Jones and Popella Notch All-League Honors
5/6/2025 3:00:00 PM | Softball
LEWISBURG, Pa.- Savannah Jones and Brooke Popella were linchpins for the 2025 Bucknell Softball team and league voters recognized their contributions by naming both athletes to Second Team All-Patriot League as announced by Tuesday by the conference office. The proclamation meant Jones earned All-League honors for the third straight year while Popella became a first-time recipient.Â
Jones, for the first time, received the All-League designation as pitcher. She earned Second Team (2023) and First Team (2024) at the At-Large designation. The senior hurler richly deserved the nod, supplying career-highs in appearances (26), complete games (6), ERA (2.91), innings (96.1), shutouts (4), strikeouts (73), and wins (8). She ranks first (shutouts), fourth (ERA), and sixth (wins) in the circuit.Â
The senior saved her finest pitching for the stretch run. She has tossed shutouts in three of her last five starts and has only yielded one run in the last 29 innings. That run-pinching effort has fueled Bucknell's eight-game conference winning streak which obtained the fourth and final Patriot League Tournament bid.Â
Jones missed her freshman season due to injury. Thus, she has gone three for three in league honors, becoming the sixth Bison in program history and the first since Lauren Wible (2003-06), to notch All-League every season of competition. Jones became the first Bison since Raeanne Geffert (2017-19) to win All-Patriot League honors three times. Geffert acknowledged the difficulty with maintaining high-level success.
"It takes continuous improvement earn All-League awards year after year. Continually matching or exceeding your own level from previous years is difficult and requires dedication."
Popella provided the pop in the Bison lineup, swatting a team-high 13 extra base hits (nine doubles, one triple, and three home runs). The slugging shortstop leads the team in home runs (3), OPS (.813), RBIs (25), slugging percentage (.450), and total bases (59). A prudent base-runner, she has gone 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts.Â
The sophomore's play increased in output versus conference foes. She hit .345 with 20 hits, five doubles, two home runs, and 12 RBIs. Her slugging percentage skyrocketed to .534. Popella has been dynamic through two seasons, collecting 75 hits, 16 doubles, 44 RBIs, and a .285 batting average.Â
She became the first Bison since Chase Knapp (2023) to earn All-League honors at shortstop. Knapp provided some nice words about her successor at the position.
"It has been so much fun to watch Brooke as she continues to make such a big impact to the team both defensively and offensively. Second Team All-Patriot League Shortstop is such a huge accomplishment and Brooke earned it without a doubt. Huge congratulations to her! And to the whole team: good luck at the PLT!"
The Bison face No. 1 seeded Army this Thursday at noon in the Patriot League Tournament's Opening Round. Bucknell won last year's Opening Round game 1-0 over Lehigh on Madison Roukey's shutout.Â
2025 Patriot League Softball Major Awards
Player of the Year-Â Ashton White, Army West Point
Defensive Player of the Year-Â Brooke Deppiesse, Boston University
Pitcher of the Year-Â Kasey Ricard, Boston University
Rookie of the Year-Â Kelly Fricker, Lehigh
Coach of the Year-Â Jen Consul, Army West Point
Patriot League Softball First Team All-League*
Infielders (5)
Ashton White, Army West Point
Taylor Brown, Army West Point
Megan Coyle, Boston University
Brooke Deppiesse, Boston University
Peyton Sward, Lehigh
Outfielders (3)
Kylie Doherty, Boston University
Mary Grace O'Neill, Lafayette
Kelly Fricker, Lehigh
Designated Player (1)
Maddy Schmeiser, Lehigh
Catcher (1)
Quinn Livesay, Colgate
At-Large (2)
Libby Walsh, Boston University
Rory Dudley, Lehigh
Pitcher (2)
Katelyn Flanders, Army West Point
Kasey Ricard, Boston University
Patriot League Softball Second Team All-League
Infielders (4)
Brooke Popella, Bucknell
Analisa Rafaelli, Colgate
Anna Brait, Holy Cross
Julia Mrochko, Lehigh
Outfielders (3)
Annie Christiana, Army West Point
Sienna Tepley, Army West Point
Helen Woloshyn, Lehigh
Designated Player (1)
Caitlyn Newburn, Army West Point
Catcher (1)
Emma Murchison, Army West Point
At-Large (1)
Maaika Dones, Army West Point
Pitchers (2)
Breanna Izzo, Army West Point
Savannah Jones, Bucknell
*Additional players were added to the All-Patriot League Teams due to ties in voting
Â
Jones, for the first time, received the All-League designation as pitcher. She earned Second Team (2023) and First Team (2024) at the At-Large designation. The senior hurler richly deserved the nod, supplying career-highs in appearances (26), complete games (6), ERA (2.91), innings (96.1), shutouts (4), strikeouts (73), and wins (8). She ranks first (shutouts), fourth (ERA), and sixth (wins) in the circuit.Â
The senior saved her finest pitching for the stretch run. She has tossed shutouts in three of her last five starts and has only yielded one run in the last 29 innings. That run-pinching effort has fueled Bucknell's eight-game conference winning streak which obtained the fourth and final Patriot League Tournament bid.Â
Jones missed her freshman season due to injury. Thus, she has gone three for three in league honors, becoming the sixth Bison in program history and the first since Lauren Wible (2003-06), to notch All-League every season of competition. Jones became the first Bison since Raeanne Geffert (2017-19) to win All-Patriot League honors three times. Geffert acknowledged the difficulty with maintaining high-level success.
