Softball | 4/30/2024 12:00:00 PM

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg softball team enters the 2024 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) as the fifth seed out of the Eastern Division for the second consecutive season. The Huskies take on No. 4 Slippery Rock out of the West in Quakertown, Pa., with the first pitch set for 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, May 1.

Bloomsburg enters the tournament with a record of 31-20 on the season with a PSAC record of 18-14. Seeds two through five in the East were within one game of each other in conference record. The Huskies are coming off a road doubleheader sweep of Millersville to secure their places, earning 7-5 and 13-7 wins. The Rock is 25-25 in 2024 with an 18-13 record against West opposition. 

Fans can purchase tickets online via HudlTickets. Day one and day two passes are $15. Days three and four are $10 per person. Fans cannot buy tickets with cash on any day of competition. Students of member institutions receive free admission for all days and contests. Live stream, live stat and ticketing information can be found at the PSAC Softball Tournament Hub or @PSACsports on X. 

Inside the Matchup
Bloomsburg holds an 18-3 record all-time over Slippery Rock. The two teams last met in 2018, where the Rock came out on top in a 3-0 game on a neutral field in Clermont, Florida. Slippery Rock entered as the No. 3 seed out of the West in last season's PSAC Tournament and was eliminated following losses to eventual champions Shippensburg and West foe Mercyhurst. The Huskies look to replicate last season's magic as the No. 5 seed when Bloomsburg made it to the tournament finals in 2023.

The two sides have not met in the PSAC Tournament at any point since 1993. The Rock were the second-ever champions of the PSAC in 1981. The Huskies lead the conference with 16 titles dating back to 1980. The last conference title for Bloomsburg came in 2016.

Consistent Leadership
In the last 46 seasons of Bloomsburg softball, there have only been two leaders of the Huskies. Susan Kocher first took the helm of Bloomsburg during the 2011 season following a long stint as assistant coach and her tenure as one of the best pitchers in program history. 

The former pitcher has been a part of nearly 1500 wins in over 40 seasons as part of the program. The 2024 campaign is the seventh season under Kocher Bloomsburg reached the 30-win threshold, with 31 regular-season victories matching the most in a season for the Huskies since 2017. Kocher has been named a PSAC Coach of the Year twice in her tenure.

Run It Back
The Huskies look to replicate last season's magic as the No. 5 seed when Bloomsburg made it to the tournament finals in 2023. Bloomsburg returns 11 of the 12 players that played in the final game of last season's run to this year's squad. Bella Culp (Harrisburg, Pa/Central Dauphin), Kayleigh Lenner (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) and Mia Nemeth (Drums, Pa/Marian Catholic) are among the names that have held a consistent place in the lineup this season, while Emma Little (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn-Trafford) is coming into form after missing a month of action in the early goings of the season. Alex Iseminger (Everett, Pa./Everett Area) serves as one of the go-to bats off the bench for the Huskies while Kelly Eberly (Purcellville, Va/Homeschooled) serves as one of Bloomsburg's potential options at pitcher. In total, the Huskies return 16 of the 18 members of the 2023 team.

Ace in the Hole
The Bloomsburg pitching staff is led by Callie Sowers (Irwin, Pa/Hempfield Area), the leading arm for the Huskies over her first three seasons on the squad. Sowers is in the middle of her best campaign with Bloomsburg, leading the team in every major statistical category and planting her flag as one of the top arms in the country.

Sowers this season has a 21-5 record heading into the tournament with a 1.38 earned run average, a .90 WHIP and a .190 batting average against in 172.2 innings pitched. The junior has tossed 24 complete games with five shutouts and 220 strikeouts to 36 walks allowed. Sowers is among the top three in every major pitching statistical category among PSAC pitchers.

Nationally, the Irwin, Pa. native sits among the top 31 pitchers in Division II in several categories, including complete games (2nd), strikeouts (9th), victories (11th), strikeouts per seven innings (18th), WHIP (22nd), hits allowed per seven innings (26th) and ERA (31st).

