox all hit over .300 in 2018. Maddox provides most of the power on the team after hitting four homeruns and tallying a team high 30 RBIs. Johnson is the speedster who swiped a team high 21 bases. This may not be the most explosive offense, but it is an offense that can generate a few runs here and there and that is all Drake needs when Newman or Timmons are in the circle.
Projected Postseason: NCAA Softball Tournament
