Softball Releases Electrifying 2025 Schedule
1/20/2025 4:38:00 PM | Softball
LEWISBURG, Pa.- Fresh off its first Patriot League Tournament victory and most successful season since 2019, the Bucknell Bison softball team has assembled a schedule designed to return the program to the upper echelon of eastern collegiate softball. The schedule features four teams who made the 2024 NCAA Tournament and plenty of regional rivals along with 11 exciting and pivotal home games at Becker Field.
Head coach Sarah Caffrey entering her fifth season offered posh praise about the 2025 slate:
"I am excited with how the 2025 season schedule has come together. We play a very competitive slate and it will prepare us well for our Patriot League season. We will travel to some different places and get to have new experiences as a team which is something we are all looking forward to. If you asked the players, they would be most excited about the trips to Texas and Tennessee, because we haven't ever done those before but anytime we get to go somewhere new is a huge win.
Ultimately the opportunity to sharpen our skills in preseason while in a little bit warmer weather is the ultimate goal of our schedule. The 2025 season will be here before you know it and I know Team 47 can't wait!"
The schedule starts deep in the heart of the Lone Star State at Tarleton's Texan Classic (Feb. 7-9). The Bison will open with McNeese and Tarleton on Opening Day followed by McNeese and Arkansas Pine Bluff the next day. The Classic concludes with a single game versus Marist on Feb. 9.
McNeese State posted a banner 40-20 2024 record with a sterling 22-2 Southland Conference mark. Their season ended in a semifinal upset tournament to Incarnate Word. Tarleton went 23-32 last year and lost in the first round of the WAC Tournament. Arkansas Pine Bluff finished 19-30 in 2024 and went 0-2 in the SWAC Tournament. Marist recorded a 36-19 record in 2024 and won the MAAC Regular Season title but went 0-2 in the MAAC Championship. One of their 36 wins came over Bucknell.
Bucknell will rest and refuel for a weekend before resuming action with a three-game series at Delaware State on Feb. 22-23. A single game will be played on Feb. 22, followed by a doubleheader on the 23rd.
The Hornets went 14-28 in 2024 and did not qualify for the MEAC Tournament.
The following weekend (Feb. 28-March 2) finds the Bison at the Hokie Invite hosted by Virginia Tech. Bucknell will play softball powerhouse James Madison and fellow Pennsylvanian school Robert Morris on the 28th. 2024 foe Radford and Robert Morris are on the March 1 docket. A single game with Villanova ends the Invite on March 2.
JMU went 31-22 last year and fell to NCAA-bound Louisiana in the Sun Belt quarterfinals. RMU completed 2024 with a 20-24 record and a run to the Horizon League semifinals. Radford missed the Big South Tournament but earned a 24-23 record, helped by defeating Bucknell in a doubleheader. Villanova went 33-24 overall and 19-5 in Big East play. The Wildcats won the Big East Tournament and made a run to the Fayetteville Regional final where they fell to Arizona.
The Bison head to Nashville, Tennessee forgoing the traditional Florida spring break trip. The expedition starts with the Cathi Maynard Invitational (Feb. 7-9) hosted by Austin Peay. Bucknell plays UMass and Appalachian State on March 7, App State and the host team on March 8, and finishes with UMass on March 9.
UMass posted a 20-35 overall record in 2014 with a 2-2 mark in the A-10 Championships. App State went 17-10 in non-conference play but plummeted to 4-20 against the elite Sun Belt conference schedule. Austin Peay went 23-29 overall last season and fell in the first round of the ASUN Softball Championship.
The team remains in the Volunteer State to face Lipscomb on March 11 and will play a doubleheader against Tennessee State the following day.
The Bisons of Lipscomb went 16-36 in 2024 while Tennessee State posted a 26-25 record and several wins in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.
Bucknell returns north of the Mason-Dixon Line to face Wagner in a doubleheader on March 18. The Seahawks finished 2024 with an 8-30 record missing the NEC Tournament.
Conference and home play at Becker Field begin on March 22-23 when the reigning Patriot League champions Boston University Terriers arrive in Lewisburg. The conference format of a Saturday doubleheader followed by a solitary Sunday matinee remains intact. Bucknell will play 18 conference games against six Patriot League teams.
Boston University finished 53-6-1 overall and 18-0 in conference play. The Terriers advanced to the Norman Regional where they went 1-2 with two losses to #22 Oregon and a win over Cleveland State. Boston ranked #23 in the final NFCA Poll.
