2018 Schedule |
2018 Roster |
2017 Statistics
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University softball team was tabbed to finish second in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division for the 2018 season, the league office announced Thursday with the release of its preseason coaches poll.
It is the second time in two years Slippery Rock has been selected to finish second in the preseason poll. The last regular season second place finish for SRU was in 2009.
Seton Hill was selected to win the PSAC West after receiving one first place vote. The Rock also earned one first-place vote and was picked to finish second followed by Gannon, which received two first-place votes, California (Pa.), which also received two first place votes. Edinboro and Mercyhurst rounded out the Western division poll in the fifth and six spots, respectively.
Other predicted divisional front-runners were the defending PSAC Tournament Champions West Chester (PSAC East) and Bloomsburg (PSAC Central).
SRU head coach
Stacey Rice will come back for her fourth season in 2018 after leading The Rock to a 17-24 record last season. In three years, the team has managed a 52-70 (.426) overall record. Rice's 52 wins are the second most victories in the first three years by a Slippery Rock head coach in program history. Assistant Coach
Ashley Carter will also return to the program for her fourth season.
SRU brings back 13 players from last spring's roster, including seven position players that started at least 20 games. Slippery Rock is also returning three of its four pitchers from a year ago.
Below is breakdown of the 2018 Slippery Rock softball team.
Returning Pitchers
Slippery Rock will see
Brooke Dawson,
Andria Copelli and
Paige Flore likely hurl quality innings for The Rock in the circle in 2018.
Dawson, a senior, had an outstanding season in 2017 going 11-9 in 22 appearances (19 starts). She was fifth in the PSAC with a 1.89 ERA (35 ER in 129.2 IP), tallied four shutouts and 15 complete games. Dawson also punched out 90 batters over 129.2 innings pitched and opponents hit just .244 against her. She enters this season ranked second in program history in career shutouts (nine), second in batting average against (.239), fourth in strikeouts (252), fifth in ERA (2.43) and seventh in wins (25).
Copelli, a junior, made 11 appearances (one start) as a sophomore going 0-1 with one save. She struck out five in 22.1 innings pitched and was sixth in the PSAC in batting average against (.224).
Flore, a senior, will also return to the circle this season. She appeared in 13 games in 2017, while making four starts.
Returning Position Players
The Rock returns seven starting position players from last season including four players who started at least 40 games in seniors
Emily Nagle,
Lauren Hawley, juniors
Megan Brown and
Kailey Myers. Other key starters back are seniors
Allie Fischer,
McKenzie Garland and sophomore
Alexa Guglielmino.
Nagle patrolled centerfield last season, earning All-PSAC honors after leading the conference with a .444 (67-for-151) batting average while also setting The Rock single-season record for hits. She will enter this season needing 57 hits to become SRU's all-time hits leader. Along with her average, she posted team-highs in on-base percentage (.458) total bases (75) and runs scored (26). The Bellwood, Pennsylvania native also registered a .497 slugging percentage and tallied 13 RBI.
Following her first season as a fulltime starter, Brown will aim to improve upon a year in which she earned All-PSAC honors as the division's top second baseman. She ranked third on the team behind Nagle and
Caitlin Baxter in batting average hitting .318 (41-for-129). Her 18 stolen bases ranked seventh in conference and were the fifth most in Rock single-season history. She also led the PSAC with 17 sacrifice bunts and hit .357 (15-for-42) with runners in scoring position.
Hawley, who was also an All-PSAC selection, returns to Slippery Rock after a breakout year in 2017. She was one of four Rock players to start all 41 contests, finishing the year hitting .299 (38-for-127) and was tied for the team-lead in home runs (four) and RBI (23) with Baxter. She also tallied nine doubles, 12 walks, had an on-base percentage of .364 and was one of three catchers in the league to record at least four home runs and 20 RBI while batting at least .295. The Brookfield, Ohio native enters her senior season ranked 19th in Rock history in career RBI with 49.
Myers will return to shortstop in 2018 after starting 41 games last season. She enters her junior season after a sophomore campaign where she hit .261 (30-for-115) and was second on the team in sacrifice bunts with nine.
Fischer started 29 games at first base for SRU last season. The New Castle, Pennsylvania native hit .239 (17-for-71) with nine RBI and four runs scored. She also tallied a .983 fielding percentage.
Garland started 23 contests as the designated hitter last season and hit .229 (16-for-70) with three doubles, three RBI and 12 runs scored.
Rounding out the returning starters is Guglielmino. In 2017, she started 30 games in left field, batting .216 (16-for-74) with five doubles, 10 runs scored and ranked second on the team in outfield assists (2).
The Rock also returns junior
Caitlyn MacKelvey and sophomores
Megan Ross and
Katelyn Kuniak. MacKelvey appeared 31 games last season and scored seven runs, while Ross hit .385 (5-for-13) with one RBI. Kuniak will compete for a more substantial role in 2018.
The Newcomers
Coaches Rice and Carter brought in eight freshmen looking to make their first appearances this season.
The 2018 freshmen class consists of infielder
Lydia Baird (Greenford, Ohio), outfielders
Julia Cepis (Parma, Ohio) and
Cortney Claypoole (Hilliards, Pa.), first baseman
Adeline Nicholson (Scottdale, Pa.), utility player
Becca Roesch (Galloway, N.J.), pitcher
Camie Shumaker (Lancaster, Ohio) along with catchers
Leah Vith (Kennedy Township, Pa.) and
Haley Wells (Erie, Pa.).
The Schedule
Slippery Rock will play its first 21 games of the schedule in the south. Its first five contests will be played in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at the Myrtle Beach Softball Tournament Feb. 16-18 against West Virginia State, Saint Anselm, Wilmington, Felician and New Haven. The Rock will then play at Virginia State Feb. 24-25 for a pair weekend doubleheader.
Following the contests in February, SRU will then participate in the National Training Center Tournament in Clermont, Florida March 10-16 for 10 matchups against Bridgeport, LeMoyne, Illinois-Springfield, Saint Michael's, Charleston, Northwood, Jefferson, Bloomsburg, No. 19 Wayne State, Minnesota-Crookston, Sioux Falls (S.D.) and Bemidji State.
Slippery Rock closes out the last portion of the schedule up north beginning March 24 at Lock Haven. SRU's home opener will be March 28 at the SRU Softball Complex against Clarion. Following contests against the Golden Eagles, The Rock will begin their 20-game conference schedule March 30. For a quick break in league action, SRU will play road non-conference games at Point Park April 16 and Wheeling Jesuit April 17, before returning to conference play to finish the regular season April 20.
The Rock will open their schedule 10 a.m. Feb 16 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina against West Virginia State.
PSAC Western Division Preseason Poll
(1st place votes in parenthesis)
1. Seton Hill (1)
2. SLIPPERY ROCK (1)
3. Gannon (2)
4. California (2)
5. Edinboro
6. Mercyhurst
PSAC Eastern Division Preseason Poll
(1st place votes in parenthesis)
1. West Chester (3)
2. Kutztown (1)
3. Shippensburg (1)
T4. East Stroudsburg
T4. Millersville
PSAC Central Division Preseason Poll
(1st place votes in parenthesis)
1. Bloomsburg (3)
2. Lock Haven (3)
3. IUP
4. Mansfield
5. Pitt-Johnstown
6. Clarion
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