The 2023 Marshall Thundering Herd softball team represented Marshall University during the 2023 NCAA Division I softball season. The Thundering Herd played their home games at Dot Hicks Field and were led by fifth-year head coach Megan Smith Lyon. They were members of the Sun Belt Conference.

Preseason

Sun Belt Conference Coaches Poll The Sun Belt Conference Coaches Poll was released on February 2, 2023. Marshall was picked to finish sixth in the conference with 80 votes. Coaches poll 1 Louisiana 144 (12) 2 Texas State 130 3 South Alabama 118 4 Troy 99 5 James Madison 93 6 Marshall 80 7 Southern Miss 68 8 Appalachian State 63 9 Louisiana–Monroe 44 10 Coastal Carolina 43 11 Georgia StateGeorgia Southern 27

Personnel

Schedule and results Legend Marshall win Marshall loss Postponement/CancellationBoldMarshall team member

2023 Marshall Thundering Herd softball game log Regular season (43–9) February (11–3) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record SBC record Florida Spring GamesFeb. 10 vs. Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex • Leesburg, FL W8–1 Nester(1-0) Nakoa-Chu(0-1) None 205 1–0 Feb. 11 vs. Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex • Leesburg, FL L6–7 Dyer(1-0) Joyce(0-1) None 128 1–1 Feb. 11 vs. Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex • Leesburg, FL W5–4 Nester(2-0) Acker(0-1) None 133 2–1 Feb. 12 vs. Butler Sleepy Hollow Sports Complex • Leesburg, FL W7–3 Nester(3-0) Dyer(1-2) None 304 3–1 Chattanooga ChallengeFeb. 17 vs. Frost Stadium • Chattanooga, TN W16–05 Nester(4-0) Rieth(0-1) None 107 4—1 Feb. 18 vs. Frost Stadium • Chattanooga, TN W3–2 Rice(1-0) Newbanks(0-1) None 189 5–1 Feb. 18 at Frost Stadium • Chattanooga, TN L4–7 Long(1-0) Nester(4-1) None 5–2 Feb. 19 vs. Frost Stadium • Chattanooga, TN W14–15 Godfrey(1-0) Rodriguez(0-1) None 103 6–2 Feb. 19 vs. Indiana State Frost Stadium • Chattanooga, TN W1–0 Nester(5-1) Newbanks(0-2) None 215 7–2 Liberty ClassicFeb. 24 vs. Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium • Lynchburg, VA W5–0 Nester(6-1) Cassell(0-1) None 117 8–2 Feb. 24 vs. Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium • Lynchburg, VA W11–05 Rice(2-0) Raubuch(1-3) None 117 9–2 Feb. 25 vs. Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium • Lynchburg, VA W10–26 Nester(7-1) Chambers(1-1) None 117 10–2 Feb. 26 at Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium • Lynchburg, VA L4–58 Keeney(3-5) Nester(7-2) None 409 10–3 Feb. 26 vs. Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium • Lynchburg, VA W7–3 Rice(3-0) McCard(1-2) Godfrey(1) 217 11–3 March (17–0) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record SBC record Thundering Herd Round RobinMar. 2 Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV W9–16 Nester(8-2) Ogden(1-3) None ESPN+ 234 12–3 Mar. 2 Morehead State Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV W9–15 Rice(4-0) Spicer(1-2) None 234 13–3 Mar. 4 Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV W8–1 Nester(9-2) Bowers(1-4) None ESPN+ 670 14–3 Mar. 5 Kent State Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV W10–25 Feringa(1-0) Irelan(2-6) None ESPN+ 545 15–3 Mar. 5 Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV W4–3 Nester(10-2) Drogemuller(4-3) None ESPN+ 545 16–3 Mar. 8 Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV W6–4 Nester(11-2) Miller(3-5) None ESPN+ 396 17–3 Thundering Herd March MadnessMar. 9 Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV W9–16 Godfrey(2-0) Jenkins(0-4) Rice(1) 243 18–3 Mar. 10 Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV W8–1 Nester(12-2) Boulware(5-2) None ESPN+ 139 19–3 Mar. 11 Cleveland State Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV W9–15 Rice(5-0) Watts(1-1) None ESPN+ 243 20–3 Mar. 1 Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV W7–0 Nester(13-2) Schmierer(1-3) None ESPN+ 293 21–3 Mar. 18 at Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium • Boone, NC W8–06 Nester(14-2) Northrop(6-2) None ESPN+ 241 22–3 1–0Mar. 18 at Appalachian State Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium • Boone, NC Game cancelledMar. 