KALAMAZOO, Mich. The 2017 Western Michigan softball season officially kicks off Thursday, Feb. 9, as the team heads to Tempe, Ariz., for the Kajikawa Classic, hosted by Arizona State. The Broncos will face six opponents over a four-day span.

WMU KAJIKAWA CLASSIC SCHEDULE
Date • Opponent • 2016 Record • Game Time (ET)
Thursday, Feb. 9 • San Jose State (28-24, 17-7 MW) • 8 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 10 • Virginia (18-33, 7-14 ACC) • 2:15 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 10 • Stanford (13-35, 0-24 PAC-12) • 8 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 11 • Cal Poly (27-23, 10-11 Big West) • 5:15 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 11 • New Mexico (23-27, 8-15 MW) • 1:45 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 12 • Seattle (19-33, 3-12 WAC) • 11 a.m.
All WMU games played at the Tempe Sports Complex

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BRONCO PREVIEW
Western Michigan is coming off a 22-28 overall, 12-10 Mid-American Conference record last year and is under the direction of Kathy Leitke in her 17th season as the head coach of the Broncos. WMU returns 14 players from last year's roster and welcomes five newcomers to the squad.

"First and foremost, the team has been working hard and is excited to get out in real dirt and play against someone other than ourselves," Leitke said.

"The group has been focused and working hard. We'll need consistent performance in all areas of the game - pitching, defense and timing hitting. If you can do that, you've good a pretty good chance of winning."

The Broncos are led by four seniors - Erin Binkowski (P/DP), Kelsea Cichocki (3B), Ivy Schaaf (LF) and Abby Stoner (UT). Other returners include redshirt junior Marlee Wilson (1B), juniors Geordin Craun (OF), Aspen Williams (OF), Anissa Sanchez (P) and sophomores Erin Barg (IF), Jenna Faultersack (IF), Jordan Kurth (P), Courtney Sleeman (C/P), Skyler Sobeski (UT) and Brooke Wyman (IF).

Newcomers include junior Kellogg Community College transfer Holly VanTilburg (P/IF) and freshmen Kaylen Glenfield (IF), Cari Padula (C/IF), Samanatha Pico (OF) and Mackenzie Swinehart (OF).

Binkowski was the power bat in the lineup last year, setting a WMU single-season record with 11 home runs while maintaining a .305 average. She also led the Broncos with a .617 slugging percentage, .355 on-base percentage and 29 RBIs. She had 39 hits, seven doubles.

Cichocki and Schaaf will both be four-year starters. Cichocki has earned Second Team All-MAC honors each of the last two seasons and was named to the All-Freshman team her first year. She had the second-highest batting average last season at .312 and tallied eight doubles, three home runs, 48 hits and 20 RBIs with a .422 slugging percentage.

Schaaf was a First Team All-MAC and MAC All-Tournament Team selection as a sophomore after hitting .368 in all games combined and .433 during conference play. Her numbers were slightly down last year as a junior, batting .258 with 40 hits, 25 runs scored, five doubles, one home run and 13 RBIs.

Stoner is in her second year at WMU after transferring from Saginaw Valley. She jumped right into the lineup in 2016, appearing in 48 games. She batted .259 with 30 hits, four doubles, 15 runs scored, eight home runs and 24 RBIs. She was second on the team in both home runs and RBIs behind Binkowski.

Wilson will be a redshirt junior this year rather than a senior after missing 2016 with a season-ending shoulder injury. After the year off, Wilson is expected to return to first base.

The Broncos lost four seniors from the 2016 squad, including its middle infield - shortstop Sabrina Gamboa and second baseman Melissa Palmer, as well as starting pitcher Allyson Kus. All three were First Team All-MAC selections last year. Palmer finished as WMU's leader for career hits with 219. Gamboa was a four-year starter at shortstop and is one of only two players in program history with 20 home runs. Kus spent most of her career as WMU's ace in the circle, logging over 646 innings and 364 strikeouts.

"We have some key returners and also lost a very experienced senior class," Leitke said. "We'll have a new middle infield, where there is still competition, and have five pitchers who are looking to step up to that No. 1 role."

Kurth and Sanchez are the most experienced pitchers returning on staff. Last year Kurth posted four wins and had a 3.65 ERA, making 21 appearances and 13 starts. She allowed 92 hits over 76.2 innings pitched and struck out 74. Sanchez collected two wins and had a 4.93 ERA, making 19 appearances and five starts. She threw 49.2 innings and struck out 10.

"It will likely take the first couple of weekends for us to sort out what are the best combinations to play together," Leitke said. "The sophomores are chomping at the bit after playing behind some of those seniors last year. The incoming class is also very talented and some of those kids are fighting for starting positions."

Following the Kajikawa Classic, heads to Tennessee for five games at the Chattanooga Frost Classic, Feb. 24-26.