The University of Connecticut softball team begins the fall 2024 season on Sunday, Sept. 22 against Adelphi, playing a doubleheader starting at noon.
These games will be the first two of eight in the exhibition slate, meaning that they won’t count in the spring standings. Connecticut is led by head coach Laura Valentino, who is entering her sixth season at the helm. Under her leadership last year, the team finished with over 30 wins for the third season in a row for the first time since 1995-1997, and made it to the Big East Tournament before falling to Villanova and Creighton. Valentino is joined by assistant coaches Mackenzie Keyes, Giselle Juarez and Ashley Buschgans, who is the most recent addition to the coaching staff.
This year, the Huskies’ roster is headlined by senior outfielder Lexi Hastings, who was awarded Big East player of the year after posting a whopping league-leading .500 batting average, 37 hits and 16 stolen bases. The other outfielders include junior Kaitlyn Kibling, who boasts a 65-game error-less streak dating back to 2023, sophomore Kaitlyn Breslin and freshman Bella Cruz.
Moving to the infield, senior third baseman Rosie Garcia is coming off a successful year, accumulating a team-high 10 home runs in 48 starts. Juniors Kaiea Higa and Savannah Ring, sophomores Caylee De Meo and Rayah Snyder and incoming freshman Cat Petteys round out the rest of the infield. Utility player Haley Coupal, a junior, also adds to the lineup.
Connecticut’s starting catcher is junior Grace Jenkins, who achieved all-Big East second team honors last year with a .344 batting average and 40 runs batted in. The other catchers on the roster are sophomore Sarah Blaskiewicz and freshman Heidi Barber. The UConn pitching staff features graduate student Payton Kinney, who posted 12 wins with a 2.33 era and 113 strikeouts in 18 starts last season. The staff is bolstered by junior Hope Jenkins, who put up impressive numbers at the plate in 2024 while making 18 pitching appearances. Freshmen Stella Kiemele and Amber Bretton look to make an impact in their first year of pitching.
The Huskies’ opponent, Adelphi, is coming off of a 34-21 season in which they advanced to the NCAA Division II tournament, eventually losing to Wilmington University in the East Super Regional. The Panthers are a team in transition this year, as new head coach Katie Apostolopoulos was appointed on Sept. 16, replacing the outgoing Carla Campagna. They also recently added two transfers from Division 1 programs. Julianna Sanzone, previously of Stony Brook University, looks to add pop to the lineup, while Drexel transfer Alison Hoppe adds to the pitching staff. Hoppe, a sophomore, pitched four complete games last year for Drexel with one no hitter.