THE Spring Games 2022 reach their finale in the last weekend of March. After a month-and-a-half featuring dozens of teams from all divisions of college softball, the event concludes with Div. III firmly in the spotlight. 

Teams with NCAA title potential headline the slate of THE Spring Games’ last go-around in 2022, including a Wisconsin-Oshkosh team coming off a remarkable 2021. 

Wisconsin-Oshkosh Vs. Bowdoin

Friday, March 25 at 9 a.m. ET 

Bowdoin rolls into the closing weekend of THE Spring Games with four straight wins in doubleheaders on Monday and Tuesday, scoring a combined 41 runs against Centre College, Gustavus Adolphus, Lawrence and Elmhurst. 

The Polar Bears square off against a title-contending UW-Oshkosh bunch that boasts some of the nation’s best pitching. Through games played March 23, the starting rotation of Maddie Fink, Mia Crotty and Sydney Nemetz allowed 24 earned runs over 12 games. Both Nemetz and Fink boast ERAs below 2.00, while Nemetz and Crotty have strikeouts-per-innings pitched above six. 

The hot Bowdoin bats of Lilly Armstrong, Caroline Sablone and Karlye Pallotta aim to continue buoying the Polar Bears in this pivotal, stretch-run matchup to close out the weekend. 

Wisconsin-Stevens Point vs. MIT

Friday, March 25 at 1:30 p.m.

The Engineers of MIT wrap up their extended stay at THE Spring Games on Friday, looking to continue a winning stretch against a tough UW-Stevens Point club. 

MIT won four straight March 21-23 over Grinnell, Lawrence, Allegheny and Elmhurst and limited the four to seven combined runs along the way. 

The Engineers have allowed more than three runs just once since March 6 thanks in part to Katie Katsuyama. Katsuyama has a 1.43 ERA and .196 opponent batting average in three starts. Anya Chase, who’s pitched in a team-leading 32 innings as of March 24, has 38 strikeouts to aid the MIT cause. 

UWSP looks to finish its own hot streak in the final showdown of THE Spring Games. The Pointers won games against nationally-ranked Tufts as well as Kalamazoo and the University of Chicago March 21 and 22. 

Maddie Candre has been dynamic at the dish, hitting .540 through 16 games with a team-leading .840 slugging percentage and a pair of home runs. Abby Van Beek and Meg Lawrence also have two homers through March 23. 

Augustana vs. Tufts

Saturday, March 26 at 10 a.m. 

Heavyweights with legitimate national championship programs face Saturday, with a surging Augustana taking on a top 12-ranked Tufts. 

Augustana ripped off seven straight wins through March 23 to improve to 11-2 on the season, thanks in part to some outstanding hitting up and down the batting order. Nichole Nash, Erin Smith and Morgan Bielfeldt all have 11-plus RBI in 13 games, while Nadia Ranieri has hit .520 with a 1.296 OPS. 

Tufts, on the other hand, surged to start the season but hit a brief dip with Spring Games losses to UWSP, Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Elmhurst. The Jumbos aim for a strong rebound to close out, riding the consistent hitting of Josie Steinberg (.480 average), Michelle Adelman (two home runs, .414 average), and Kat Yuzefpolsky (.409 average). 

St. Olaf Vs. Tufts 

Sunday, March 27 

Teams recently ranked in the top 15 nationally highlight the final day at THE Spring Games. St. Olaf endured a rocky start at the Bethany Kwik Trip Invitational in Minnesota, but come into THE Spring Games off a month-long layoff with a potential springboard into conference play. 

Carly Dammann has thrown two complete games through her first four appearances and compiled an ERA of just 1.05, while fellow starter Jenna Peschel has a 0.70 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in two appearances. 

St. Olaf will look to ignite more consistency from its bats at THE Spring Games—Katie Weisheit and Tarah DeCroock are the only hitters averaging better than .300 among those with 15 or more plate appearances.