DETROIT (3/29/24) – After a 12-day break due to non-playable weather conditions, the Detroit Mercy softball team resumes non-conference play with a doubleheader at Bowling Green on Saturday, March 30 at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Meserve Field.
 
Notes:
Mother Nature Unkind:
• Due to weather conditions, UDM's games at CMU and the home opening series against RMU were postponed.
 
First Win in the Books:
• Sophomore Alison Donaugh went 1-for-3 hitting a clutch home run in the top of the seventh inning to lead Detroit Mercy to their first win of the season with a 2-0 decision at North Alabama to earn a doubleheader split.
• Warrington picked her first win of the season after tossing a complete game shutout only giving up six scattered hits in 7.0 innings of work lifting.
• Freshman Jada Davis plated sophomore Jenna Holt for the game-winning run off a suicide squeeze in the fourth inning.
• Freshman Claire Borg and redshirt freshman Olivia Malcolm also each posted a hit.
• The win at UNA also marked the first career win for Head Coach Dan Vitale.
 
It's Long Gone:
• Freshman Jada Davis hit her first career home run at MTSU (3/4) which was UDM's first long ball of the season.
• Donaugh posted UDM's first home run of the season in the Titans' first win at North Alabama (3/7).
• Junior Amanda Schick went 1-for-2 hitting her first career home run in a Titan uniform at YSU (3/17).
 
Freshman Firsts:
• Davis recorded her first career hit against WKU (2/24).
• She also posted her first career double with a run scored vs Saint Louis (2/24).
• Borg posted her first career hit vs EIU (2/23) and first career double at MTSU (3/3).
• Malcolm posted her first career hit in the win at North Alabama (3/7) and first career double vs UMES (3/8).
• Hoff's first career hit was a double at MTSU (3/1)
 
Give Em' Three Bags:
• Fessler hit the team's first triple against EIU (2/25) which also was the first of her career.
• Holt hit lead-off triples in consecutive days against MSTU (3/3 & 3/4).
 
Dynamite Donaugh:
• Donaugh leads the team in batting average (.326), hits (15), RBI (6), walks (7), and slugging percentage (.435) while ranking second and total bases (20).
• During the nine games over Spring Break, she hit .287 with six hits, a home run, a double, and two runs scored.
 
Fessler On Fire:
• Fessler leads the team in hits (15), doubles (4) and runs (8) while ranking in second batting average (.273), slugging percentage (.382), triples (1), and at-bats (53).
 
Double Trouble:
• Fessler and Davis lead the team in doubles (4) followed by Schick (3).
 
Walk it Out:
• Borg and Donaugh led the team in walks (7).
 
Season Recap:
MTSU Invitational, MTSU Doubleheader, TSU Recap:
• Davis hit her first career home run which also was the first long ball of the season for the Titans at MTSU (3/4).
• Davis hit .250 overall with three hits, a double and two RBI.
• Sophomore Jenna Holt hit lead-off triples in consecutive days against MSTU (3/3-4)
• Fessler hit .300 with three, a double, RBI, and a run.
• Freshman Claire Borg had two hits with her first career double
• Junior Amanda Schick had a double against Army (3/2).
 
UNA Tournament Recap:
• For the second consecutive tournament, Fessler hit .300 to lead the Titans going .389 with seven hits, two doubles, with four runs scored.
• Donaugh also hit .308 with four hits, a home run, two runs, and a team-best five RBI.
• Schick posted three hits with a double, RBI, and run.
• Davis also had three hits with two doubles, two RBI, and a pair of runs.
• Sophomore Elyssa Adams posted two hits with a double, two RBI, and a run.
• Freshman Olivia Malcolm also recorded two hits and a double with a pair of runs.
 
