Less than a week after neutralizing Iona University with a 14-run victory, the UConn women’s softball team will return to the field to host some in-state competition.
The University of Bridgeport will travel down the road to face the Huskies tonight under the lights at Burrill Family Field.
While the Division II competition should not stand as much of a challenge for the Huskies, UConn has bigger hurdles to overcome this fall.
The Huskies will need to sort out a large portion of their pitching staff after losing two of their top three innings-eaters following last season.
All-Big East First Team selection Jessica Walter, who led the Huskies with 42 appearances and a 3.39 ERA last season, was one-and-done in Storrs after transferring to UConn as a graduate student from Big East rival Providence College. The Huskies also lost Sydnee Koosh, who was third on the 2026 team in innings, to the transfer portal after the right-hander left for the University of Akron.
That leaves sophomore Caprice Bohmer as the lone returner to the pitching staff that crossed the 30-inning threshold. Bohmer was an All-Big East Second Team selection as a freshman after leading the Huskies with 23 starts across 37 appearances and striking out 132 opposing batters, over a batter per inning. Following her breakout season, Bohmer is positioned to be the undisputed ace of the staff. The depth behind her is less settled.
Alexandra Bacher and Amber Bretton both pitched over 20 innings to middling results. Bacher managed a 4.73 ERA across 23 2/3 innings but struck out just seven opposing batters while walking eight. Bacher struck out 16 batters in 24 1/3 but also walked 18, finishing the year with a 6.90 ERA and a WHIP over 2.00.
Junior Stella Kiemele also struggled in limited innings.
While Huskies lost one key pitcher to the Mid-American Conference, they also brought in a former All-MAC First Team honoree. Incoming Central Michigan University transfer Mackenzie Langan led the Chippewas with 116 1/3 innings pitched, a 4.57 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 2026. Langan will likely get first cracks at filling Walter’s vacated role.
Other newcomers to the pitching staff include freshmen Angela Sasso, Delaney Vannoy and Lulu West.
Offensively, the Huskies retained their top contributor in 2026 Big East Player of the Year Cat Petteys as well as All-Big East Second Team center fielder Kaitlyn Kibling.
Petteys led the Huskies with a 1.277 OPS in 2026, while Kibling posted a hearty .956 mark.
While fellow Big East Second Team honoree Savannah Ring graduated, utility player Emma Willers posted a .984 OPS mark and should make up for the lost production.
The Purple Knights lost outfielder Mya Jones to graduation, who previously reached base at a .512 clip in 2026. The Bridgeport lineup, however, will be buoyed by infielder Paityn Thibodeaux and outfielder Sydnee Perreault, who both batted over .300 last season.
With the contest being an exhibition, the game will last 10 innings. First pitch at Burrill Family Field is scheduled for 4 p.m.