2020 Season Preview

The Haverford College softball team has been knocking on the door of a Centennial Conference Championship during the past two seasons, finishing runner-up on both occasions. Looking to finally hoist the conference trophy this spring, the Fords return a talented team that features five All-Centennial Conference selections.

In addition to a lineup loaded with talent, Haverford's pitching staff returns all five players who saw time in the circle a season ago. Temma Levis, the first NFCA second-team All-Atlantic Region player in program history also earned first-team All-Centennial Conference accolades as she won a school record 18 games while posting a 1.38 ERA last year. Opponents batted just .208 against Levis as she threw a complete game during 14 of her 23 starts, headlined by a no-hitter against Western New England. Levis got even stronger in CC action as she went 10-0 with a 1.15 ERA during the conference's regular season.

Fellow senior Briana Quinn appeared in 19 games in the circle, seeing most of her time starting the second game of a doubleheader. Nevertheless, she was equally as effective as a reliever where she did not allow an earned run during seven of those 11 appearances out of the bullpen. Quinn won seven games last year while posting a career-best 3.17 ERA. Junior Johanna Batterton provides another strong option in the circle as she posted a 2.44 ERA in 37.1 innings last year while winning two games. Now sophomores, Maya Casey and Emily Reinstadtler also provided strong innings during their rookie seasons.

With four All-Centennial Conference players returning to a lineup that brings back eight regulars, Haverford has the potential to improve on a batting order that led the conference in batting average, slugging percentage, hits, doubles, extra-base hits, and total bases a season ago. Junior Emma Souter is the reigning Centennial Conference Player of the Year after leading the league in hits (52), doubles (18), total bases (85), and sacrifice flies (5), while ranking second in batting average (.397) and slugging percentage (.649). Souter also ranked among the top five of the conference in runs (34), home runs (5), and RBI (29), while posting a .425 on-base percentage as a sophomore.

Nicole Swisher was another first-team All-Centennial Conference selection for the Fords. She hit .322 with a .370 on-base percentage and .446 slugging percentage while also scoring 22 runs. Swisher, a junior, is already a two-year starter for the Fords. Seniors Ashley Sisto and Marybeth Stone are also returning starters after garnering second-team All-CC accolades last season. Sisto, who has started exactly 100 games during her first three seasons, was also the Centennial Conference's Scholar-Athlete of the year after stealing 12 bases and batting .295 on the year. She is a two-time All-CC selection who has twice been named the conference's player of the week. Stone ranked fourth in the CC in both his (45) and RBI (30) in addition to her .328 batting average last year. Sixteen of those 30 RBI came in CC action to lead the conference. Allison Mackenzie has also seen time in the outfield and as a pinch-runner where she has stolen three bases and scored five runs.

Sophomore Phoebe May returns after starting 39 games at catcher during her first-year. Serving in the flex role most games last season, May did pick up four hits and three RBI in addition to her spot on the all-sportsmanship team. Fellow sophomores Michelle Kaplan and Genevieve Dallmeyer-Drennen also return with a year of experience under their belts. Kaplan hit .293 a season ago while splitting time in the outfield. Dallmeyer-Drennan appeared in 18 games and figures to have an increased role with four-year starters Julia Blake and Rachel Wolfson graduating from the middle of the infield. All five of Haverford's returning pitchers have also had their moments in the batter's box. Levis hit .316 last year with 21 RBI while Reinstadtler also saw significant time in the outfield where she batted .280. Batterton, Quinn, and Casey also saw time as the designated player throughout the year.

Haverford also welcomes six new first-years to give the team its largest roster in recent history. Susie Pieper brings another solid arm into the rotation while Nikki Kingsland and Abby Marquis solidify the catching battery. Madison Hujber will have a chance to compete for time in the middle of the infield while Kaila Uyeda will fill a variety of roles as a utility player for the Fords. Carley Parsons will add depth in the outfield to an already strong position for the Fords.

Softball begins its 2020 schedule with 10 games in Florida beginning of Sunday, March 8. Haverford will host seven home doubleheaders throughout the spring season. The Fords went 28-12 a season ago, including a 13-3 Centennial Conference record which allowed them to host the Centennial Conference Tournament for just the second time in school history. The Fords made it back to the Centennial Conference Championship series for a second straight season but fell to Dickinson in a pair of 1-0 battles. Coaches around the Centennial Conference certainly recognize the returning talent on this year's team as the Fords were picked as the conference's preseason favorite.