WKU Hilltopper Classic Recap:
The Titans kicked off the 2024 campaign playing five games at the WKU Hilltopper Classic with they went 0-5.
• Sophomore Alison Donaugh led the way at the plate hitting .455 with five hits, a double, RBI, and run scored. She went 2-for-3 against EIU (2/23).
• Junior Amanda Schick was second on the team batting .333 posting a hit in three of four games played which included a double and RBI. She recorded her first hit in a Titan uniform against EIU (2/23).
• Sophomore Jenna Holt was the other player to record three hits going 2-for-3 vs Saint Louis with a hit vs EIU (2/25).
• Sophomore Elyssa Adams had two hits going 1-for-2 in both games vs EIU.
• Junior Jaiden Lara added her first hit of the season off an RBI double against WKU (2/24).
 
Meet the Skipper:
Dan Vitale was named Head Coach of the Detroit Mercy softball program in August 2023. Vitale returned to the program after helping guide the Titans to the 2019 Horizon League Championship as a Volunteer Assistant Coach.
 
After his three seasons at Detroit Mercy (2016-19), Vitale served as the Head Coach for the Dakota High School where he complied a 93-18-1 record over five seasons leading the Cougars to three consecutive MAC (Macomb Area Conference) Red titles and three straight District crowns. He also helped Dakota claim two regional titles along with a Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) State quarterfinal appearance and runner-up finish in 2021.
 
Additionally, Vitale is a two-time MAC Coach of the Year (2021, 2023) and Regional Coach of the Year (2021, 2022) and All-County Coach of the Year (2023). He also coached the 2022 High School All-Star team and under his guidance over the past three seasons, six Dakota student-athletes are playing softball at the Division I colligate level.
 
Coaching Staff:
Taylor Moceri (Assistant Coach): Moceri comes to Detroit Mercy after spending six years a Head Coach for the Michigan Batbusters high-level travel softball team where she led recently led the team to three tournament championships and 28-1-3 overall record during the 2023 summer season. She also served as the varsity softball Head Coach at L'Anse Creuse North High School for three years since 2020.
 
Pam Savich Assistant Coach/Pitching): Savich comes to the Titans after spending three years as an Assistant Softball and Pitching Coach under Vitale at Macomb Dakota High School where she helped guide the Cougars to three consecutive MAC (Macomb Area Conference) Red titles, three straight District crowns, two regional titles along with a Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) State quarterfinal appearance, runner-up finish in 2021 and No. 1 ranking during the 2023 regular season.
 
Rob Ward Assistant Coach/Hitting): Ward brings 25 years of coaching experience to the Detroit Mercy coaching staff with a history of helping high school student-athletes achieve their dreams of playing softball in all divisions at the collegiate level. Ward has been a part of the Anchor Bay High School softball program since 2017-18 while serving as a Varsity Assistant Coach since 2020 where his responsibilities include overseeing hitting, infield mechanics, base running, and player development. He has helped guide the Tars to a 132-50 overall record, two Metro Area Conference (MAC) Red co-championships, three district titles, and three regional appearances.
 
Leena Mortensen (Assistant Coach/Graduate Assistant): Mortensen returns to the Titans as a Graduate Assistant after a stand-out three-year career as a student-athlete. She was a three-time Detroit Mercy Athletic Director's Honor Roll (2020-22) and a three-time Horizon League Fall and Spring Academic Honor Roll member (2020-22). During the 2022 season, Mortensen started in 41 of a team-best 42 games played at designated player and first base where she led the team in at-bats (120), ranked second in doubles (5), third in RBI (8), fourth in hits (24), and fifth in batting average (.200).
 
Team Breakdown - Returners (9):
Rusti Glenn:
• Recorded six hits with a home run, two RBI, three runs, nine total bases, and five walks.
• Named Nike® Horizon League Softball Player of the Week (3/21) after hitting a blistering .800 going 4-for-5 with a home run, RBI and run scored while accounting for seven total bases and a 1.400 slugging percentage. After going 2-for-2 in the game one setback at Robert Morris, Glenn hit 2-for-3 belting her first career home run to propel Detroit Mercy to a 2-0 win to earn a doubleheader split and secure the Titans' first #HLSB victory of the season.

2024 Preseason Poll:
Detroit Mercy was picked to finish ninth in the 2024 #HLSB Preseason Poll announced by the league office and voted on by the league's seven nine coaches. The Titans received 13 overall points.