19 at Appalachian State Sywassink/Lloyd Family Stadium • Boone, NC Game cancelledMar. 22 vs. Knights Field • Louisville, KY W4–1 Rice(6-0) Linneman(4-4) None 50 23–3 Mar. 22 Knights Field • Louisville, KY W17–26 Godfrey(3-0) Jensen(1-4) None 80 24–3 Mar. 25 Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV W4–0 Nester(15-2) Leinstock(8-8) None ESPN+ 671 25–3 2–0Mar. 25 Southern Miss Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV W17–96 Godfrey(4-0) Lee(3-3) None ESPN+ 641 26–3 3–0Mar. 26 Southern Miss Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV W4–0 Nester(16-2) Leinstock(8-9) None ESPN+ 683 27–3 4–0Mar. 28 Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV W13–15 Rice(7-0) Flores(4-10) None ESPN+ 567 28–3 April (12–6) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record SBC recordApr. 1 Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV W6–1 Nester(17-2) Doolittle(6-5) None ESPN+ 495 29–3 5–0Apr. 2 Georgia State Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV W5–1 Rice(8-0) Adams(3-8) Godfrey(2) ESPN+ 393 30–3 6–0Apr. 2 Georgia State Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV W6–0 Nester(18-2) Hodnett(4-8) None ESPN+ 618 31–3 7–0Apr. 7 at Warhawk Field • Monroe, LA W13–26 Nester(19-2) Abrams(4-8) None ESPN+ 364 32–3 8–0Apr. 8 at Louisiana–Monroe Warhawk Field • Monroe, LA W4–3 Rice(9-0) Chavarria(5-4) Nester(1) ESPN+ 402 33–3 9–0Apr. 8 at Louisiana–Monroe Warhawk Field • Monroe, LA L3–5 Chavarria(6-4) Nester(19-3) None ESPN+ 402 33–4 9–1Apr. 12 at Morehead State University Field • Morehead, KY W4–2 Rice(10-0) Begley(4-5) None ESPN+ 72 34–4 Apr. 14 at St. John Stadium – Charles Wade-John Lott Field • Conway, SC L3–4 Picone(8-2) Nester(19-4) None ESPN+ 315 34–5 9–2Apr. 15 at Coastal Carolina St. John Stadium – Charles Wade-John Lott Field • Conway, SC W5–3 Godfrey(5-0) Picone(8-3) Nester(2) ESPN+ 312 35–5 10–2Apr. 16 at Coastal Carolina St. John Stadium – Charles Wade-John Lott Field • Conway, SC W3–2 Nester(20-4) Brabham(10-7) None ESPN+ 298 36–5 11–2Apr. 18 No. 18 Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV L1–3 Esman(4-2) Nester(20-5) Fouts(4) ESPN+ 2,768 36–6 Apr. 21 Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV W10–26 Nester(21-5) Muh(4-2) None ESPN+ 457 37–6 12–2Apr. 22 James Madison Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV L6–7 Muh(5-2) Godfrey(5-1) None ESPN+ 650 37–7 12–3Apr. 23 James Madison Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV W8–4 Nester(22-5) Berry(9-3) None ESPN+ 626 38–7 13–3Apr. 25 No. 21 Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV W2–1 Nester(23-5) Lemley(19-10) None ESPN+ 1,064 39–7 Apr. 28 Texas State Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV L0–3 Mullins(17-9) Nester(23-6) None ESPN+ 293 39–8 13–4Apr. 29 Texas State Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV W2–1 Rice(11-0) Glende(1-1) Nester(3) ESPN+ 479 40–8 14–4Apr. 30 Texas State Dot Hicks Field • Huntington, WV L1–96 Mullins(19-9) Nester(23-8) None ESPN+ 393 40–9 14–5 May (3–0) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record SBC recordMay 4 at Eagle Field at GS Softball Complex • Statesboro, GA W4–0 Nester(24-7) Barnard(1-10) None ESPN+ 238 41–9 15–5May 5 at Georgia Southern Eagle Field at GS Softball Complex • Statesboro, GA W7–2 Rice(12-0) Belogorska(1-3) Feringa(1) ESPN+ 249 42–9 16–5May 6 at Georgia Southern Eagle Field at GS Softball Complex • Statesboro, GA W8–1 Nester(25-7) Belogorska(1-4) None ESPN+ 254 43–9 17–5 Postseason (2–1) (2–1) Date Opponent (Seed)/Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record Tournament recordMay 11 vs. (7) Coastal Carolina (2) Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA W2–1 Nester(26-7) Brabham(12-12) None ESPN+ 44–9 1–0May 12 vs. (3) South Alabama (2) Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA W3–2 Nester(27-7) Hardy(17-8) None ESPN+ 918 45–9 2–0May 13 vs. (1) Louisiana (2) Yvette Girouard Field at Lamson Park • Lafayette, LA L0–1 Landry(17-4) Nester(27-8) None ESPN+ 1,574 45–10 2–1 Schedule source: *Rankings are based on the team's current ranking in the NFCA/USA Softball poll.

References