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Last weekend, the Bulldogs had waited over 700 days to return to game action. After inclement weather canceled the North Texas Invitational Softball Tournament, Yale was forced to wait one extra week.

The Elis were set to face off against North Texas, South Dakota State and Creighton in their first official play in 23 months. The trio would have been a tough test for Yale — SDSU and North Texas combined to go 39–3 in conference play last season. Instead, the Bulldogs’ season will kick off in Southern California at the San Diego Classic.

“I love softball and so I’m so excited to be back and playing with my team,” pitcher Nicole Conway ’23 said. “It’s definitely so different, just after having so much time off, just getting back and used to everything, but it seems like everyone’s adapting really well and just so excited and really realizing now more than ever how blessed we are to have this opportunity.”

The Elis are entering the 2022 season with a unique roster composition. For the 2020 season, the last year of competition, the Bulldogs boasted eight upperclassmen. This year, the number is down to just three — Conway, senior pitcher Miranda Papes ’22 and captain infielder Kortney Ponce ’22, who has been dealing with injuries.

“They’re all just super eager and ready to play so I think that energy is super great for our team,” Papes said of the roster’s younger players. “Everyone is so excited to play again.”

This weekend, Yale will play in at least two seperate locations and against five different teams. The Bulldogs’ official return to game action will come against Brigham Young University (9–4, 0–0 WCC) on Friday morning. The Cougars had a strong start to the season, putting together a nine-game winning streak before losing three in a row last weekend. Included in those losses were tough games against No. 17 Tennessee and Long Beach State, the latter of which was picked to finish second in the Big West preseason poll.

After battling BYU in the morning, the Elis will take on the University of California, San Diego (7–8, 0–0 Big West), who will host the entirety of the tournament’s Friday games. The Tritons, picked fourth in the Big West preseason poll, have played several top teams in college softball. UC San Diego’s short season has already featured contests against No. 4 University of California, Los Angeles, No. 16 Oregon, No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 17 Tennessee. San Diego lost those games by a combined score of 31–2, including mercy rule losses to Oklahoma and Tennessee after five innings of play.

Yale’s game against the Tritons will be broadcast live on ESPN+, which will give fans a chance to see the Bulldogs return to game action. Earlier this year, Yale Athletics also announced that on April 17, ESPNU will air the Bulldogs game against Princeton marking the first nationally televised game in program history.

“We are ecstatic for the opportunity to showcase Yale softball and especially our hard-working student-athletes, on ESPNU,” Yale head coach Jen Goodwin told Yale Athletics at the time. “The Ivy League plays some great softball, so to have the chance to … [play] on the national stage is so special for our program.”

Yale will then travel to SDSU for Saturday’s slate of game action against the Aztecs (11–5, 0–0 Mountain West) and Stony Brook (4–1, 0–0 American East). The Seawolves, whom Yale will face first on Saturday morning, provide the perfect measuring stick for this young Bulldog squad. Stony Brook defeated fellow Ancient Eight foe Brown last weekend 4–3 in Miami. With one out in the bottom of the seventh, junior catcher Corinne Badger delivered a walk off three-run homer to give the Seawolves their fourth victory of the season. The Bears, who were picked to finish last in the Ivy League poll just a few weeks ago, fell to 0–3 on the season. The Aztecs have also gotten off to a fast start this year, already notching an upset victory over No. 5 Washington. The Elis’ opening weekend will conclude at Triton Softball Field against Utah State (6–7, 0–0 Mountain West).

First pitch between Yale and BYU is scheduled for 10 a.m. PST.