After a more than impressive regular season and an early dismissal from the playoffs last season, the 2014 Raider softball team is ready to avenge a tough ending to the 2013 season.
SU posted an impressive regular season record of 30–8 before posting a disappointing 1–4 playoff record last year.
The Raiders are ready to put last year behind them as they hold the third spot in the 2014 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Coaches Poll, which was announced Thursday afternoon. Kutztown University and Bloomsburg University are the teams ranked above the Raiders.
The Raiders are returning 16 total players from last season to go along with eight of nine starters.
The Raiders have their top two pitchers returning this season in Liz Parkins and Emily Estep.
The duo combined for a record of 23–8 while Parkins notched an ERA of 1.49, good enough for second in the PSAC while recording 70.1 innings pitched.
Estep ranked right behind Parkins last season with an ERA of 1.53 in 137 innings pitched to go along with 156 strikeouts.
Accompanying Parkins and Estep in their return is Tyler Thompson.
Thompson batted .338 while starting all of the Raiders 44 games. Thompson provides speed on the bases.
The junior notched 31 stolen bases on 33 attempts, ranking her second in the PSAC.
The Raiders were scheduled to get the season started when they play at Catawba College on Feb 16 but due to inclement weather the games have been canceled and will not be made up.
SU will get the season started when it partakes in the Shaw Tournament in Raleigh, N.C., where it will play five games in three days against tough Division II competition.
SU then travels to Clermont, Fla., and will play eight games in four days as part of the NTC Spring Games.
The Raiders will then head to Salem, Va., and compete in the West Virginia Wesleyan Tournament before they kick off PSAC play with a double header against Seton Hill University on March 18.
The game against the Griffins is the only PSAC Western matchup that the Raiders have on their schedule for 2014.
The Raiders hope to start off strong once again and make it back to the PSAC and regional playoffs for a second-straight season.
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