The Bison head to West Point on March 29-30 to clash bats with their conference foe the Army Black Knights.
The Black Knights of the Hudson went 5-30 in non-conference competition but rallied for a 9-9 record in PL play. Their season ended with losses to Boston and Lehigh in the PL Tournament.
The Route 45 Rivalry renews for another season when Bucknell heads to Penn State for a single game on April 1.
Penn State recorded a banner year finishing 35-20 and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. They went 1-2 in the College Station Regional defeating Albany but dropped two games to #25 Texas State.
The Orange & Blue stay on the road to face Lehigh on April 5-6. Bucknell defeated the Mountain Hawks 1-0 in the first round of the 2024 Patriot League Tournament when Madison Roukey hurled a complete game masterpiece.
Lehigh posted a 32-20 record and, despite the opening round loss to Bucknell, rallied to make the Patriot League Championship Game where they fell 1-0 in eight innings to Boston.
Back-to-back home conference weekends follow against Lafayette (April 12-13) and Colgate (April 19-20).
The Leopards posted a 5-37 mark in 2024, which included being swept by the Bison. Colgate finished 22-28 and 8-10 in conference play. They were eliminated on the final weekend for the second consecutive season when Army defeated them twice in a three-game series.
The final Becker Field contests of 2025, barring hosting the Patriot League Tournament, will occur in a doubleheader against Iona on April 24.
The Gaels finished 18-29 overall in 2024 but were 14-10 in MAAC play. Their season ended with a 1-2 record in the MAAC Championships.
Bucknell travels to Keystone rival Saint Francis for a doubleheader on April 29. 2024's scheduled doubleheader with the Red Flash was canceled by inclement weather.
The Red Flash finished 41-14 overall and 24-0 in the NEC. They swept through the conference tournament and advanced to the Austin Regional. They defeated Siena 1-0 for the second NCAA win in school history but lost twice to Northwestern.
Regular season play concludes with a three-game series at PL foe Holy Cross on May 3-4.
The Crusaders finished 14-35 in 2024 and were swept by the Bison. Holy Cross ended the season on a high note by sweeping Lafayette.
The Patriot League Tournament, hosted by the regular season champion, begins on May 8 and runs through May 10. The Bison have qualified for the last two tournaments after missing in 2021-22 – a testament to Coach Caffrey's program building.
Head coach Sarah Caffrey entering her fifth season offered posh praise about the 2025 slate:
"I am excited with how the 2025 season schedule has come together. We play a very competitive slate and it will prepare us well for our Patriot League season. We will travel to some different places and get to have new experiences as a team which is something we are all looking forward to. If you asked the players, they would be most excited about the trips to Texas and Tennessee, because we haven't ever done those before but anytime we get to go somewhere new is a huge win.
Ultimately the opportunity to sharpen our skills in preseason while in a little bit warmer weather is the ultimate goal of our schedule. The 2025 season will be here before you know it and I know Team 47 can't wait!"
The schedule starts deep in the heart of the Lone Star State at Tarleton's Texan Classic (Feb. 7-9). The Bison will open with McNeese and Tarleton on Opening Day followed by McNeese and Arkansas Pine Bluff the next day. The Classic concludes with a single game versus Marist on Feb. 9.
McNeese State posted a banner 40-20 2024 record with a sterling 22-2 Southland Conference mark. Their season ended in a semifinal upset tournament to Incarnate Word. Tarleton went 23-32 last year and lost in the first round of the WAC Tournament. Arkansas Pine Bluff finished 19-30 in 2024 and went 0-2 in the SWAC Tournament. Marist recorded a 36-19 record in 2024 and won the MAAC Regular Season title but went 0-2 in the MAAC Championship. One of their 36 wins came over Bucknell.
Bucknell will rest and refuel for a weekend before resuming action with a three-game series at Delaware State on Feb. 22-23. A single game will be played on Feb. 22, followed by a doubleheader on the 23rd.
The Hornets went 14-28 in 2024 and did not qualify for the MEAC Tournament.
The following weekend (Feb. 28-March 2) finds the Bison at the Hokie Invite hosted by Virginia Tech. Bucknell will play softball powerhouse James Madison and fellow Pennsylvanian school Robert Morris on the 28th. 2024 foe Radford and Robert Morris are on the March 1 docket. A single game with Villanova ends the Invite on March 2.
