SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — Representing the top seed in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division for the first time in program history, the Slippery Rock University softball team is set to make a third consecutive appearance in the PSAC Tournament 3 p.m. Wednesday in Quakertown, Pennsylvania.
 
The Rock won the PSAC West regular season title by three games, heading to the playoffs with a 27-19 overall record and a 21-7 mark in the conference.
 
As a recipient of a first-round bye in the double elimination bracket, Slippery Rock awaits the winner of Wednesday morning's matchup between Bloomsburg University and California (Pa.). SRU will take on the winner of that contest 3 p.m. Wednesday at Veterans Park in Quakertown.
 
TICKETS
All entry to the PSAC Softball Tournament will require a digital ticket purchased through Hudl AT THIS LINK. No cash will be accepted for entry into Veterans Park.
 
Day 1 & 2 Passes - $15
Day 3 & 4 Passes - $10
Students with PSAC Institutional IDs – FREE
Children 12 & under - FREE
 
MOTHER NATURE IS UNPREDICTABLE
With the unpredictable spring weather in Pennsylvania, fans are encouraged by the conference office to buy tickets the night prior or day of AFTER reviewing the weather forecast and checking the PSAC website/social media outlets for information on game times should any inclement weather arise. No refunds will be provided for rainouts.
 
WATCH ALL GAMES LIVE
Fans can watch all PSAC Tournament games live for free via the links below provided by the conference office.
 
PSAC TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
For more details as well as a complete look at the playoff bracket and game schedule, please visit the PSAC Tournament Central page.
 
PSAC Tournament Game 5
Opponent: Bloomsburg
Date: Wednesday – 3 p.m.
Location: Quakertown, Pennsylvania
Venue: Veterans Park
Live Video: PSAC Sports Digital Network
Live Stats: PSAC Strategic Communications
In-game Updates: X (@Rock_Athletics)
PSAC Tournament Record: 7-13
PSAC Tournament Current Streak: L4
Last PSAC Tournament Appearance: May 1, 2024 (L, 1-0 vs. Bloomsburg | L, 6-4 vs. Gannon)
 
TOP ACTIVE SRU CAREER STATS in the PSAC TOURNAMENT
Emma Kennedy (.455) – 5-for-11, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 4 runs (4 GP)
Alexsa Hurd (.375) – 6-for-16, 2 HR, 1 2B, 5 RBI, 2 runs (5 GP)
Aubrey Mansfield (.278) – 5-for-18, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 runs (5 GP)
Arielle Brown (.278) – 5-for-18, 3 RBI, 3 runs (5 GP)
Alexsa Hurd (1-2) – 4.67 ERA, 14 strikeouts (15.0 IP)
 
THE ROCK IN THE PSAC TOURNAMENT
Making a third consecutive PSAC Tournament appearance for the first time since 1981-84, Slippery Rock's 2025 playoff berth marks the team's ninth all-time appearance in the PSAC Tournament.
 
The Rock went 1-2 in the 2023 PSAC Tournament with a historic 11-10 win over East Stroudsburg University and narrow losses to Shippensburg University and Mercyhurst University. After a 1-0 first-round loss to Bloomsburg last year, Slippery Rock's 2024 playoff hopes ended with a back-and-forth 6-4 defeat by Gannon University.
 

TEAM COMPARISON (as of April 29)
The Rock	Stat	Bloom
27-19	Overall Record	29-17
21-7	Conference Record	19-13
.297	Batting Avg.	.326
5.7	Runs per Game	5.8
5.5	Opp. Runs per Game	2.7
8.3	Hits per Game	9.0
7.2	Opp. Hits per Game	5.7
1.5	Errors per Game	0.7
1.0	HR per Game	0.8
.477	SLG%	.492
.370	OB%	.391
.950	FLD%	.971
4.13	ERA	2.46
.270	Opp. Batting Avg.	.232

THE ROCK BY THE NUMBERS (as of April 29)   |   Roster   |   Stats
Overall Record: 27-19
PSAC West Record: 21-7
Home Record: 13-3
Away Record: 12-6
Neutral Record: 2-10
Last Five Games: 4-1
Streak: W4
PSAC West Rank: 1^st of 8
Head Coach: Stacey Rice | 11^th season at SRU (209-247-1)
 
LAST TIME OUT
Slippery Rock concluded the regular season with a busy 7-2 week that ended with a four-game winning streak.
 
