Rutgers Softball Gets Set for 2023 Opening Day
Looking to improve upon their 25-30 record in 2022, head coach Kristen Butler’s squad returns 20 players from last year’s much-improved team.
Butler, a former SEC Player of the Year during her college days, also enjoyed a stint as a professional softball player during her time with the Akron Racers. Now in her fifth season guiding the Knights, Butler’s coaching staff includes Natalie Yona and Matthew Guemmer as assistant coaches, while newcomer Alison Meagher has been added as a volunteer coach. Meagher, a former assistant with NYU’s softball team, will likely focus much of her attention on improving this year’s outfield.
The Scarlet Knights made a fast start from the gate in 2022, which was their best opening stretch in 41 years. The improvement in 2022 was marked by Rutgers’ second-ever appearance in the National Invitational Softball Tournament at the end of the regular season.
This year’s schedule appears to be brutal, as Rutgers will play 33 non-conference games in 2023. The season starts with an epic 27-game road trip which will take them through California, Alabama, South Carolina, Texas and Florida before finally coming home to New Jersey for their March 17 home opener as part of the Rutgers Tournament. The season opening road trip begins Feb. 10 and goes through March 14.
No one has seen Knights on a road trip this long since the time of the Crusades.
Pitching is a concern for every team, but last season saw the emergence of Jaden Vickers as the ace of the staff, posting a 14-11 record with a 4.38 ERA. In addition, the talented southpaw rang up 181 strikeouts in 171.4 innings pitched. Veteran Ashley Hitchcock returns after a 2022 season in which she posted a staff-best 4.12 ERA and 120 strikeouts. Georgia Ingle rounds out the returning RU hurlers, as the sophomore managed a respectable 4.72 ERA in limited action last season. Whether freshmen Raimy Gamsby or Ryann Orange see any time in the circle in 2023 remains to be seen.
Last season also saw the marked improvement of the Scarlet Knights’ offense, which posted a .272 team batting average with 32 home runs, 212 RBIs and a .404 slugging percentage.
Leading the way for the Knights is junior shortstop Kyleigh Sand, who is clearly the sparkplug of the team. Batting in her customary leadoff position, Sand is the table setter, batting .398 with 14 extra base hits and 23 stolen bases.
With the departure of Gabrielle Callaway, the Scarlet Knights will be looking for seniors Payton Lincavage, Taylor Fawcett and junior Kayla Bock to generate home runs in 2023.
The offense will also benefit from the return of sophomore Maddie Lawson, who collected 41 hits and 25 RBIs last season while posting a .261 batting average. Of course, returning regulars such as Taylor Lane, Lauren Punk, Kiersten Withstandley, Lilly Orozco and Courtney Wilde should also bolster the Scarlet Knights’ offense this season.
Kobie Hura, Kayla Bock, Leilani Chavez, Gabrielle Hendri and Megan Herka round out the returning juniors, while Gillian Walsh, Mya Mancini and Katie Wingert will be back for their senior seasons on the banks.
Besides Gamsby and Orange, other new faces joining the squad in 2023 will be freshmen Calista Collins from Kentucky and Baily Briggs from New York. Perhaps the most notable pickup for the Knights is junior transfer Morgan Smith from Arizona. Smith, a transfer from LSU, batted .303 in 28 games for the Tigers.
The Scarlet Knights open their 2023 regular season against the Utah Valley Wolverines on Friday, Feb. 10 in Sacramento, California at 12:30 p.m.