• DMACC will play East Mississippi Community College, Hinds Community College and Meridian Community College on February 19
• Bears will play Hillsborough Community College and Hinds Community College on Feb. 20
• DMACC will face Northeast Mississippi Community College in a doubleheader on Feb. 21

The DMACC softball team will begin the 2022 season with a road trip to Mississippi that will see the Bears playing seven games. The Bears, ranked fourth in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II preseason poll, are coming off a 52-14 record and a fifth-place finish in the 2021 NJCAA Division II Softball Championship.

DMACC will play East Mississippi Community College (EMCC), Hinds Community College (HCC) and Meridian Community College (MCC) on February 19 and will face Hillsborough Community College (HCC) and Hinds Community College (HCC) on Feb. 20. The Bears will close out the trip with a doubleheader against Northeast Mississippi Community College (NECC) on Feb. 21.

And just like the DMACC baseball team did a week ago, the DMACC softball team will begin play without having had an opportunity to practice outside.

"If your team is going to be any good, you have to be focused on how you play the game, not necessarily the outcome so we're (going to Mississippi) to try to enjoy the game, play outside and get our team ready for our season," DMACC softball coach Bob Ligouri said. "We understand that (southern teams) are going to have an edge on us at the start but sometimes you can overcome a lot with enthusiasm and energy and things like that."

Ligouri said the new addition to the DMACC gymnasium has given his team an opportunity to take infield and work on scrimmage situations so his team is a little further along than previous teams.

Ligouri said his 2022 team is probably the deepest DMACC softball team he has coached since the school began the program in 2012. He said the team probably has from three to four candidates at each position, including pitching, and most of those players can play multiple positions.

The depth begins at pitching where sophomores Syndey Kennedy of Peosta, Lexi Lander of Onawa, Elli Jacobson of Humboldt and Abby Flanagan of Coggon will compete with freshmen Emma Dighton of Boone and Madeline Jannssen of Earlham.

"It's a very, very deep staff and we are going to use them all," Ligouri said. "I think it's good because Iowa spring weather can be very cold and it allows us not to overwork people and we can keep them on pitch counts and keep them healthy and that's what we want to do."

Ligouri said his team has three quality catchers in sophomores Tricia Sporaa of Madrid and Layney Loyd of New London and freshman Zoey Hightshoe of Boone.

First base candidates include sophomores Delaney Kelley of Rock Island, Ill., Jada Collins of Des Moines and Sara Keeler of Creston along with a couple of freshmen.

"I think the big thing (at first base) is consistency and we're looking for that consistent performance," Ligouri said. "(The position) could get platooned or somebody could end up emerging."

Sophomore Brionna Vasey of Pleasant Hill, freshman Emily Ades and Dighton are the top candidates at second base with freshman Kaylynne Salyars of Muscatine and sophomore Sami Miller of Mason City vying for the shortstop position. Miller played third base last season and could be there again this year or it could be freshman Madison Kearns of Glenpool, Okla., or freshman Bailey Donohoe of West Branch.

Ligouri said returning All-American Abby Husak of Polk City will get one of the outfield positions with Collins, Keeler, Kennedy and freshmen Kendal Clark of Humboldt and Amaya Snyder of Cedar Rapids also getting looked at.

Other incoming freshmen vying for playing time are Delanie Voshell of Shenandoah and Kailee Craig of Sioux Falls, S.D.

"As you look at our players, there's just a lot of competition," Ligouri said. "We've got multiple players at multiple positions and they can play different spots. They are really versatile."

Ligouri said his team could pay a price for its versatility, especially early in the season.

"We're trying to keep the playing field as level as we can to give everybody the opportunity, so we're not close to saying 'this is our starting nine,'" Ligouri said, adding that he is going to give players opportunities, especially early in the season. "Before our conference games we're going to have a pretty good idea of who is going to fit where."

Ligouri is also in search of a leadoff hitter to replace the departed Sophie Maras, who led the nation in home runs, RBIs, runs scored and stolen bases last season. He said his team has a number of players who have the potential to be the leadoff hitter, including Dighton, and Husak.

Ligouri said one of his concerns is that teams have a tendency to play better when everyone knows her role and because of the competition at all positions it has been difficult for the coaching staff to define roles for this team. His second concern is team closeness, noting that some of his previous teams put the team ahead of their own self interests and he hopes that's what this team does.

"Our players are going to control whether or not we have that type of acceptance of their roles and everybody pulling for each other," Ligouri said.

Following the trip to Mississippi, the DMACC softball team will play games in Oklahoma, Kansas and Council Bluffs before opening the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) season March 19 against Kirkwood Community College (KCC).