Thursday, March 13
Columbia, Mo.
1:00 PM ET/12:00 PM CT
Princeton University
vs
South Dakota State
Photo by: Shelley M. Szwast
Softball Team Set to Wrap Spring Trip in Missouri
March 11, 2025 | Softball
Four games in the middle of the Show Me State are ahead for the Princeton softball team on Thursday and Friday at Missouri.
Princeton enters the event at 4-9 overall after starting the spring trip in California, splitting two with San Jose State and being swept in two by Santa Clara. The games in Missouri are the last before Princeton opens Ivy League play, and the new Cynthia Lynn Paul '94 Field, on March 22 against Harvard.
Through Monday's games, Princeton leads the Ivy League in home runs (14) and home runs per game (1.08), in slugging percentage (.501), and in triples (six) and triples per game (0.46). Graciela Dominguez leads the Ivy in batting average at .457 and rookie Keala Hollenkamp has made a league-high 12 pitching appearances. After Dominguez, a sophomore who has raised her batting average from .207 last season, the next four Tigers in batting average were all either 2024 All-Ivy Leaguers or Ivy League All-Tournament Team members. Karis Ford (.433) was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2024 Ivy League Tournament, Sonia Zhang (.385) and Lauren Sablone (.341) were first-team All-Ivy Leaguers, and Allison Ha (.333) was an honorable mention All-Ivy.
In the circle, aside from rookie Hollenkamp, all three other Tigers with innings this season were accoladed last season, with Cassidy Shaw and Meghan Harrington as Ivy League All-Tournament honorees and Brielle Wright having set the Princeton and Ivy League career and single-season save records in 2024.
Princeton was picked No. 1 in the Ivy League's preseason media poll, getting 10 of the 16 first-place votes and 122 poll points, ahead of Harvard's 111 poll points and four first-place votes. Princeton and Harvard have met in the Ivy final in each of the last three seasons, in the three-game Ivy League Playoff Series in 2022 before the Ivy League Tournament came to be in 2023, with Harvard winning the final there and Princeton winning the Ivy tournament final in 2024.
Here's a look at the Tigers' opponents this week:
vs. South Dakota State, Thursday, 1 p.m. ET/12 p.m. CT | Live Stats
Princeton and South Dakota State have met four times with each team winning twice. Three of those games occurred in 2016, with Princeton taking two of three in an event hosted by UT Arlington, and the most recent meeting was in 2022 in the only game between Princeton and any of its opponents in the event that included any current players. In that 2022 game, a 3-0 Jackrabbits win at UC Santa Barbara, seniors Allison Ha, Sophia Marsalo and Lauren Sablone played, with Ha getting one hit and Marsalo getting two. Each team also has at least one coach who played in the game, with Princeton assistant coach Ashley McDonald getting a hit, Jackrabbits grad assistant Tori Kniesche going the distance in the circle, allowing six hits and a hit batter in the shutout bid, striking out 12, and fellow grad assistant Rozelyn Carrillo also playing in the game.Â
South Dakota State was picked second in the seven-team Summit League preseason coaches poll. Of the 13 players on the league's Players to Watch list, two were Jackrabbits, including senior infielder Mia Jarecki and sophomore pitcher/utility player Akayla Barnard. South Dakota State enters the event at 12-13 on the season and having won three in a row and seven of eight. The team made the Summit League Tournament final last season but dropped back-to-back games to 2025 league favorite Omaha as the Mavericks won the league tournament title with South Dakota State as the host and top seed.
at Missouri, Thursday, 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT | ESPN+ | Live StatsÂ
Princeton and Missouri have played four times, all in the mid-1990s, with Mizzou taking two of three games in 1995, all played at Florida State, as well as the most recent meeting, played in 1997 in Columbus, Ga. Entering the event at 11-13 overall, Missouri has already started its conference season, having been swept in a three-game series at Kentucky last weekend. Missouri was forecast ninth in the 15-team SEC in the preseason coaches poll after a 48-18 season last year that saw the Tigers go 13-11 in SEC play and win their home NCAA regional after losing the regional opener to Omaha before falling to Duke in the best-of-three NCAA super regional at Missouri.
vs. Quinnipiac, Friday, 11 a.m. ET/10 a.m. CT | Live Stats
Princeton and Quinnipiac have met three times, all between 2008 and 2016 and with the Bobcats winning all three, including a 2008 game played at George Mason and two 2016 games played at Hampton. Quinnipiac was picked tied for ninth in the MAAC preseason coaches poll. The Bobcats enter the event at 4-8 overall with their last games having been on March 1.Â
vs. Michigan, Friday, 1:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. CT | Live Stats
Princeton and Michigan have met three times, all between 1995 and 2000 and all Michigan wins, including a 1995 game at Florida State, a 1997 game at Columbus, Ga., and a 2000 game at Florida State. Three Wolverines were on the 51-player Big Ten preseason Players to Watch list, including sophomore outfielder Jenissa Conway, senior pitcher Lauren Derkowski, and junior infielder Maddie Erickson. Michigan enters the event at 18-7 overall and having won four in a row, with two of those each against North Carolina Central and UNC Greensboro.
