Penn State New Kensington softball team aims for return to conference championship

As members of the Penn State New Kensington softball team prepared for their season-opening spring trip to Florida, Molly Collins sent each player a list outlining exactly what she would need for the journey south.

Sophomore pitcher Addy Gregg said Collins, a Riverview grad and PSNK’s only senior, is affectionately known as the team mom. So Collins providing a packing list for her teammates was typical of her personality.

But there’s a more important list the Lions have this season, and it includes winning the Penn State University Athletic Conference championship.

PSNK reached the title game last season but was upended by Penn State Brandywine, which won its eighth conference title in a row.

The players admitted to being a bit star struck by advancing all the way to the final, which was played at Nittany Lion Softball Park in State College. Gregg and Collins used the word “surreal” when describing the experience.

That won’t happen this time, Collins said, as the team now expects to reach the championship.

“The girls will tell you that was one of the best experiences we’ve ever had,” Collins said. “The outcome wasn’t the best. It wasn’t what we wanted … but that was a great, great moment.

“We’re really taking that and saying, ‘Look, we didn’t get the outcome we wanted last year. Let’s try to set goals and set a long-term goal to get to the championship again.’ ”

Said coach Mike Marsili, who was named 2023 PSUAC Coach of the Year: “Actually, the girls are hungrier this year than they were last year because last year it was all new to them, and they didn’t know what to expect and how good they were.

“I think our success sort of surprised them. But going into this year, they know they’re good, and they expect even more this year.”

New Ken has a roster that seems well-stocked to handle the task. Six of the nine starters from a year ago return. A notable exception is Kiera Mack, the team’s leading hitter who, Marsili said, chose not to return to school this year.

There’s still plenty in the tank for PSNK, starting with Gregg. As a freshman, the Carlisle native hit .306 with a homer and 22 RBIs, but her primary role was being the top-of-the-rotation pitcher. She went 16-9 with a 3.74 ERA, and all of her numbers earned her first-team All-American honors from the United States Collegiate Athletic Association.

She also was named PSUAC Pitcher of the Year.

Marsili said he plans to use Gregg to pitch the first game of doubleheaders then have her available close out the nightcaps if necessary. But he said he has three others who will see time on the mound, and he won’t hesitate to use any of them.

Freshman Linda Shepard likely will be the No. 2 pitcher, with sophomores Olivia Waldrop and Madison Hoyt providing depth. Waldrop and Hoyt combined to start nine games last season. And when they weren’t pitching, Hoyt (.370, 14 RBIs) and Waldrop (.348, 19 RBIs) were contributing with their bats.

Collins, meanwhile, hit .353 with 17 RBIs.

“She’s been our elder statesman for the last couple of years,” Marsili said. “We’re relying on her to be a leader, and she has been. She steps up when we need her to step up. She has picked up right where she left off last year.”

Added Gregg: “She keeps us all together. … She genuinely cares about us, and that’s what we need. She’s a leader off the softball field (too). She makes sure we’re all doing what we’re supposed to be doing.”

The Lions aren’t likely to overpower opponents. The team hit only six homers all of last season. Their secret weapon is speed.

PSNK led the USCAA with 123 stolen bases in 2023.

Sophomore shortstop Kali Burnett paced the Lions with 26 steals, Hoyt contributed 18 and Gregg 15. Waldrop also hit double figures in steals with 10.

As much as the Lions seem to have going for them, Collins recognizes the team is still young. Freshmen again will have to fill key roles, so Collins said maintaining focus and sticking together will be the key.

“You get nervous. You get worried,” she said. “We have to keep our eyes straight ahead and stay positive and just try to work our way (to our goals). … All of my teammates somehow, some way are going to end up playing a vital role.”

If the Lions were surprised by how far they advanced last season — they lost 8-0 to Brandywine in the final — the same might be said for their opposition in the PSUAC. That isn’t likely to happen in 2024. Sneaking up on teams is over.

Gregg said she recognizes there will be more pressure on the group to duplicate last season’s run, and PSNK’s conference foes will bring their best game against them.

Still, after getting so close to a championship last season, the Lions are bent on making sure it wasn’t a one-off performance.

“We all want to go back there,” Gregg said. “We all know what it felt like to be there, so we all want to go back there and win it this time.”

Added Collins: “We ended that championship game, and we said, ‘We’re coming back.’ ”

Consider it on the list.