DETROIT (2-5-26) – For the second consecutive year and third time over the past four seasons, the Detroit Mercy softball team kicks off the 2026 season with a road trip to the Windy City for the DePaul Rosemont Tournament. The Titans will play five total games against four teams (host DePaul, Drake, Valparaiso, and Western Illinois) at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex Dome in Rosemont, Ill.
Tournament Schedule:
Fri. - Feb. 6: Detroit Mercy (home) vs Drake - 1 p.m. ET.
Fri. - Feb. 6: Detroit Mercy (away) vs DePaul – 3:30 p.m. ET.
Sat. - Feb. 7: Detroit Mercy (home) vs Valparaiso - 11 a.m. ET.
Sat. - Feb. 7: Detroit Mercy (away) vs DePaul - 4 p.m. ET.
Sun. - Feb. 8: Detroit Mercy (away) vs Western Illinois - 3 p.m. ET.
Tickets:
All-Access Passes are $30 each and include admission to all three (3) days of games at the Dome Tournament. Wristbands will be provided at entry and allow for exit/re-entry throughout the day. All seating is general admission. Tickets can be reserved online (link:
https://depaulbluedemons.evenue.net/list/SB) in advance or at the Dome on game day.
Parking: Free
2026 Team Breakdown:
Key Returning Starters (7)
Junior and 2025 #HLSB All-League Second Team selection
Jada Davis (41 games started), sophomore
Wendy Ketola (38), sophomore
Allison Fluker (37), sophomore
Natalie Babcock (34), sophomore
Abby Klaft (30), senior junior
Trinity Fessler (30), junior
Madeline Hallman (27).
Davis 2025 Highlights:
• Davis started in 41 of 42 games played at shortstop leading the team in batting average (.294), hits (37), RBI (20), doubles (8), triples (3 – 7th HL), home runs (4), runs (18), total bases (63), multi-hit games (9), three-hit games (2), OPS (.853), and slugging percentage (.500).
• Hit .500 going 5-for-10 with a double and three runs, giving UDM its first Metro Series win over Oakland since 2019.
• Posted a .444 average going 4-for-9 with a pair of doubles and three RBI, helping the Titans secure their second consecutive #HLSB series win for the first time since the 2019 season.
• Belted her first homer of the season against Samford (3/7), second at PFW (3/27), third vs NKU (4/18), and team-best fourth home run of the season with a two-run shot at Green Bay (4/27).
• Posted .300 average with a home run vs NKU (4/19).
• Hit .261 with a home run, triple, double, and four RBI at Alabama A&M DH (3/6) and the UNA Tournament.
• Hit .250 with a double and two triples against Butler (2/8) and St. Thomas (2/9) with three RBI at DePaul Rosemont Tournament.
Other Key Returners (5):
Redshirt junior
Lauren Creon (16), junior
Claire Borg (15), junior
Liv Peterson (14), junior
Alexis Hoff (13), sophomore
Aleah Tanguay (12).
Fresh Faces (8):
The Titans have eight newcomers in
Jenna Higgins,
Katie Modrzejewski,
Aubrey Myer,
Addison Pokley,
Jaycee Reams,
Savannah Schultz,
Hannah Schlachter, and
Alyssa Strohl, who will look to make an immediate impact.
In the Circle:
2025 Highlights:
• Sophomore and #HLSB All-Freshman Team selection
Erin Flynn returns to lead the Titans in the circle.
• Appeared in 24 games with 16 starts, leading the team in wins (5), strikeouts (60), complete games (5), shutouts (1), saves (1), and innings pitched (96.1)
• Was straight dealin' once again in the circle as she locked down a two-hit complete game win for her fifth of the season, allowing only one run with a career-high eight strikeouts to lead Detroit Mercy to a 7-1 game one win over Northern Kentucky (4/18).
• Named Under Armour® #HLSB Pitcher of the Week announced by the league (4/15) after posting a 2-1 record for the week, recording two complete game wins with a save in relief, tossing 17.0 scoreless innings out of 20.0 total for a .070 ERA with 13 strikeouts.
