The Lock Haven softball team will open its 2025 season by traveling to Wise, Virginia to compete in the UVA Tournament on Thursday and Friday (Feb. 13 & 14).
 
The Bald will compete at the University of Virginia's College at Wise (UVA) tournament on Thursday & Friday, Feb. 13-14. The Bald Eagles will play a pair of games against UVA Wise (host) and North Greenville.
 
Lock Haven will take on host UVA on Thursday at 2 p.m. before facing North Greenville at 4 p.m. Friday's schedule will be a repeat doubleheader at noon and 2 p.m.
 
The Tournament was originally scheduled to take place from Friday through Sunday, but has been moved to Thursday and Friday with a condensed schedule to avoid inclement weather.
 
Coverage links for the weekend can be found here.
 
Lock Haven Primer
Last season, Lock Haven finished 18-26 overall and 14-18 in the PSAC East. The Haven ended the year in sixth place in the highly competitive Eastern Division. Seeds two through six were separated by just four games.
 
The 2025 Bald Eagles will feature a strong core of returners, mixed with a deep and decorated recruiting class of 11 athletes.
 
On offense, Bella Schmitt returns after finishing second on the club in RBIs (26), tied for third in home runs (two) and fourth in hits (37).
 
Maci Brodzina and Hailey Irwin also return to the Bald Eagles' lineup after breakout campaigns in 2024. Brodzina registered a .459 slugging percentage after belting out seven doubles and three home runs. Irwin, in just her first season, tied for the team lead in home runs with four.
 
In the circle, the Bald Eagles return both weekend starters in Faith Persing and Keiva Middleton.
 
Persing led the Bald Eagles in wins (13), innings (127), complete games (nine), earned run average (2.65) and strikeouts (59). As a sophomore, Middleton recorded career-highs in every pitching category, while picking up four wins and striking out 19 batters in 54.2 innings.
 
Year 16 for Kelly Shannon
The program's all-time wins leader Kelly Shannon enters her 16^th season as the Lock Haven softball head coach. On April 14, the Bald Eagles took down West Chester, 3-1, to earn Shannon's 347th head coaching victory at The Haven, moving her into first place all-time in program history. Shannon is 352-296-1 in her decorated career.
 
The Road Ahead
Following the opening weekend, Lock Haven remains on the road and will visit Goldey-Beacom for a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday (Feb. 25) in Wilmington, Del.
 
The Bald Eagles wrap up their spring training schedule by competing in the Slippery Rock Tournament in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania on Saturday and Sunday, March 1-2. The Haven will play a pair of games against D'Youville and Slippery Rock.
 
The Haven opens PSAC East divisional play on Tuesday (March 18) with a doubleheader at Mansfield.
 
To view the entire Lock Haven softball 2025 schedule, click here.
 
PSAC Preseason Coaches' Poll
East Stroudsburg received five of nine first-place votes and was picked as the favorite by the coaches in the PSAC Eastern Division. West Chester and Kutztown picked up two first-place votes each, and are slated at second and third, respectively. Shippensburg and Bloomsburg were slated at fourth and fifth, while Shepherd, Lock Haven, Millersville and Mansfield round out the East.
 
In the Western Division, Gannon led the way with six first-place votes, while Indiana (Pa.) was picked second and California (Pa.) was picked third with one first-place vote each. Slippery Rock and Seton Hill were picked fourth and fifth, while Edinboro, Clarion and Pitt-Johnstown rounded out the West.
 
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