SVSU begins the 2025 DII Softball championship with a game against North Georgia on Thursday, May 22, at 1:30 PM ET. 

 

The Cardinals played the Nighthawks to open the season in Georgia. SVSU faced Georgia College and State in the first doubleheader before completing the weekend trip against North Georgia. The Nighthawks pulled off the sweep in two tightly fought contests. The first was a high-scoring outing with the Nighthawks riding a nine-run first inning to pull out a 16-14 win. Game two was a 4-3 battle in which North Georgia had to walk it off with a home run to win the game.

 

Saginaw Valley has made nine appearances in the NCAA postseason, including the past four seasons (the longest streak of postseason berths for the Cardinals). 

 

SVSU has advanced to the Super Regional round three times with the most recent appearance happening in 2011.

 

This year is the first appearance in the softball championship finals since 2011 and only the second time in program history. 

 

The Cardinals made it to the semifinals in 2011 after wins over C.W. Post and North Georgia.

 

2025: 5-1 / H: 5-1

Midwest Regional - SVSU

vs. (8) Ferris State - W, 4-0

vs. (5) Drury - W, 6-1

vs. (5) Drury - W, 7-2

 

Midwest Super Regional - SVSU

vs. (7) UIndy - W, 3-1

vs. (7) UIndy - L, 9-0 (5 Innings)

vs. (7) UIndy - W, 6-5

 

2024: 1-2 / A: 0-1 / N: 1-1

Midwest Regional - UIndy

vs. Lewis - W, 3-2

at UIndy - L, 3-0

vs. Lewis - L, 4-3

 

2023: 2-2 / A: 0-2 / N: 2-0

Midwest Regional - GVSU

vs. Ohio Dominican - W, 8-0

at Grand Valley - L, 6-0

vs. Missouri-St. Louis - 4-3

at Grand Valley - L, 1-0

 

2022: 2-2 / A: 1-2 / N: 1-0

Midwest Regional - Southern Indiana

at Southern Indiana - W, 1-0

vs. Drury - W, 2-0

at Southern Indiana - L, 5-0

at Southern Indiana - L, 7-2

 

2018: 1-2 / A: 0-2 / N: 1-0

Midwest Regional - Illinois-Springfield

at Illinois-Springfield - L, 9-0 (5 Innings)

vs. McKendree - W, 13-11

at Illinois-Springfield - L, 11-2 (6 innings)

 

2017: 2-2 / A: 0-1 / N: 2-1

Midwest Regional - Southern Indiana

vs. UIndy - W, 3-2 (8 Innings)

at Southern Indiana - L, 6-4

vs. Grand Valley - W, 8-0 (5 Innings)

at Southern Indiana - L, 7-2

 

2011: 7-2 / H: 5-0 / N: 2-2

Midwest Regional - SVSU

vs. Northern Kentucky - W, 1-0

vs. UIndy - W, 4-1

vs. UIndy - W, 3-1

 

Midwest Super Regional - SVSU

vs. Grand Valley - W, 5-2

vs. Grand Valley - W, 2-0

 

Finals - Salem, Va.

vs. Minnesota State-Mankato - L, 2-1

vs. C.W. Post - W, 2-0

vs. North Georgia - 7-1

vs. UC San Diego - L, 2-1

 

2010: 3-2 / A: 1-2 / N: 2-0

Midwest Regional - Wayne State

vs. UIndy - W, 3-0

at Wayne State - L, 9-0

vs. Quincy - W, 2-1

at Wayne State - W, 4-3

at Wayne State - L, 5-0

 

 

2009: 5-2 / H: 5-2 

Midwest Regional - SVSU

vs. Lewis - W, 2-1

vs. Northern Kentucky - W, 5-2

vs. Ferris State - W, 1-0

 

Midwest Super Regional - SVSU

vs. UIndy - W, 2-1

vs. UIndy - L, 5-2

vs. UIndy - L, 12-3

 

2008: 0-2

Midwest Regional

vs. Ferris State - L, 1-0

at West Virginia Wesleyan - L, 4-2

 

Cardinal pitching duo, Macy Irelan and Aalana Kimble, have caused opponents fits this season. The two have combined for 42 wins, 38 complete games, 321 innings pitched, and 351 strikeouts. They hold a combined ERA of 1.90, a 7.65 strikeouts per seven innings, and a WHIP of 0.82.

 

Macy Irelan collected GLIAC Pitcher of the Week seven times this season. It is the most weekly conference awards by a Cardinal player ever.

 

Olivia Elliott claimed GLIAC Player of the Week once, while Kimble earned Pitcher of the Week for the first time this season.

 

Sophomore transfer Lillia Sherman also earned player of the week honors to bring the total awards for SVSU to 10 this season.

 

• Saginaw Valley State won its second consecutive GLIAC Regular Season Championship (first outright since 2009)

 

• The Cardinals won their fourth-straight GLIAC Tournament Championship

 

• SVSU earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Midwest regional and defeated Ferris State and Drury twice to advance to the Super Regional against UIndy.

 

• The Cardinals and Greyhounds needed three games to decide the series, with SVSU taking a 1-0 lead after a 3-1 win in game one. UIndy bounced back in game two with a 9-0 win in five innings before Saginaw Valley battled back from a 5-0 deficit early in the deciding game to win 6-5.

 

•  Macy Irelan and Aalana Kimble were both named all-region by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and the D2 College Commissioners Association. Irelan was a first-team selection on both lists, while Kimble was second-team on the NFCA and first team on the D2CCA.

 

• Olivia Elliott (1st Team) and Ella Reifschneider (2nd Team) joined Irelan and Kimble on the D2CCA All-Region list.

 

• Irelan was the third Cardinal Pitcher to be named GLIAC Pitcher of the Year and the second pitcher during the Ryan Schalk era to earn that award.

 

• Schalk was named GLIAC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. 

 

• Irelan is the first Cardinal pitcher to throw two no-hitters in a single season. Her first as against Parkside, where she was two walks shy of a perfect game. The second was two starts later against Davenport, where she was three walks from a perfect game.