The Rock clinched their first PSAC West regular season championship with a 5-4 game-one win at Edinboro that featured 10 strikeouts and two home runs from Alexsa Hurd. Slippery Rock went on to win game two 11-5 with five strikeouts in 6.0 innings from Paige Gresgott and three doubles from Aubrey Mansfield.
 
Slippery Rock posted a Senior Day sweep over California (Pa.) in its regular season finale, 6-2 and 10-1. Hurd tossed 11 Ks in 7.0 innings in a game-one win before breaking the school's all-time home runs (41) and RBI (154) record in a 10-1 game-two win (5 inn.) that featured four home runs from four different seniors.
 
THE FIELD IS SET
Slippery Rock enters the 2025 PSAC Tournament as the top seed in the PSAC West for the first time in program history. The four-day tournament features a double-elimination playoff with the top three teams in each division getting a bye past the first round. As the top seed in the PSAC West, SRU awaits the winner of Wednesday morning's Bloomsburg-Cal game.
 

2025 PSAC TOURNAMENT SEEDS (CONFERENCE RECORDS)
PSAC WEST	PSAC EAST
1. Slippery Rock (21-7)	1. East Stroudsburg (26-5-1)
2. Gannon (18-10)	2. Kutztown (21-11)
3. Seton Hill (18-10)	3. Shepherd (19-12-1)
4. Indiana (Pa.) (15-13)	4. Bloomsburg (19-13)
5. California (Pa.) (14-14)	5. Shippensburg (19-13)

 
In a tournament historically dominated by PSAC East teams, Slippery Rock is looking to become the first PSAC Tournament champion from the Western Division since Gannon in 2018. That 2018 Tournament is also the most recent time that the top seed in the West won their first game against a team currently in the Eastern Division.
 
For a full look at the PSAC Tournament bracket with a game-by-game breakdown, visit the PSAC Tournament Central page.
 
LEADING THE ROCK
Batting averages as of April 29
1. Emma Kennedy (.406), 41-for-101, 23 RBI, 4 HR, 8 2B, 18 runs (39 GP)
2. Shaylyn Shall (.377) – 46-for-122, 31 RBI, 2 HR, 8 2B, 29 runs (39 GP)
3. Aubrey Mansfield (.313) – 47-for-150, 24 RBI, 1 HR, 17 2B, 25 runs (46 GP)
4. Arielle Brown (.308) – 36-for-117, 15 RBI, 1 HR, 10 2B, 29 runs (39 GP)
5. Julia Nutter (.307) – 39-for-127, 33 RBI, 12 HR, 8 2B, 25 runs (43 GP)
 
Hurd (.302) leads the team with 14 home runs and 46 RBI, joining Julia Montie (.267) in rounding out SRU's qualified batters. Sydney Brown (.368), Naomi Childs (.357) and Jessica Goldhardt (.273) have all become integral parts of the batting order as well.

BULLPEN REPORT
Hurd (16-5, 1) is the first SRU pitcher with more than 14 wins in a single season, entering postseason action with a 2.71 ERA and a whopping 228 strikeouts in 147.0 innings. She ranks third in Division II with 10.9 strikeouts per seven innings and offensively stacks up 25^th nationally by producing 0.3 home runs per game.
 
Gresgott (6-9, 1) has elevated her game as the season has progressed, now with 83 Ks in 97.1 innings and a 5.25 ERA. Her 6.0 strikeouts per seven innings are 16^th in the PSAC.
 
