Oakland City, IN- The Mighty Oaks softball program under the helm of 1
st year head coach, Ryan Schuler, releases their 2024 Spring Schedule. Their non-conference schedule consists of some stiff competition to begin the season as the Oaks travel to Rosemont, Illinois to compete in the Rosemont Leadoff Classic. The Oaks 1
st matchup of the season will be against the 2023 NCCAA National Champion, Concordia Cardinals. Also in the Leadoff Classic, the Mighty Oaks will take on the Bethel Pilots as well as the Olivet Nazarene Tigers to conclude their visit to Rosemont.
After their visit to Rosemont, the Mighty Oaks are back home on Feb 17 and Feb 24 as they host Spring Arbor and Calumet College of St. Joseph. Following the two game homestand, they hit the road again, this time to Florida as they will compete in the Space Coast Spring games, located at Space Coast Stadium home to the USSSA Pride in Melbourne FL. There, they will take on Goshen College, University of Ft. Lauderdale, St. Thomas University, Huntington University, and conclude their visit with a game against Florida Memorial University.
Other non-conference opponents include two games at Asbury University in Wilmore KY, two games against a Division II opponent, Kentucky Wesleyan University in Owensboro KY, and 4 games against Miami-Hamilton where two will be home and two will be in Hamilton OH.
The Mighty Oaks will play a conference schedule of 32 games as they will compete in the West side of the River States Conference. After the expansion and other rule changes within the conference, if the Mighty Oaks finish their conference season in the top 4 in the west, they will compete in South Charleston, West Virginia for a chance to become River States Conference Champions.
The Mighty Oaks have been NCCAA Mideast Region Champions for the last 3 seasons. Last season, the Mighty Oaks broke a school record of 25 wins as they competed in the NCCAA National Tournament but fell short to another former NCCAA Tournament Champion, Mid-America Christian. This concluded former Head Coach, Patti Buchta's 31-year tenure with the team.
Newly named Head Coach, Ryan Schuler has retained fifth year Assistant Coach,
Brian Modafari, as well as bringing back two players as assistants that played five collegiate seasons each,
McKendree Ward who graduated with an undergrad degree in 2022 and a master's degree in 2023, and
Hailee Hope, another 2023 grad will return as a Graduate Assistant and work with pitchers.
We look forward to seeing you at many games! #GoMightyOaks