"It takes continuous improvement earn All-League awards year after year. Continually matching or exceeding your own level from previous years is difficult and requires dedication."
Popella provided the pop in the Bison lineup, swatting a team-high 13 extra base hits (nine doubles, one triple, and three home runs). The slugging shortstop leads the team in home runs (3), OPS (.813), RBIs (25), slugging percentage (.450), and total bases (59). A prudent base-runner, she has gone 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts.Â
The sophomore's play increased in output versus conference foes. She hit .345 with 20 hits, five doubles, two home runs, and 12 RBIs. Her slugging percentage skyrocketed to .534. Popella has been dynamic through two seasons, collecting 75 hits, 16 doubles, 44 RBIs, and a .285 batting average.Â
She became the first Bison since Chase Knapp (2023) to earn All-League honors at shortstop. Knapp provided some nice words about her successor at the position.
"It has been so much fun to watch Brooke as she continues to make such a big impact to the team both defensively and offensively. Second Team All-Patriot League Shortstop is such a huge accomplishment and Brooke earned it without a doubt. Huge congratulations to her! And to the whole team: good luck at the PLT!"
The Bison face No. 1 seeded Army this Thursday at noon in the Patriot League Tournament's Opening Round. Bucknell won last year's Opening Round game 1-0 over Lehigh on Madison Roukey's shutout.Â
2025 Patriot League Softball Major Awards
Player of the Year-Â Ashton White, Army West Point
Defensive Player of the Year-Â Brooke Deppiesse, Boston University
Pitcher of the Year-Â Kasey Ricard, Boston University
Rookie of the Year-Â Kelly Fricker, Lehigh
Coach of the Year-Â Jen Consul, Army West Point
Patriot League Softball First Team All-League*
Infielders (5)
Ashton White, Army West Point
Taylor Brown, Army West Point
Megan Coyle, Boston University
Brooke Deppiesse, Boston University
Peyton Sward, Lehigh
Outfielders (3)
Kylie Doherty, Boston University
Mary Grace O'Neill, Lafayette
Kelly Fricker, Lehigh
Designated Player (1)
Maddy Schmeiser, Lehigh
Catcher (1)
Quinn Livesay, Colgate
At-Large (2)
Libby Walsh, Boston University
Rory Dudley, Lehigh
Pitcher (2)
Katelyn Flanders, Army West Point
Kasey Ricard, Boston University
Patriot League Softball Second Team All-League
Infielders (4)
Brooke Popella, Bucknell
Analisa Rafaelli, Colgate
Anna Brait, Holy Cross
Julia Mrochko, Lehigh
Outfielders (3)
Annie Christiana, Army West Point
Sienna Tepley, Army West Point
Helen Woloshyn, Lehigh
Designated Player (1)
Caitlyn Newburn, Army West Point
Catcher (1)
Emma Murchison, Army West Point
At-Large (1)
Maaika Dones, Army West Point
Pitchers (2)
Breanna Izzo, Army West Point
Savannah Jones, Bucknell
*Additional players were added to the All-Patriot League Teams due to ties in voting
Â
Players Mentioned
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