Ferris State Softball Slated To Open 2019 Season In Louisville This Weekend
Season Preview w/Coach Janes 
Big Rapids, Mich. - Despite the chilly winter weather conditions this week, the Ferris State University women's softball squad is slated to open year two of the Kristin Janes era this weekend as the Bulldogs head to Louisville (Ky.) to play four games in an event hosted by Bellarmine University.
The Bulldogs will play a pair of games each on both Saturday (Feb. 2) and Sunday (Feb. 3). Despite frigid temperatures this week in Louisville, weather forecasts call for temperatures in the 40's with an afternoon high of 54 degrees heading into the weekend in Kentucky.
FSU will face the host Knights on Saturday at 1 p.m. (ET) before squaring off against Findlay at 3 p.m. (ET) in regional action. On Sunday, the Bulldogs open day two competition against Findlay at 11 a.m. (ET) and then close the weekend against Bellarmine at 1 p.m. (ET).
Ferris State will embark on its second campaign under head coach Kristin Janes this spring. Last year, the Bulldogs went 17-31 overall, but won nine of their last 14 regular-season games en route to a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament appearance.
Overall, the Bulldogs have made eight trips to the NCAA Tournament in school history and won 24 games or more 11 times in the past 15 years.
The Bulldogs return 11 squad members from last season's team that reached the GLIAC Tournament for the third consecutive year and have added seven newcomers for a total roster of 18 entering the campaign. The group of newcomers includes four freshemn.
FSU's group of returnees includes junior pitcher Abby Highway (Kentwood/East Kentwood), who earned All-GLIAC Honorable Mention laurels last year and will be one of the leaders of a deeper pitching rotation this spring. Highway pitched in 22 regular-season contests for FSU and posted a team-leading 10 wins with 11 complete game performances. She threw 120.1 innings and struck out 60 batters to go with a 3.08 earned run average, averaging 3.49 strikeouts per seven innings pitched and allowed only 53 total earned runs in the regular-season.
The Bulldogs also welcome back the return of infielder Lexi Hongisto (Gladstone), who was an all-conference choice two years ago and played in all 48 games last year. In addition, sophomore infielder Kodi Ramirez (Peoria, Ariz./Sunrise Mountain) along with sophomore outfielder Paige Kortz (Brooklyn/Napoleon) and senior infielder Logan Fleming (Rogers City) all were regulars in the field last campaign and compiled more than 80 at-bats last season. In addition to Highway, sophomore Katie Ross (Escanaba) also made 12 pitching appearances in the circle a year ago for the Bulldogs and tossed 21 innings.
Following this weekend's trip to Louisville, the Bulldogs will take part in the Midwest Region Crossover Feb. 22-24 in Evanvsille, Ind., before making their annual trip to Florida for The Spring Games in Clermont March 9-15.
FSU is slated to open league play on March 20 at Wayne State with the first home action at the FSU Softball Field scheduled for March 27 against the Davenport Panthers in Big Rapids.