Kayla Williams (3-3, 2) has become a reliable reliever in her first year at the collegiate ranks, wrapping up the regular season with a 5.86 ERA alongside 13 strikeouts in 34.2 innings pitched. Alexa Uphold (2-2) and Mackenzie Borkovich have combined for nine strikeouts in 27.2 innings this season as well.
 
As a team, Slippery Rock ranks fourth in Division II with 7.6 strikeouts per seven innings. The Rock's pitching staff enters the PSAC Tournament with a 4.13 ERA, holding opponents to a collective .270 batting average.
 
EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS
Slippery Rock was voted fourth by the coaches of the PSAC West in the conference's annual postseason poll Jan. 22, only to win the division with a 3.0-game cushion. That rise ties Shepherd University's third-place result in the PSAC East after polling sixth as the largest jump from the PSAC preseason coaches' poll to the teams' actual finishing order.
 
A HISTORIC SEASON
The Rock returned from The Spring Games in Florida with a 4-12 overall record and finished the season at 27-19, winning the Western Division with a 21-7 mark in conference play. Slippery Rock also went 13-3 at Kasnevich Field and are 12-6 on the road.
 
Slippery Rock's 21 PSAC West wins are a program-best, toppling its 2023 league record of 19-13. SRU needs two more wins to tie the 29 victories picked up in the 2023 season. Prior to this year, The Rock had finished with 12 home wins on three separate occasions but had never reached 13 wins at home.
 
WHERE THEY STAND
Slippery Rock enters the PSAC Tournament not only as the top-ranked team in the PSAC West but as a team who has stacked up top-five statistics throughout the entire conference in multiple categories:
 
Team Stat (Rank in PSAC)
• 0.35 double plays per game (4^th)
• 1.87 doubles per game (2^nd)
• 1.00 home run per game (2^nd)
• 46 total home runs (2^nd)
• 5.13 RBI per game (5^th)
• 5.7 runs per game (5^th)
• .477 slugging percentage (3^rd)
• 1.48 stolen bases per game (5^th)
• 7.60 strikeouts per seven innings (3^rd)
 
GOING YARD
Slippery Rock combined for 50 home runs last season, four more than the previous record of 46 set in 2007. The Rock enter the 2025 PSAC Tournament with 46 home runs having played six fewer games thus far than last year.
 
The home runs have come from 11 different players, led by Hurd with 14 and Nutter with 12. Head coach Stacey Rice currently holds the school's single-season record with 14 homers in 2007. She is also currently tied with Hurd with 186 career hits.
 
GETTING TWO
Mansfield has stacked up 17 doubles in 46 games this season, crushing Slippery Rock's single-season record of 15 by Rice in 2007. The junior from Stow, Ohio has batted .313 on the year while slugging .447 and ranks second in the PSAC and 25^th nationally with 0.4 doubles per game.
 
Mansfield has also been a spark when turning two in the infield, serving as an incredible third baseman who has helped The Rock rank fourth in the PSAC with 0.35 double plays per game. Mansfield herself leads the team and lines up 13^th in the league with 1.89 assists per game.
 
TAKING HER BASE
Shall leads Slippery Rock and ranks ninth in the PSAC with a .473 on-base percentage. Arielle Brown has drawn 0.74 walks per game, second in the conference and 18^th in the country, while Shall has taken 0.58 walks per game, good enough to rank sixth in the PSAC.
 
Once on base, Brown has been able to steal 0.44 bases per game, also fifth in the conference. She is 17-for-20 in stolen base attempts this year, second only to Goldhardt's 23-for-24. A sophomore from New Albany, Ohio, Goldhardt's 23 stolen bases rank fifth in SRU single-season history. She needs one more to enter a tie for 10^th all-time at The Rock.
 
