Bradford, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford softball team is prepared to begin their 2025 campaign as the calendar turns to March.
In 2024, the Panthers had a resurgent season, going 23-11 overall. The Panthers went 12-4 in AMCC play, giving them the 2nd seed in the AMCC Championship Tournament. Unfortunately, the Panthers dropped the first two games of the tournament and saw their season come to an early end.
Seniors Faith McLaughlin and Lexi Peters finished their career with All-AMCC caliber seasons, the Panthers were led by underclassmen Krislyn Clement and Sarah Stroup.
Clement was a two-way star for the Panthers, making 2nd Team All-AMCC as a pitcher and shortstop. In the circle, Clement posted a 10-4 record with one save and a 2.05 ERA. She finished the year 3rd in ERA and wins and was top 10 in strikeouts per 7 innings pitched (5.93) and WHIP (1.36). Offensively she hit .365 with 24 RBI, 22 runs scored and an AMCC leading 7 triples.
Stroup had an impressive debut campaign, earning 1st Team All-AMCC honors as a utility player and was named conference Newcomer of the Year. Splitting time at shortstop and behind the dish, Stroup hit .438 with 32 runs scored, 27 RBIs and 1 home run. She reached base at a .541 clip, which was the second best on base percentage in the AMCC. She was also top 10 in batting average (3rd), runs (6th) and RBI (10th).
Returners Ciera Adams, Miranda Groll, Lilly Hamels, Meghan Kapp, and Lexi Najdusak will provide continued production and valuable experience, to a group that will also look to a promising newcomer class to add to the equation.
The Panthers will begin their season with a Spring Break trip to the west coast as they will play five doubleheaders against teams based in the Los Angeles area. Once they return, they will head south for the annual weekend trip to Virginia to face Roanoke and Eastern Mennonite. The Panthers open their home slate on Monday, March 24th, when they host Grove City. AMCC play starts on the road on April 2nd at Penn State-Behrend.
"We will be challenged to start the season in California against teams that have already played a bit," said head coach Tina Phillips, who is approaching 400 victories with the program. She added, "We have a good nucleus of returners and a strong freshmen group that are up for the challenge."
In the AMCC Pre-Season Coaches' Poll, Pitt-Bradford was predicted to finish 2nd behind Penn State-Behrend. The full preseason release from the AMCC can be found on their website, here.
