Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Notre Dame
Bucknell Softball Opens 2022 Season at Green & Gold Classic
2/10/2022 9:01:00 AM | Softball
2022 Season Preview
Setting the Scene
What:Â Green & Gold Classic
Where:Â Daughtridge Stadium (Charlotte, N.C.)
When:Â Feb. 11-12
Bucknell Schedule (All Times EST)
Friday, Feb. 11
10 a.m. | vs. Notre Dame (0-0) |Â Live Stats
3 p.m. | at Charlotte (0-0) | Live Stats | Listen Live
Saturday, Feb. 12
3 p.m. | at Charlotte (0-0) |Â Live Stats | Listen Live
5:30 p.m. | vs. Notre Dame (0-0) |Â Live StatsÂ
About the Bison
• Bucknell opens the 2022 season at the Charlotte Green & Gold Classic this weekend. The Bison have four games on tap for the opening weekend and will face both the Charlotte 49ers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish twice. Boston U. will also be taking part in the tournament.
• Bucknell concluded the 2021 season 12-18-1 (9-14-1 PL), missing out of the Patriot League Tournament with a fifth-place finish. It was the team's first season under head coach Sarah Caffrey.
• Bucknell opened league play 7-1 last season, but injuries began to pile up down the stretch. The Bison ended up winning just two of their final 16 games.
• As a team, Bucknell finished the season fifth in batting average (.237), tied for third in ERA (3.21) and second in fielding percentage (.868). The Bison were also third in both home runs (17) and stolen bases (18).
• Bucknell graduated its one All-Patriot League player (Taylor Wolfgang) from 2021. Senior infielder Nicole Rivait was named to the Preseason All-Patriot League Team earlier this week, and it was announced Bucknell was picked fifth of seven in the preseason poll.
• The Bison have a full 46 games on the schedule, and the Patriot League Tournament is scheduled to begin on Thursday, May 12. Bucknell has played a combined 52 games over the last two seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• This is Bucknell softball's 44th season of competition. The program is 735-893-9 overall and 282-273-1 all-time in conference play.
• For a more in-depth look at the 2022 Bison, see the season preview below.
Scouting the Opponents
• Notre Dame – Notre Dame's game against Bucknell will also be its first game of the season. The Fighting Irish went 33-15 overall and 20-10 in the ACC. Notre Dame earned wins over the Miami RedHawks and No. 1 Kentucky in the NCAA tournament. The team was picked fifth in this year's ACC preseason poll, and outfielder Abby Sweet was named Preseason All-ACC.
• Charlotte – The Niners will face Virginia on Thursday for their season opener before hosting Bucknell on Friday. Charlotte went 31-19 overall and 14-6 in Conference USA in 2021. Charlotte was picked as C-USA favorite this preseason for the first time in program history. Senior catcher Bailey Vannoy was named C-USA Preseason Player of the Year, and two others earned Preseason All-Conference recognition.
Series History with the Opponents
• Notre Dame – Friday will be Bucknell's first-ever meeting with Notre Dame. The Bison are 3-7 all-time against ACC opponents. Bucknell will also face Pitt out of the ACC later in the season.
• Charlotte – Bucknell is 0-4 in the all-time series against Charlotte, which dates back to 1996. The two teams last met in the 2007 season opener, which was also played at the Green & Gold Classic. The 49ers collected an 8-4 victory.
Up Next
• Bucknell heads south again for four games in Wilmington, N.C. The Bison will face Marist and UNC Wilmington on Saturday, Feb. 19 and Sunday, Feb. 20.
Entering her second season at Bucknell, head coach Sarah Caffrey is still relatively early in the process of developing her brand of Bison softball. With a young group of student-athletes and a new support staff, she's looking to take the next step forward in developing the tough-minded culture that she feels her squad needs in order to be successful through the ebbs and flows of a full collegiate softball season.
"Our biggest focus this fall and spring has been building on the toughness factor," said Caffrey. "How do we be more resilient and build off a team identity of being tough and gritty? I think last year we saw that there's a lot to build off of. There were a lot of good things that happened, even though there were a lot of ups and downs. It was a tricky season with new staff, COVID and injuries."
The ups of the 2021 season included a 7-1 stretch to open Patriot League play, solid production from a blossoming rookie class, and the play of 2022 Preseason All-Patriot League infielder Nicole Rivait. The downs were marked by missing out on the league tournament and a series of injuries near the end of the year that brought the season to a close. Bucknell finished the truncated 2021 season 12-18-1, including a 9-14-1 mark in conference play.
This year, the Bison enter the season with 12 underclassmen, including eight rookies. There are only three seniors on the team that have gone through a full 40-game slate.
"Our freshmen provide a lot of different looks and layers, and youth provides energy in my mind. We have a little bit of young, hungry, don't know any better, and then we have the upperclassmen who can kind of reign it in and make sure they understand where we're going and what we're doing, so I think it's a good split," said Caffrey.
Bucknell welcomed a diverse rookie class that adds depth to every position, including a host of utility players with the ability to step in anywhere from catcher, to infield and outfield. The Bison also brought in a pair of freshman arms to add to an already deep pitching circle.
Also new to the team are assistant coaches Anna Kirk and Tim Cuozzo. Kirk recently served as an assistant at Ashland University and was a standout infielder at Ohio State from 2014-17. Cuozzo has made previous coaching stops at Georgia Tech and Fordham.
"It has actually been really challenging to write a lineup for week one because we have so many people that have been doing exactly what they're supposed to do," said Caffrey. "I have a lot of players that will play anywhere you put them, and they won't care as long as they're on the field. I think that's a really big piece of the puzzle for us right now."