THE HUSKIES BY THE NUMBERS (As of April 29)  |   Roster   |   Stats
Overall Record: 29-17
PSAC West Record: 19-13
Home Record: 14-6
Away Record: 12-11
Neutral Record: 3-0
Last Five Games: 2-3
Streak: W1
PSAC West Rank: 4^th of 9
Head Coach: Susan Kocher | 15^th season at Bloom (420-264, .614)
HC Career Record: Same
 
BLOOMSBURG SCOUTING REPORT
Ranked fourth in the most recent NCAA Atlantic Region poll, the Huskies are looking to solidify their NCAA Tournament hopes while entering the PSAC Tournament as the fourth-ranked team in the Eastern Division.
 
The Huskies are batting .323 on the season, third in the PSAC and 33^rd in Division II. Bloom is also slugging .488, second in the conference. Sophomore Sarah Yamrick out of Fort Myers, Florida leads the team hitting .394.
 
Callie Sowers (14-5) has pitched three shutouts and has garnered a 2.17 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 116.0 innings. The senior from Irwin, Pennsylvania ranks fourth in the PSAC with 5.4 hits allowed per seven innings. She spun a no-hitter over Slippery Rock last year in a 1-0 decision in the PSAC Tournament.
 
That 1-0 loss to Bloomsburg was Slippery Rock's third PSAC Tournament meeting with the Huskies. Bloomsburg defeated The Rock 8-1 May 4, 1984 and 2-0 May 6, 1983 in the PSAC Tournament as well. The two teams also met in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, with Bloomsburg taking a 5-4 win.
 
The Huskies own a 19-3 all-time record against SRU, with The Rock last taking a 3-0 win from Bloomsburg in Clermont, Florida in 2018.
 
Bloomsburg was bumped from the PSAC Tournament on day two last year, going 2-2 with losses to East Stroudsburg and Seton Hill. The Huskies went 0-2 in the NCAA Tournament, falling to the University of Charleston 3-0 and Gannon 3-1.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
While The Rock were chosen for the initial Atlantic Region rankings two weeks ago, Slippery Rock will in all likelihood need to win the PSAC Tournament Championship to see its season continue into the NCAA Tournament.





To stay up to date with all that happens at The Rock, follow our official athletic communication accounts on 'X' (formerly Twitter, @Rock_Athletics), Facebook (RockAthletics) and Instagram (RockAthletics).




 

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THE VULCANS BY THE NUMBERS (As of April 29)  |   Roster   |   Stats
Overall Record: 17-31
PSAC West Record: 14-14
Home Record: 9-7
Away Record: 7-13
Neutral Record: 1-11
Last Five Games: 3-2
Streak: L2
PSAC West Rank: 5^th of 8
Head Coach: Nikki Yanchak | First season at Cal (17-31, .354)
HC Career Record: 66-122 (.351) in four seasons
 
CALIFORNIA (Pa.) SCOUTING REPORT
The Vulcans concluded their regular season by being swept by Slippery Rock April 27 at Kasnevich Field, falling to 14-14 in the PSAC West.
 
Amarah McCutcheon leads California with a .388 batting average despite going 0-for-6 against The Rock. The true freshman from Scottdale, Pennsylvania has tallied 36 RBI and has accounted for 12 of the team's 25 home runs.
 
Cal's pitching staff gives up 11.53 hits per seven innings, more than any other team in the PSAC and 17^th in Division II. The group also ranks 17^th of 17 in the conference with a 7.24 ERA. Current PSAC West Pitcher of the Week Cheyenne Beayon (5-10) leads the Vulcans with a 5.16 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 76.0 innings.
 
If Slippery Rock ends up playing California (Pa.) in the first round, it will mark the first matchup between The Rock and the Vulcans in PSAC Tournament history. The Rock are 44-99 all-time when playing Cal, winning the season series 3-1 this year.
 
California went 1-2 at the PSAC Tournament last season, losing to Kutztown 12-1 in five innings before being eliminated by ESU, 6-4. The Vulcans did pick up a 3-2 day-two win over Gannon to eliminate the Golden Knights.