GROVE CITY, Pa. – After earning consecutive berths in the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship Tournament, the Grove City College softball team looks to continue its rise in the highly competitive – and often unpredictable – league this spring.

Ninth-year head coach Kristen Cramer welcomes back three All-PAC honorees, three other regular starters and a bevy of season letterwinners for the 2023 season.
Grove City will rely on a pair of veterans to lead the pitching staff this season, senior Janessa Dawson (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley) and junior Kaitlyn Constantino (Clarion, Pa./Clarion).

Dawson earned Second Team All-PAC last year after posting a team-high nine wins in the circle. A career .389 hitter, Dawson also hit a team-best .394 and scored a team-leading 23 runs in 2022.

Constantino emerged as a sophomore as she struck out 83 batters in 87 innings. She posted a 7-6 record while leading the team with 10 complete games. She and Dawson are expected to handle the bulk of the pitching duties again this spring.

The Wolverines also welcome back sophomore hurlers Brooke Brodie (Mogadore, Ohio/Mogadore) and Rachel Zona (New Castle, Pa./New Castle). Both made four total appearances and two starts as rookies.

Sophomore Emily Wentworth (Potsdam, N.Y./Potsdam) will also compete for time in the circle after being sidelined by injury in 2022.
"Strong up the middle" is an adage that is as old as the sport of softball itself. In 2023, the Wolverines should showcase plenty of strength behind the plate and in the middle infield spots.

A trio of juniors are back to help handle the catching responsibilities in Lauren Harris (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny), Erin Mulholland (Malvern, Pa./Delaware County Christian) and Emily Smyth (Lititz, Pa./Manheim Township).

Harris made 15 starts and hit .250 last season. Smyth made 29 total starts between catcher and designated player. She ranked second on the team with 23 runs batted in while also clubbing a team-leading 12 doubles. Smyth hit .318 as a sophomore after hitting .380 in her injury-shortened freshman season.

The versatile Mulholland made seven total appearances last year, seeing time at catcher and around the infield. She will contend for a starting spot at multiple spots this spring.

Fifth-year senior Lexi Buck (Akron, Ohio/Lake Center Christian) returns for her final season as the anchor of Grove City's infield. A four-year starter at shortstop, Buck hit .250 in 32 starts last season, including a .318 average in conference play.

She earned Honorable Mention All-PAC from the conference's head coaches following the season.

The Wolverines also welcome back Buck's keystone partner, sophomore second baseman Maci Linhart (Columbiana, Ohio/Columbiana). Linhart earned Honorable Mention All-PAC after emerging during her rookie campaign.

Linhart hit .329 in 27 games last year while also ranking second on the team with 18 runs scored. She will likely be at or near the top of the Grove City lineup again in 2023.

The Wolverines have less certainty at the corner infield spots as several players are in contention for time at both first base and third base. At first, Brodie, Dawson and Wentworth are among the candidates to start.

Across the diamond, senior Michaela Ban (Kittanning, Pa./Armstrong) is Grove City's most experienced candidate to start at third base. Smyth could also see time at either corner spot when not catching.
Grove City welcomes back junior Lauren McNeil (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley Christian) as the lone returning starter in the outfield this spring. McNeil has made 50 career starts over her first two seasons and is the incumbent in left field.

Senior Clare Moran (Watertown, N.Y./Indian River) is a two-year letterwinner and part-time starter in the outfield. She will battle for a full-time starting assignment this spring after making nine starts in 2022.

Sophomores Ella Krarup (New Wilmington, Pa./Wilmington), Annika Rinehart (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry) and Kamryn Weissinger (Youngsville, Pa./Youngsville) are also in the outfield mix after seeing reserve duty in 2022.

Krarup made 18 appearances last spring while Weissinger played in 14 games. Rinehart made one start and three total appearances.

Several players are likely to see time at designated player, according to Cramer.

Cramer also expects a number of newcomers on Grove City's 23-player roster to compete for playing time this season.
The 44th season of intercollegiate softball at Grove City begins March 6-10 as the Wolverines will play 10 games in Fort Myers, Fla. The home schedule begins Friday, March 17 against La Roche. Conference play commences March 25 at Geneva.