Princeton enters the event at 4-9 overall after starting the spring trip in California, splitting two with San Jose State and being swept in two by Santa Clara. The games in Missouri are the last before Princeton opens Ivy League play, and the new Cynthia Lynn Paul '94 Field, on March 22 against Harvard.
Through Monday's games, Princeton leads the Ivy League in home runs (14) and home runs per game (1.08), in slugging percentage (.501), and in triples (six) and triples per game (0.46). Graciela Dominguez leads the Ivy in batting average at .457 and rookie Keala Hollenkamp has made a league-high 12 pitching appearances. After Dominguez, a sophomore who has raised her batting average from .207 last season, the next four Tigers in batting average were all either 2024 All-Ivy Leaguers or Ivy League All-Tournament Team members. Karis Ford (.433) was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2024 Ivy League Tournament, Sonia Zhang (.385) and Lauren Sablone (.341) were first-team All-Ivy Leaguers, and Allison Ha (.333) was an honorable mention All-Ivy.
In the circle, aside from rookie Hollenkamp, all three other Tigers with innings this season were accoladed last season, with Cassidy Shaw and Meghan Harrington as Ivy League All-Tournament honorees and Brielle Wright having set the Princeton and Ivy League career and single-season save records in 2024.
Princeton was picked No. 1 in the Ivy League's preseason media poll, getting 10 of the 16 first-place votes and 122 poll points, ahead of Harvard's 111 poll points and four first-place votes. Princeton and Harvard have met in the Ivy final in each of the last three seasons, in the three-game Ivy League Playoff Series in 2022 before the Ivy League Tournament came to be in 2023, with Harvard winning the final there and Princeton winning the Ivy tournament final in 2024.
Here's a look at the Tigers' opponents this week:
vs. South Dakota State, Thursday, 1 p.m. ET/12 p.m. CT | Live Stats
Princeton and South Dakota State have met four times with each team winning twice. Three of those games occurred in 2016, with Princeton taking two of three in an event hosted by UT Arlington, and the most recent meeting was in 2022 in the only game between Princeton and any of its opponents in the event that included any current players. In that 2022 game, a 3-0 Jackrabbits win at UC Santa Barbara, seniors Allison Ha, Sophia Marsalo and Lauren Sablone played, with Ha getting one hit and Marsalo getting two. Each team also has at least one coach who played in the game, with Princeton assistant coach Ashley McDonald getting a hit, Jackrabbits grad assistant Tori Kniesche going the distance in the circle, allowing six hits and a hit batter in the shutout bid, striking out 12, and fellow grad assistant Rozelyn Carrillo also playing in the game.Â
South Dakota State was picked second in the seven-team Summit League preseason coaches poll. Of the 13 players on the league's Players to Watch list, two were Jackrabbits, including senior infielder Mia Jarecki and sophomore pitcher/utility player Akayla Barnard. South Dakota State enters the event at 12-13 on the season and having won three in a row and seven of eight. The team made the Summit League Tournament final last season but dropped back-to-back games to 2025 league favorite Omaha as the Mavericks won the league tournament title with South Dakota State as the host and top seed.
at Missouri, Thursday, 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT | ESPN+ | Live StatsÂ
Princeton and Missouri have played four times, all in the mid-1990s, with Mizzou taking two of three games in 1995, all played at Florida State, as well as the most recent meeting, played in 1997 in Columbus, Ga. Entering the event at 11-13 overall, Missouri has already started its conference season, having been swept in a three-game series at Kentucky last weekend. Missouri was forecast ninth in the 15-team SEC in the preseason coaches poll after a 48-18 season last year that saw the Tigers go 13-11 in SEC play and win their home NCAA regional after losing the regional opener to Omaha before falling to Duke in the best-of-three NCAA super regional at Missouri.
vs. Quinnipiac, Friday, 11 a.m. ET/10 a.m. CT | Live Stats
Princeton and Quinnipiac have met three times, all between 2008 and 2016 and with the Bobcats winning all three, including a 2008 game played at George Mason and two 2016 games played at Hampton. Quinnipiac was picked tied for ninth in the MAAC preseason coaches poll. The Bobcats enter the event at 4-8 overall with their last games having been on March 1.Â
vs. Michigan, Friday, 1:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. CT | Live Stats
Princeton and Michigan have met three times, all between 1995 and 2000 and all Michigan wins, including a 1995 game at Florida State, a 1997 game at Columbus, Ga., and a 2000 game at Florida State. Three Wolverines were on the 51-player Big Ten preseason Players to Watch list, including sophomore outfielder Jenissa Conway, senior pitcher Lauren Derkowski, and junior infielder Maddie Erickson. Michigan enters the event at 18-7 overall and having won four in a row, with two of those each against North Carolina Central and UNC Greensboro.
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
OF/IF
/ Softball
IF/OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
IF/UT
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P/UT
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballPrinceton Athletics Career Networking Breakfast (Fall 2025)
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Reflections from the Princeton Athletics Class of 2025
Tuesday, May 27
Softball Highlights vs. Columbia & Brown, Ivy League Tournament, 5-10-25
Saturday, May 10
Softball Highlights vs. Harvard, Ivy League Tournament, 5-9-25
Friday, May 09