The Basics
The Drake softball team returns to the diamond for its second tournament of the 2025 season at the Easton Bama Bash from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The Bulldogs are slated to play five games over three days taking on Southern Utah and a pair of nationally ranked programs in No. 17 Virginia Tech and host institution No. 21 Alabama.
Bulldogs by the Numbers
Drake was off last week, but began its season at the Doc Halverson UNI-Dome Classic back on Feb. 8-9. The Bulldogs went 1-3 while in Cedar Falls falling twice to North Dakota and Omaha and earning a win over Loyola-Chicago.
The Bulldogs have three players on their roster currently hitting .400 or better led by
Frankie Rita at .462.
Carey Koenig and Rita lead Drake in extra-base hits at two. Both of Koenig's extra-base hits have gone for triples, which is tied for seventh nationally.
Tatum Aragon earned the first MVC weekly award of the season for the Bulldogs being named Newcomer of the Week after recording six RBI at the UNI-Dome Classic.
Jayme Scheck has been the top arm in the circle for the Bulldogs through the first four games of the season. She has the team's lone win of the season and also leads Drake with eight strikeouts.
Scouting the Competition
Drake begins the tournament taking on Southern Utah in its first game of a doubleheader on Friday. The Thunderbirds post a record of 2-7 to start the season after playing at the UNLV Classic and Long Beach Wilson Tournament. Southern Utah's two victories came against Buffalo and Oregon State. The Bulldogs and Thunderbirds will also close out the tournament with a single game on Sunday.
Arianna Ramirez posts a .444 batting average and a .500 on-base percentage while driving in seven runs to lead Southern Utah at the plate. Ariyana Miranda and Tawnie Mozeris have been productive as well tallying five and seven RBI, respectively. Keimon Winston leads the pitching staff with 21 innings pitched and a 1.62 WHIP. She has also recorded 13 strikeouts and secured the team's only save.
Drake and Southern Utah have matched up twice previously with the Bulldogs winning both contests. Drake won the first meeting back in 2013, 7-2, and shutout Southern Utah, 8-0, in 2015. Both contests were played at neutral sites.
Part two of Drake's doubleheader on Friday, Feb. 21 will be against the No. 17 ranked Virginia Tech Hokies. Virginia Tech comes into the weekend with an 8-2 overall record and started the season on an eight-game win streak while participating at the Charleston Invitational and Purple & Gold Challenge. The Hokies' two losses came at the hands of No. 5 LSU.
Offensively for Virginia Teach, Annika Rohs leads the charge with a .476 average, while Bre Peck provides power with four home runs and 16 RBIs. Emma Lemley has been dominant in the circle, posting a 0.88 ERA with 45 strikeouts over 24 innings of work. On Feb. 9, Lemley tossed her first-career perfect game against the College of Charleston.
Friday will mark the first-ever meeting between the Bulldogs and the Hokies on the diamond.
On Saturday, Feb. 22, the Bulldogs will compete against the No. 21 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in a doubleheader. Game one will take place at 11:00 a.m. and game two will follow at 1:30 p.m. Both games will be streamed on SEC Network+. Alabama currently owns a record of 6-5 and has already played four ranked opponents this season during trips to the Candrea Classic and Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational.
Audrey Vandagriff leads the Tide with an impressive .516 average, 1.256 OPS, and a team-best 16 hits and 15 stolen bases. From the circle, Catelyn Riley paces the staff, posting a 2.14 ERA across 32.2 innings.
In the all-time series between Drake and Alabama, the Crimson Tide lead, 3-0.
Up Next
Drake remains on the road for its next block of games. The Bulldogs head to Tulsa, Oklahoma for a single matchup with Kansas City on Feb. 28 and then will take on the University of Tulsa for three games between Feb. 28 and March 1. Drake then travels to Stillwater, Oklahoma for a contest with Oklahoma State on March 2.