JMU went 31-22 last year and fell to NCAA-bound Louisiana in the Sun Belt quarterfinals. RMU completed 2024 with a 20-24 record and a run to the Horizon League semifinals. Radford missed the Big South Tournament but earned a 24-23 record, helped by defeating Bucknell in a doubleheader. Villanova went 33-24 overall and 19-5 in Big East play. The Wildcats won the Big East Tournament and made a run to the Fayetteville Regional final where they fell to Arizona.
The Bison head to Nashville, Tennessee forgoing the traditional Florida spring break trip. The expedition starts with the Cathi Maynard Invitational (Feb. 7-9) hosted by Austin Peay. Bucknell plays UMass and Appalachian State on March 7, App State and the host team on March 8, and finishes with UMass on March 9.
UMass posted a 20-35 overall record in 2014 with a 2-2 mark in the A-10 Championships. App State went 17-10 in non-conference play but plummeted to 4-20 against the elite Sun Belt conference schedule. Austin Peay went 23-29 overall last season and fell in the first round of the ASUN Softball Championship.
The team remains in the Volunteer State to face Lipscomb on March 11 and will play a doubleheader against Tennessee State the following day.
The Bisons of Lipscomb went 16-36 in 2024 while Tennessee State posted a 26-25 record and several wins in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.
Bucknell returns north of the Mason-Dixon Line to face Wagner in a doubleheader on March 18. The Seahawks finished 2024 with an 8-30 record missing the NEC Tournament.
Conference and home play at Becker Field begin on March 22-23 when the reigning Patriot League champions Boston University Terriers arrive in Lewisburg. The conference format of a Saturday doubleheader followed by a solitary Sunday matinee remains intact. Bucknell will play 18 conference games against six Patriot League teams.
Boston University finished 53-6-1 overall and 18-0 in conference play. The Terriers advanced to the Norman Regional where they went 1-2 with two losses to #22 Oregon and a win over Cleveland State. Boston ranked #23 in the final NFCA Poll.
The Bison head to West Point on March 29-30 to clash bats with their conference foe the Army Black Knights.
The Black Knights of the Hudson went 5-30 in non-conference competition but rallied for a 9-9 record in PL play. Their season ended with losses to Boston and Lehigh in the PL Tournament.
The Route 45 Rivalry renews for another season when Bucknell heads to Penn State for a single game on April 1.
Penn State recorded a banner year finishing 35-20 and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. They went 1-2 in the College Station Regional defeating Albany but dropped two games to #25 Texas State.
The Orange & Blue stay on the road to face Lehigh on April 5-6. Bucknell defeated the Mountain Hawks 1-0 in the first round of the 2024 Patriot League Tournament when Madison Roukey hurled a complete game masterpiece.
Lehigh posted a 32-20 record and, despite the opening round loss to Bucknell, rallied to make the Patriot League Championship Game where they fell 1-0 in eight innings to Boston.
Back-to-back home conference weekends follow against Lafayette (April 12-13) and Colgate (April 19-20).
The Leopards posted a 5-37 mark in 2024, which included being swept by the Bison. Colgate finished 22-28 and 8-10 in conference play. They were eliminated on the final weekend for the second consecutive season when Army defeated them twice in a three-game series.
The final Becker Field contests of 2025, barring hosting the Patriot League Tournament, will occur in a doubleheader against Iona on April 24.
The Gaels finished 18-29 overall in 2024 but were 14-10 in MAAC play. Their season ended with a 1-2 record in the MAAC Championships.
Bucknell travels to Keystone rival Saint Francis for a doubleheader on April 29. 2024's scheduled doubleheader with the Red Flash was canceled by inclement weather.
The Red Flash finished 41-14 overall and 24-0 in the NEC. They swept through the conference tournament and advanced to the Austin Regional. They defeated Siena 1-0 for the second NCAA win in school history but lost twice to Northwestern.
Regular season play concludes with a three-game series at PL foe Holy Cross on May 3-4.
The Crusaders finished 14-35 in 2024 and were swept by the Bison. Holy Cross ended the season on a high note by sweeping Lafayette.
The Patriot League Tournament, hosted by the regular season champion, begins on May 8 and runs through May 10. The Bison have qualified for the last two tournaments after missing in 2021-22 – a testament to Coach Caffrey's program building.
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