• Recorded her first career save, pitching 2.0 scoreless innings while allowing only two hits in UDM's 4-3 win over arch-rival Oakland (4/8).
• Locked down her second complete game win of the week and fourth win of the season, going 7.0 innings (6.0 scoreless), allowing only one run on five scattered hits while matching a career-high six strikeouts, leading Detroit Mercy to a doubleheader sweep over Robert Morris with a 4-1 game two win (4/13).
• The DH sweep over the Colonials gave the Titans back-to-back #HLSB series wins for the first time since the 2019 season.
• Was lights out in the circle, going the distance, tossing 8.0 scoreless innings with five strikeouts, picking up her third win of the season in the series-clinching 1-0 game vs Oakland (4/9), helping the Titans secure their first Metro Series win over the Golden Grizzlies since the 2019 season.
• Added her first career save, tossing 2.0 scoreless innings while allowing only two hits vs Oakland (4/8).
2025 Season Highlights: Took it back to 2019:
• Detroit Mercy posted 4-3 and 1-0 Metro Series wins over arch-rival Oakland, giving the Titans their first overall series win over the Golden Grizzlies since 2019.
• UDM followed that performance with a 9-5 and 4-1 doubleheader sweep at Robert Morris, which gave the Titans back-to-back #HLSB series wins for the first time since the 2019 season.
The Skipper Returns:
• Head Coach
Dan Vitale returns for his third season at the helm of the Detroit Mercy softball program. Vitale returned to the program in 2023 after helping guide the Titans to the 2019 Horizon League Championship as a Volunteer Assistant Coach.
• Helped the Titans to a series victory over Green Bay, giving them their first #HLSB series win since 2019.
• Led the UDM to a 2-1 Metro Series win over arch-rival Oakland for the first time since the 2019 season (4/11).
Coaching Staff Additions:
Kara Vitale '19 (Director of Softball Operations):
• Kara Vitale returns to the Detroit Mercy softball program as the Director of Softball Operations after a four-year career as a softball student-athlete at UDM. Head Coach
Dan Vitale
Vitale was a catcher for the Titans from 2015-2019 and a member of the 2019 Horizon League Championship Team, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. Before her collegiate career, she also worked as a hitting and catching instructor at Vitale's Perfect Game, helping young athletes before continuing her own playing career at the Division I level.
Outside of softball, Vitale has built a career in the healthcare field. Since 2019, she has served as a Registered Nurse at the Children's Hospital of Michigan, where she works both as an Internal Resource Pool Nurse and a SWAT Nurse, providing specialized support across multiple units. A graduate of Stevenson High School, Vitale was a decorated student-athlete, earning All-County, All-Conference, All-District, All-Region, Academic All-State, and All-State honors during her career.
Dani Keighley (Graduate Assistant Coach):
Dani Keighley joined the Detroit Mercy softball coaching staff as a Graduate Assistant Coach. With a proven record of athletic excellence and academic achievement after an accomplished playing career, Keighley brings a strong competitive drive, a deep understanding of the game, and a strong leadership background to the coaching staff. She will be pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree at UDM.
A standout third baseman at the University of Northwestern Ohio, Keighley was a four-year starter and one of the most decorated athletes in program history. Keighley holds several UNOH program records, including single-season RBI (70) and multi-RBI games in a season (17), both of which rank first in school history. She also posted a .622 career slugging percentage, which is the second-highest mark in program history. A respected team leader, she served as captain for the 2024–25 season and was honored as UNOH's Female Athlete of the Year.
She led the team to a 2024-25 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Tournament Championship and NCAA regional appearance. Keighley graduated in 2025 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sport Marketing and Management.
2026 #HLWBB Preseason Poll:
Detroit Mercy was picked to finish seventh in the 2026 #HLSB Preseason Poll announced by the league office and voted on by the league's nine coaches. The Titans received 16 overall points and one first-place vote.
