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Bucknell Softball enters 2026 with a fresh coat of paint and heightened expectations. The 2025 Bison enjoyed another solid season, earning its third straight Patriot League Tournament appearance and beating rival Lehigh for the second consecutive year. After the embers cooled, head coach Sarah Caffrey announced her resignation. Caffrey inherited the program during the COVID-19 pandemic and established a standard where making the Patriot League Tournament is the expectation, not the hope. New head coach and alumna Angela Stackhouse '04 looks to make winning the Patriot League Tournament the expectation.
Stackhouse returns to Lewisburg after a successful playing career marked with awards and honors, including First Team All-Patriot League. She built neighboring Penn Tech into a Division III power, and Mama called her home to perform the same job with the Orange & Blue. Her fiery, gritty approach manifested itself during fall ball. Bucknell rallied over several deficits and played Penn State to a 1-0 defeat. A cynic would argue to never place too much faith in fall ball results. Fall ball is a time for experimentation and lineup shuffles. However, a realist would note that Stackhouse's DNA has already integrated itself into the team.
Stackhouse inherits a squad accustomed to pulling out Patriot League Tournament bids while also coming tantalizingly close to breaking into the conference's top three. Last year, Bucknell opened conference play by battling league champion Boston in 15 epic innings at Becker Field. The Bison had multiple chances to win the game in extra innings before the Terriers prevailed in Division I's longest contest of 2025. Compounded with Bucknell's two 1-0 losses to Boston in 2024, analysts can observe how the growth of the Bison program
A painful what if emerged from that outcome. Bucknell started conference play 0-10 before winning eight straight games to nab the last tournament bid. Who knows how conference play would have turned out if Bucknell upset Boston in that game? Momentum is a powerful force for positively and negatively.
Stackhouse's goal is to win coin flip games and establish a victor's mentality. Caffrey's Bison rarely were blown away, and often the games were decided with the winning or tying runner on base. The clutch hit, often fleeting, is a player Stackhouse wants permanently installed in the dugout.
Hitting, while important and alluring, pales in comparison to the raison d'etre of softball: pitching. Unlike its baseball cousin, a softball team can feast with only one or two arms. Boston's Kasey Ricard has reinforced that painful maxim in the conference. Rotations or pitch counts cannot prevent softball aces. They must be defeated. Like Thanos, they are inevitable. Ricard threw 270+ pitches in that 15-inning game. The Bison, from 2023-25, drew its strength from a solid pitching staff. The 2026 team faces the campaign without its two aces, Savannah Jones and Madison Roukey, due to graduation.
Graduation also sapped the program of its sparkplug first baseman, MaKenzie Hilling. The captain boasted a Golden Glove and an elite batting eye, becoming the program's all-time leader in career walks. Ava Aguilar and Bella Radican were dependable starters, not easily replaceable in the field or locker room.
But plenty of talent remains on the Banks of the Susquehanna, and the freshman class has drawn rave reviews from the players and staff. Bucknell was picked fourth in the Patriot League Preseason Poll, and the team has the talent to surpass that expectation.
Catcher
Senior Angela Seropian headlines the position. Seropian is a veteran handler of pitchers, a much-needed quality, with the Bison staff containing two freshmen and only returning 79.2 innings from 2025. Sophomore Tori Kirkpatrick saw limited action as a rookie but will see more playing time in 2026. Freshman Barbara Jo Coppola carries a big bat, and that skill will pencil her into the lineup.
"From Ang, I expect leadership and great rapport with the pitching staff. I think those are some of her intangibles that she's best at. Tori will provide depth. She has a great ability to block the ball. Her arm strength has increased tremendously from her freshman year. Babs, I expect to come in and showcase her strong arm strength. And I'd like to see her build rapport especially with her freshman teammates because they'll have the next four years together."
First Base
Hilling's graduation leaves a large hole to fill. Sophomore Hailey McCutchan, a lefty, has a pretty swing and the chance to seize the position. She had six at-bats in 2025, but her largest strength is a good defensive profile. Freshman Meadow Gambacurta enjoyed a banner fall ball season, delivering numerous clutch hits and RBIs. She has traditionally played third base but has transitioned to first to put her big bat in the lineup.
"Haley is a left-handed option at first base, which is always great defensively. She's got tremendous footwork and one of the best gloves. Meadow is definitely learning the right side and the proper footwork and all the things that go into being a first baseman. She definitely has the size and the height for the position. With one of the highest exit velocities, she also showed that she's able to produce in clutch situations."
