Softball Faces FDU & Hofstra in Weekend Series

LEWISBURG, Pa.- The Bucknell Bison softball team (2-5) enters the third weekend of competition seeking to regain momentum after dropping a doubleheader to Radford. The Bison are seeking to generate good feelings before entering March.

Season Preview

The Starting Lineup
What: Weekend Series vs. FDU & Hofstra
Where: Adventure Crossing USA (Jackson Township, N.J.)
When: Feb. 23-25

Weekend Schedule
Friday, Feb. 23 | Adventure Crossing USA
4 p.m. | vs. Hofstra
6 p.m. | vs. Hofstra

Sunday, Feb. 25 | Adventure Crossing USA
11 a.m. | vs. FDU | Live Stats
1:15 p.m. | vs. Hofstra

Caffrey's Call

"We are excited to play more games. Last weekend, we left Radford very dissatisfied. It didn't sit well with how we played. This week, there has been a lot of focus on our preparation, and I think we all want the opportunity to make adjustments. We know we have to provide more offense to be successful. I'm sure this team is up for that challenge.

It is an uncharacteristic weekend since we are playing at a township park in New Jersey with Hofstra and FDU, but that is our sport. We make adjustments and do the best we can, and I know all of us coaches from each school and the facility we will play at have worked hard to put this all together, so I am just grateful that we get to play more softball this weekend."

The Inside "Herd" on the Bison

The Bison dropped a doubleheader to Radford on Friday, 3-0 and 7-1. The Orange & Blue could not penetrate the Highlanders' ace pitching staff.
Noelle Gardon collected the sole Bucknell RBI in the 7-1 defeat.
Both Elena Horn and Zoie Smith lead the Bison in batting average with .300 averages. Half of Smith's hits (6) have been for extra bases (two doubles and a home run). Horn's six hits are all singles.
Savannah Jones has a team-best 2.93 ERA.

Overview of the Opposition

FDU- FDU went 24-27 overall and 10-11 in the NEC in 2023. The Knights are 1-4 on the young season. FDU opened the season on the first weekend at the LaJolla Weekend in Riverside, California. They defeated UC San Diego, 2-1, but were outscored 34-6 in four losses to UC San Diego, California Baptist, and Idaho State. The Knights were off last weekend. FDU is hitting .137 with a staff ERA of 7.31. Opponents have a team ERA of 0.28.
Hofstra- Hofstra finished 29-27 overall and 16-7 in the CAA in 2023. The Pride pulled off an epic upset run in the CAA Tournament to reach the Norman Regional. Their season concluded in 11-0 and 7-0 defeats to eventual national champion Oklahoma and PAC 12 power Cal. Hofstra's season began in week two at The Fonseca Memorial Tournament at USF. The Pride went 1-2 with a cancellation against Purdue. They split a series with UIC and fell to Boston College. Hofstra is batting .173 with no extra-base hits. Their pitching has been a source of pride, collecting a 1.00 ERA.

History with the Foe

FDU- Bucknell is 1-2 all-time against FDU. The Bison won the first game in 2006 but have dropped the last two games.
Hofstra- Bucknell owns a 5-2 record against the Pride. The series dates back to 1989. Bucknell won the first five games but lost the final two contests. The series has not been played since 1991.

Up Next

The Bison travel to the Blue Hen Invitational on March 1-3.