CHICAGO (February 7, 2019) – Now in his fifth season as the head coach, Jeff Tylka and the Loyola University Chicago softball team opens the season at The Dome in Rosemont, Ill. for the Total Control Sports Invitational. This is the third consecutive year the Ramblers will open the regular season in the invitational. Loyola's slate features a Friday night doubleheader vs. UMKC (4:30 p.m.) and Detroit Mercy (7 p.m.), a Saturday night doubleheader vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (4:30 p.m.) and Butler (7 p.m.), and one game on Sunday afternoon vs. IUPUI to wrap up the weekend.
 
2018 Recap
The Ramblers finished last season with a 23-27 overall record (9-16, MVC). Three Loyola players earned All-MVC accolades, highlighted by outfielder Shannon McGee becoming the first Rambler player since 2016 to be selected on the first team. Additionally, Kiley Jones won Second Team All-MVC and Katie Kasubke took home All-Defensive Team honors. Jones and Allyson Ivey also netted NFCA Third Team All-Midwest accolades for their performances.
 
A Look at the Kangaroos: UMKC is looking to rebound from a 15-41 season in 2018, but will only have four starters returning, all position players. The strength of the Roos is the outfielders, including Sydney Garcia and Maegan Rollow. Garcia finished third on the team last year with a .322 batting average, while also swiping 15 bases to lead the squad. Rollow started in all 55 games last year and slugged .357, consequently leading to her 61 total bases that finished fourth on the team.
 
A Look at the Titans: Detroit Mercy, picked to finish seventh in the Horizon League, will reunite with old H.L. foe Loyola on Friday night (Feb. 8). The Titans finished last in the conference in team ERA last year but got spurts of excellence from Ashley Mauser. The senior right-hander broke the school record for most strikeouts in a season and might face the Ramblers on Friday. The Titans' top returning position player is shortstop Courtney Gilbert, whose .304 batting average last season ranked 19^th in the Horizon League.
 
A Look at the Mastodons: After going two-and-done in last year's Summit League Championship, the 2019 Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons look to improve their season win total for the fourth consecutive season. Led by fifth year head coach Germaine Fairchild, the Mastodons return two players that hit over .300 last year in Maria Palmegiani and Lauren Watson. The team finished third in the Summit League last year in team ERA, but must replace its top pitcher from a year ago in Bailey Benefiel.
 
A Look at the Bulldogs: Butler, picked to finish fifth in the Big East, is coming off a 20-28 season last year that placed them fifth in the standings. The team's top returners features outfielder Jenna Foreman, who's .386 batting average last season earned her Second Team All-Big East honors. Foreman's second team resume includes speed, highlighted by her 35 stolen bases that ranked 11^th nationally. Fans can also expect a fundamentally sound Bulldog team in the field that is fresh off a 2018 season that led the Big East with a .972 fielding percentage.
 
A Look at the Jaguars: IUPUI, picked to finish sixth in the Horizon League, returns two All-Conference selections from 2018 in infielder Mandy Dallas and RHP Megan Overton. Dallas led the team last year in both home runs (10) and RBI (36), which both finished second in the Horizon league. Overton's 15 wins was tied for the conference lead. She established herself last year as one of the best pitchers in the Horizon League with a conference leading 162 strikeouts and a .237 opponent batting average. IUPUI will play four of its five games in the morning this weekend, including two 9 a.m. tilts.
 
Series Stuff: The parity of Loyola's familiarity with its opponents it evident, ranging from Detroit Mercy (LUC leads, 52-23) to IUPUI (Tied, 2-2). The historic contests with the Titans have added up over the years with the two teams going head-to-head regularly as early as 1990. Conversely, the series history with Butler is rather brief, and Friday will be the first meeting with UMKC since 1998. This will be the third year in a row Loyola has seen Purdue Fort Wayne in the Total Control Sports Invitational, with the Ramblers holding a 4-2 all-time edge.
 
Up Next
After the conclusion of opening weekend, Loyola will play in three more neutral site tournaments, beginning with the Runnin' Bulldog Softball Tournament (Feb. 15-17). The Ramblers' opponents for that include Oakland, Gardner-Webb, Sacred Heart and Hartford.