Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Millersville

2021 Millersville Spring Sports Photo Shoot
Mark Palczewski

Millersville softball starts 2021 season with PSAC East series

3/2/2021 3:00:00 PM

By: Ethan Hulsey, Director of Athletic Communications
  • Series: 37-94 (.282)
  • Series Streak: Kutztown, 4
  • First Meeting: 1979 (W, 9-1)
  • Last Meeting: 2019 (W, 2-0)  | Game Story

ABOUT THE GAMES

  • After two postponements, Millersville softball's 2021 season will finally open on Friday at home against Kutztown--361 days since its last game. Friday's doubleheader was moved to Millersville, so all four games of the series will be played at Seaber Stadium. Millersville's pandemic-shortened season ended with a 5-4 record. Kutztown was off to a 15-7 start in 2020.
  • It wasn't planned this way but because of a back-to-back postponements and a PSAC-heavy schedule, Friday marks the first time in program history that Millersville has opened its schedule against a divisional opponent.
  • Millersville is 39-31 at Seaber Stadium since the arrival of Jen Probst in 2016.
  • Millersville returns seven starters in the field from last season's club including a pair of former All-PSAC East honorees in Faith Willenbrock and Rebecca Blatt. Willenbrock missed the first five games of 2020 with an injury, but the team went 3-1 with her in the lineup. In those four games, she hit .462 with a 1.000 slugging percentage and 10 RBIs.
  • Gabi Turner was also off to a strong start in 2020. A two-way player, Turner hit .308 with eight RBIs and a team-high two homers in those nine games. She also posted a 2-0 record with a 3.13 ERA in 15 ? innings in the circle.
  • Rebecca Blatt will make her 144th career start and 148th career appearance in game one Saturday. She has started each of Millersville's 100 games played since 2018 and has missed only two of Millersville's 149 games since 2017.

 

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT

  • When the 2020 season ended, Kutztown was rolling. It had won 12 of its last 14 games. Coach Judy Lawes, entering her 34th season at Kutztown, has posted an above-.500 record in 31 of her 33 seasons. Lawes is eight wins shy of 1,000 for her career.
  • Kutztown was voted No. 2 in the PSAC East Preseason Poll, receiving three first-place votes. It was the sixth consecutive season that Kutztown at No. 2 in the preseason poll.
  • Kutztown returns all but one starter from last season. That group of returners includes 2019 PSAC Freshman of the Year Bridget Bailey. Bailey went 18-8 with a 2.68 ERA over 178 innings as a rookie. She started eight of the team's 15 games and closed out four others in 2020. Infielder Jenna Lipowski is a former All-PSAC East selection. She was hitting .381 with seven homers in her 22 games in 2020. Kate Ostaszewski is also a returning All-PSAC East pick. She hit .370 as a freshman in 2019.
In a year where not much has felt normal, I feel like the second we step on that field to compete all the hard work, adversity and patience will only add to the excitement of the game.
Jen Probst, Millersville Head Coach

SERIES HISTORY

  • Millersville and Kutztown have played every season since Millersville's program started in 1979. Kutztown has the upperhand in the series with a 94-37 advantage. The series has been more competitive since Jen Probst's arrival at Millersville. Kutztown has a slight 17-11 advantage since 2013, but Millersville did sweep all four games of the series in 2018. Kutztown won all four games in 2019. Kutztown has limited Millersville to two runs or fewer in 10 its last 11 wins. Millersville totaled just four runs in the entire 2019 series. The Golden Bears held Willenbrock to one hit in the series. Millersville scored 32 runs in its four wins in 2018. 
     

RECORD WATCH

  • Willenbrock already owns the top slugging percentage in program history (.760) and is the top home run hitter (27), but she is also closing in on several other records. She starts 2021 with 93 RBIs and is just 23 shy of passing Brittany Smith for first all-time.
  • She is 29 runs and 38 hits outside the career top 10 list and has accomplished all of this in just 98 career games and 300 career at bats. Nine of the 10 players ranked in the top 10 for hits in a career totaled at least 500 career at bats.
Loading...

Upcoming Schedule

{{ moment(game.date).format('MMM D, YYYY') }} {{ game.time ? 'at ' + game.time : '' }}
{{ game.sport.title }} {{ game.location_indicator === 'A' ? 'at' : 'vs' }}
{{ game.opponent.title }}

Related Videos

Now Playing: