Geneseo Selected to Host NCAA Division III Softball Regional
Geneseo Sports Information Department
GENESEO, N.Y. - For the first time in program history, the SUNY Geneseo Softball team will host a four-team regional pod in the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Knights will face Mt. St. Joseph (Ohio) in the opening game of the tournament while Babson (Mass.) and Stevens (N.J.) will tangle in the regional as well.
The double-elimination tournament will begin on Friday, May 13 as the teams compete for an NCAA Division III Super Regional berth. The Knights reached the NCAA Super Regional in 2019 before falling to host Trine.
Geneseo earned an automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Tournament after winning the SUNYAC Tournament, defeating Cortland in the conference championship, 7-0. Senior Taylor Riccardi, juniors Samantha Martz and Audrey Minton along with sophomore Lauren Kersch were named to the All-Tournament Team. First-year Kaitlyn Schmitz was named the SUNYAC Tournament MVP after posting an 8-for-13 batting clip with four runs scored and five RBI from the plate. She also pitched a complete-game shutout against Cortland in the championship to seal the victory.
The Knights enter the postseason with a 34-4 mark, just three wins shy of tying the program record set in 2019. This year's NCAA Tournament berth marks the fourth-consecutive and fifth overall trip to the tournament for Geneseo, earning automatic-qualifying bids in 2018 and 2021 while tabbing an at-large selection in 2019. The Knights also qualifying for the NCAA Tournament with a conference championship in 2002. Geneseo owns a 9-8 record in NCAA Tournament games.
The Geneseo pitching staff ranks 11th in the nation entering the tournament with a combined team ERA of 1.53, allowing just 53 earned runs in 243.0 innings pitched. Junior Elizabeth Eberhardt leads the way with a 1.07 ERA, good for 21st in all of NCAA Division III, while sophomore Lauren Kersch carries a 1.29 ERA (35th) and Schmitz owns a 1.40 ERA (49th). The Knights are the only team to have three pitchers within the top 50 of the NCAA Division III ERA rankings.
Junior Leah VanDerwarker leads the Geneseo bats with 46 hits, including nine doubles, two triples and three home runs while junior Audrey Minton has driven in a team-high 29 RBI. Sophomore Rebecca Schwartz and Schmitz each have 27 RBI while VanDerwarker has driven in 26. The Knights claim seven hitters with at least 75 at-bats each hitting at a .319 clip or better. Geneseo has outscored its opponents, 226-85, including 10 victories by eight or more runs.
Babson earned an at-large bid out of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) while Stevens (MAC Freedom) and Mt. St. Joseph (Heartland) each earned automatic-qualifying bids.
More information on the NCAA Regional Pod will be made available shortly, stay tuned to GeneseoKnights.com for more details.