Second Base
Bella Radican held down second base for two seasons, and her graduation leaves another hole in the right side of the infield. Bucknell has two talented options in Skye Perez and Reagan Powell. A shoulder injury scythed Perez's promising rookie season, but surgery and rest have restored her to playing condition. Powell's bat displayed burgeoning power; seven of her 15 hits went for extra bases. She played a utility role last year but will settle in at second base.
"Skye definitely has one of the smoothest gloves and footwork on the infield. We hope that she continues to progress as she returns to play. But again, Sky just needs more time and lots of at-bats to get settled back into being a part of the rotation. I think Reagan has found a home at second base with her speed and is showing incredible range every time we practice and play."
Shortstop
Brooke Popella has anchored at shortstop for the past two seasons, and nothing should change for 2026. Bucknell's most potent hitter, the junior, enters 2026 with a number change from 19 to Mickey Mantle's 7 and a career stat line of a .279 batting average, 76 hits, 16 doubles, three home runs, 46 RBIs, and a .345 on-base percentage (OBP). Last year, she received Second Team All-Patriot League honors while slashing a career-high .286/.346/.429 and setting new personal bests in hits (40), doubles (9), home runs (3), and RBIs (27). Displaying improved batting eye, she lowered her strikeout total from 22 to a minuscule nine. Popella was the only Bison to be named to the Patriot League Preseason Team.
"Brooke has anchored the offense in the past. Hitting in that three or four spot, just depending on what we need. She's an overall leader on and off the field and a great option for us."
Third Base
The Bison are deep at third base with three possible starters, Molly Lawson, Nicole Lioumis, and Addison "Sonny" Taft. Lawson can reside at third or play any other infield position. She and Lioumis split the duties at third base last season. Lioumis tied for the team lead in home runs (3). Taft belongs to the exciting freshman corps.
"Molly is a great hitter for average. She has great at-bats. I think she's a very tough out and is somebody who's relied on to be very sound with a high IQ, a high softball IQ. Nicole offers experience as a senior. She has potential to be a power hitter in our lineup. Sonny is bringing fantastic glove work in as a freshman. She's definitely going to add defensive depth."
Left Field
Shea Malone recovered from her freshman season-ending injury to bat .288 (second-highest) for the 2025 Bison. She possesses both a consistent bat and a capable glove, and left field will be secure under her watchful eye.
"I think she'll probably be a mainstay there for us. She's somebody that will hit in the meat of our lineup as well, just depending on, what kind of depth the freshmen add."
Center Field
Senior Haley Speicher will roam Becker Field's vast terrain for a final season. The slap hitter led Bucknell in batting average (.296) last season and crossed the career 100-hit milestone. She possesses a sensational glove and routinely snags impossible balls. Speedy Sarah Zimmerman, when not on the mound, can spell Speicher in center field or handle right field.
"Haley is a slap hitter in our offense. She's going to be somewhere at the top of the lineup, again, depending on what the freshman class can add. Sarah is also an option anywhere in the outfield, but I could see her playing center or right field when she's not pitching because of her speed and strength."
Right Field
Transfer Rosanna Merturi and senior Marissa Rapino are the early favorites for right field. Merturi isn't a typical transfer. The sophomore attended Holy Cross last season, but the softball program denied her a try-out. She transferred to Bucknell, and Coach Stackhouse willingly gave her a chance. Rapino is a heady veteran and knows Becker Field's lengthy yard quite well. Coppola can also pull a Yogi Berra and play in the outfield for hitting purposes. Natalie Monroe missed fall ball due to injury but she is hale and healthy and ready for action.
"Marissa brings experience. Rosanna is a newcomer to the team and can definitely add some depth to us in right field. Coppola is an athlete that we can pull out from behind the plate and work out in right or left field if her bat's needed in the lineup. Monroe will provide depth in the outfield and could serve as a pinch hitter early in the season as she continues to return to play."
Pitchers
Pitching is Stackhouse's domain, and she has a large, hungry, but mostly untested staff. The #1 pitcher spot has a for sale sign. Every pitcher will have a chance to close on the deal. Junior Sarah Zimmerman, owning the most experience, has the inside track. A hard-throwing lefty with a steely demeanor, Stackhouse seeks to unlock every bit of potential in her dynamic arm.
"Sarah anchors the squad as the returner with the most innings pitched in the past. She offers the most velocity. She's definitely somebody we're going to rely on to throw a lot of innings this season."
An arm injury currently plagues senior Mea Consentino. The team is hopeful that she can return sooner rather than later. Injuries are always disheartening and tragic but even more so when they occur to a senior.