Sowers is a one-time NFCA All-Region selection and is a two-time All-PSAC East recipient. 

Youth Movement
The Huskies have gotten significant production from several underclassmen, whether emerging first-year players or those making a second-year lead.

Among the freshmen contingency are Emmie Rowe (Hetlerville, Pa./Central Columbia), Josie Straigis (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe) and Sarah Yamrick (Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot). Rowe has cemented her place as part of the outfield platoon, providing a consistent presence at the plate. Rowe is hitting .303 in 99 plate at-bats this season with nine RBI and 16 runs scored while seeing time in right field and as the designated player. 

Straigis has made a smashing start on the scene in her first season at Bloomsburg, cementing her spot as one of the Huskies' primary power bats in the lineup. The Greensburg, Pa. native leads the team with home runs (7), RBI (33) and slugging percentage (.529). The first-year has seen time in the outfield, as the designated player and on the mound. Straigis has six home runs and 21 RBI in conference play this season.

The final freshman making a notable impact is Sarah Yamrick (Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot). Stepping into a new role at first base, the Fort Myers, Fla. native has hit the ground running at Bloomsburg. Yamrick is third on the team with a .344 batting average, second with 27 RBI, and is one of four qualified bats with an OPS above .800 (.819). Yamrick has also been a valuable part of the lineup during PSAC action, sitting third on the team with a .333 batting average and tied for third with 15 RBI.

Sophomores Taylor Kranzley (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) and Sage Weidlich (Pittston, Pa./Pittston) have been staples of the Huskies' lineup and have taken their games to another level this season. 

Kranzley is arguably Bloomsburg's most improved player this season. The sophomore has seen her batting average improve to over .300 this season while adding a new-found power element. Kranzley hit her first two career home runs for the Huskies this season and is the team leader in doubles (16) while sitting third on the squad with 26 RBI. Kranzley's marked improvement is off the heels of being Bloomsburg's best bat in conference play, leading the team in batting average (.375), OPS (1.016) and RBI (22). The Northampton, Pa. native also has statistically been one of the best defenders in the conference, sitting tied for second with a .994 fielding percentage, having committed one error.

Weidlich has taken a new approach in the lineup as one of the top contact bats for the Huskies, hitting out of the second spot. Weidlich is second on the team with a .355 batting average after hitting a team-leading .372 a year ago. Weidlich's role, matched with her speed, has made her a consistent contributor in small-ball efforts, leading the team with 11 sacrifice bunts. 

Numbers to Know
The Huskies are among the top dink-and-dunk teams in the nation, sitting in the top 50 nationally in hits (423) while being third nationally in sacrifice bunts (59).

Bloomsburg is also one of the top strikeout teams in the nation while limiting damage. The team is 20th nationally in strikeouts per seven innings while possessing one of the better strikeout-to-walk ratios in the country at 3.08 for 29th.

Despite having a .278 team batting average this season compared to a .300 average for the Huskies, the Rock surpasses Bloomsburg with a .811 OPS compared to the .760. The offensive efforts for Slippery Rock are supported by two top power hitters in the West: Alexsa Hurd and Julia Montie. The two players are part of eight PSAC athletes with double-digit home runs. Hurd is the only player during the 2024 conference slate with 10 home runs against PSAC pitching. Hurd and Montie are two of three players on the team with eight home runs and 30 RBI.

Hurd is also the top arm for Slippery Rock, holding a 2.79 ERA in 118.0 innings pitched with 146 strikeouts and a .239 opponent batting average. In conference play, Hurd has a 3.17 ERA in 70.2 innings pitched with 96 strikeouts and a .242 opponent batting average. However, the primary starter for Slippery Rock is Kelsi Anderson, who holds a 3.92 ERA with team highs of 27 starts and 134.0 innings pitched.

The winner of the game goes on to play East Stroudsburg in the second round of the PSAC Tournament, while the loser awaits their opponent following the second-round games on Wednesday.