Charleston, W.Va - The Golden Eagles Softball Program picked up 3 first-place votes, ranking them 2nd in the South Division heading into the 2023 season.
The UC women's softball team, under second-year head coach Michelle Frew, is believed to have a successful year based on their MEC preseason ranking. In her first year, Coach Frew earned a 28-23 overall record, going 19-13 in conference play, and making it to the MEC tournament. After falling short to West Virginia Wesleyan and West Liberty, the team hopes that with their firm returning core and new faces to their program, they look to clench the MEC Championship title.
With strong returners behind the plate, this goal is not too far-fetched. Batting .458, with 71 hits, 22 doubles, 1 triple, and 4 home runs, Junior Hannah Rose will be the driving force for this offensive side. In her 2022 season, Rose earned NFCA First Team All-American, NFCA First Team Atlantic Region, Mountain East Conference Player of the Year, and First Team all MEC. The junior utility player will be one of many that will help gain strong momentum for the season. Along with Rose, key returners of Raegan West and Allysa Lake will help with the offensive push behind the plate. West batting .327 and Lake batting .323 prove the strong veteran clan of the Golden Eagles. Allysa Lake led the team in home runs last season with 7 and had a total of 51 hits behind the plate.
At the mound, the pitching duo of senior Danielle Bauer and junior Morgan Hoppe seeks to lead the defensive side of the Golden Eagles. As the senior veteran, Bauer pitched a total of 159.1 innings in the 2022 season, earning an ERA of 3.08. Her presence was known as she lead the team with 154 strikeouts, earning 12 in her first game against Queens (NC) last season. Morgan Hoppe, the pitcher-outfield junior will be a key returner for the UC squad as well. Hoppe earned an ERA of 2.67, leading her team, and silenced opponents at the plate with 89 strikeouts. She looks to continue her dominance in her third year. Hoppe earned her season-high of 8 strikeouts in the match against Frostburg State. FSU earned the second-highest first-place votes of the 2023 season with 6, tallying a total of 61. They hold first place in the North Division as the teams head into the year.
Veterans aren't going to be the only strong components of the team. Sophomore pitcher Brianna McCown, a transfer from nearby Marshall University, looks to get some looks on the mound. Also on the defensive end, a sophomore catcher and Saint Leo University transfer, Isabella Andujar hopes to make an impact with her new team. The Golden Eagles also picked up cross-town rival West Virginia State transfer Lindsey Phares, a Hurricane, WV native, and a few other transfers for their upcoming season.
The team looks to create a strong name for themselves this season as they kickstart in Columbus, Georgia, competing in the NFCA Lead-Off Classic starting February 24th. The team will host their first game at home against Virginia Union University on March 15th.