Pitchers
One spot where Caffrey is feeling the calmest about is her former position – pitcher. Bucknell has six players on its pitching staff, headlined by veterans Kelly Toomey, Kaiya Burton and Olivia Marinelli. The trio combined for all 12 of Bucknell's wins in 2021, with Toomey posting the best record at 4-3.
Toomey, who transferred to Bucknell after making previous stops at La Salle and UNC Wilmington, appeared in 14 games and started eight as a junior. She led the team in strikeouts (58) and posted a 2.34 ERA in conference play with one shutout. Her most notable performance was a near no-hitter against Holy Cross that saw the Crusaders go without successful contact until the final play of the game.
"Toomey had a great conference season last year. She's our senior ace that we're looking to lead us in that regard. At the same time, we have two juniors in Kaiya Burton and Olivia Marinelli. They both got a lot of time last year as well. I think that helps us, having some arms who have been there, done that, and you can go to them when you need them," said Caffrey.
Burton owns the most career starts for the Orange & Blue at 20, including 12 games last season when she finished 5-7. She threw a team-high 82.1 innings and also played better against Patriot League competition, tossing 37 strikeouts while finishing with a 3.55 ERA in league play. Fellow junior Marinelli saw her first real game action last season, posting a 3-5 record in 13 appearances and seven starts. Marinelli also finished with one shutout and a save.
The other returner to the pitching staff is sophomore Hunter Vestal, who was also used in some pinch-hitting spots. Vestal saw limited time in the circle with just 13 innings pitched, but Caffrey said she's worked hard during the offseason to put herself in the rotation this spring.
Bucknell also welcomed a pair of rookie arms in Madison Roukey of Hudson, Ohio and Savannah Jones of Indianapolis, Ind.
"The six of them combined are going to be tough to beat. That excites me in conference, because not a lot of teams carry that many. I think they provide depth and very different looks, which is always fun when you have pitching," said Caffrey.
Catchers
Completing the battery for the Bison are three catchers, which will also split time at other positions. Likely to see the most time behind the dish is sophomore Zoie Smith, who was spectacular through the majority of her rookie season. Smith earned two Patriot League Rookie of the Week awards and was once named Patriot League Player of the Week after leading the team in both RBIs (22) and home runs (6), finishing third in batting average (.261), and ending up second in hits (23).
The Pickerington, Ohio native started her collegiate career with a bang, recording eight hits over her first four games in 2021. In her collegiate debut against N.C. A&T, Smith went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a home run. She also caught four runners stealing on the season while splitting time behind the plate with then-senior Taylor Wolfgang.
"I think Zoie has elevated big time," said Caffrey. "She's kind of proven and solidified that she's really reliable. She's going to run the infield, and she's good with the pitchers."
Bucknell also has a pair of rookie catchers in Mackenzie Hilling and Jessie Kincer. Hilling will likely see more time in relief of Smith, while Kincer has the ability to play in the outfield and fill in behind the plate when called upon.
Infield
Bucknell returns most of its starting infield from last season, including Rivait, who led the team in batting average (.387), hits (24), doubles (6) and runs scored (21). Â Ravait was even stronger in conference play, batting .429 over 14 games and slugging .810. She started the first 21 games of the season in 2021 before missing the rest of the year with injury. Her efforts landed her on the Preseason All-Patriot League list earlier this week.
"Nicole has put a tremendous amount of pressure on herself to perform. I'm curious to see how she handles getting back into it. She hasn't played since April of last year, but Nicole is special. She's definitely one to watch," said Caffrey.
Junior Kailyn Lorberter started most games at second base last season, batting .226 with a double, a triple and four RBIs. Also playing up the middle was then-rookie Noelle Gardon, who started 24 games at short stop. She looks to return to that spot in her sophomore season.
Senior Sarah Baluch shared time at first base with Smith and Wolfgang while also serving as the designated player in some games. She started 27 of the team's 30 games and batted .214 with four doubles and four RBIs. Rookie Juliette Basso will also figure into the mix in the infield. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native hit .745 with nine homers as a high school senior last year.
Outfield
While the infield could look relatively unchanged from the last season, Bucknell brought back just one veteran outfielder. Chase Knapp enters her junior season and is expected to return to center field after starting 24 of the team's 30 games in 2021. Knapp hit .233 as a sophomore, posting four doubles, two home runs and 11 RBIs. She also went 2-for-4 with a grand slam early in the season against Longwood. The two-year starter has also filled in at shortstop when needed.
Potentially seeing a lot of time in the outfield are rookies Ava Aguilar and Elena Horn. Fellow rookie Kincer could also factor into the mix, but Caffrey said it's all about who can hit their way into the lineup.
Utility players Bella Radican and Annabella Hawkins also provide depth to the team. Radican was an all-state pitcher and short stop at Riverside High School in Leesburg, Va. last year. Hawkins joined the Bison after playing her collegiate freshman season at Saint Joseph's, where she started five games in 2021.
Bucknell will test itself early in 2022 with games against Notre Dame and Charlotte during its opening weekend. The Bison have a host of tournaments down south on the schedule throughout February and March. They make their home debut on March 26 when they host Holy Cross for the first Patriot League series of the season. Bucknell also hosts the Army and Lehigh series at Becker Field.
"We have quite a few opponents that are really good matchups for us. The mindset has been 'this is where we get to test ourselves.' We get to see how tough we are, how good we are. There are games where you don't get to make a lot of mistakes, and I think that's really good for us. We lost a lot of one-run games last year, and if those one-run games went in our favor, it would be a totally different season that we're previewing right now or that we were talking about last year," Caffrey said.