"We're not sure when her return to play is going to be or what capacity she's going to offer us this season. Time will tell."
Payton Hale received limited innings as a rookie last year due to the overwhelming presence of Jones and Roukey. She displayed sparks in those 12.1 innings.
"Hale is also returning off of an injury and is fully recovered now and expected to be able to provide more innings than she had as a freshman."
Two freshmen, Nina Barrouk and Avery Powers, round out the staff. Barrouk is similar to Zimmerman - a hard-chucking lefty. Powers, from Tampa is the Dixon to Barrouk's Keystone State Mason, a righty relying on guile and curvature.
"Nina is left-handed and she also throws hard. Avery is right-handed and kind of a mastermind with her spin and location."
Stackhouse has plenty of choices as she assembles her rotation. The lengthy non-conference season will prove the ideal testing site, as she determines which pitchers can be counted upon.
"We have a lot of options and a lot of chances for someone to step up and be the number one. So, that's what we're going to use all of these non-conference games for. We have quite a bit of a variety of talent that we're facing. So the goal here is to make sure we are ready and experienced to come Patriot League play."
Classes
Every season for the senior class has ended in the Patriot League Tournament. They are experienced and battle-tested in high-stakes games. That kind of expertise is dearly bought and crucial to pass on. Speicher and Seropian know the pressure the PLT levies upon her worshippers.
"They are definitely going to set the tone as far as leadership and team culture. I'm going to expect them to step up and help fill out some of the roles that are going to be needed in that way."
The junior class is the smallest, with only four members, but they will make up the core of the lineup. Based on early predictions, they will be in 75% of the lineups together, as the foursome transitions from underclassmen followers to upperclassmen leaders.
"They could serve as kind of the heart of the team as far as like playing time and seeing them potentially all out on the field together at the same time."
The sophomore class is actively figuring out their roles. Many of them received limited playing time as rookies or were derailed by injuries, and they will continue developing in platoon roles.
"The sophomores, you're going to still see them platoon into positions and start earning more game time than they had in the past. But they're definitely a class that's still going to platoon in and figure out where they're going to fit, especially when it comes to the starting lineup."
The rookies have created buzz since they entered campus. Their performance in fall ball opened eyes and immediately created competition for playing time. They certainly can become a program-changing class.
"I see the freshmen being a dynamic class in the sense that once they truly make the transition to playing at the next level. They bring a lot of energy and ability to earn a great deal of playing time right off the bat."
Conference Outlook
The Patriot League Big Three of Army, Boston, and Lehigh remain loaded. Army won the regular season title in 2025, but Boston repeated as the Patriot League's representative in the NCAA Tournament. The Black Knights of the Hudson return the conference's 2025 Player of the Year, Ashton White, and Boston retains Kasey Ricard for one final campaign. Lehigh holds onto a solid core, and its veteran coach is savvy in finding replacements. Colgate is projected to finish fifth. The Bison and Raiders have fought for that final spot two of the past three years. Bucknell and Colgate conclude the regular season in Hamilton with the last PLT bid likely on the line.
"We end with Colgate. Traditionally, those two teams that are fighting for that last spot in the tournament. Ideally, we will take care of business before that series begins but that could also be a very interesting and competitive series to finish out league play."
Program Outlook
Coach Stackhouse harbors high expectations for her tenure. The first step towards those dreams starts in 2026. The bare minimum for the Bison alumnae is making the Patriot League Tournament. The next logical step is making a run to the championship game. Bucknell has defeated Lehigh the past two seasons in the Tournament, but has either run afoul of Boston or a revenge game from the Mountain Hawks.
"My outlook for the future is I'd like to make Bucknell Softball a Patriot League powerhouse. It's going to start with this season and getting back into the Patriot League championship. I think peaking at the right time and making a run for it at the end would be the ultimate goal for 2026."
Stackhouse has already energized the alumni and fan base, an expected reaction when an alumna returns to lead a program. There is a sentiment that naturally arises with such a hire. It feels storybook and as idealized as a Disney script should. Her alumni outreach has pulled together generations of Bison. Bucknell Softball represents the sacrosanctity of marriage between academics and athletics. The academic success has been outstanding. The softball program regularly leads among the highest GPAs on campus. Now, the time for championship athletic success has come.
"Myself and the program is excited to start a new era with a different approach and different mindset as far as being competitive on a consistent basis. It is my hope when this is all said and done that we can look back and say that we're moving in the right direction."
The journey to the right direction starts this Friday at the East Texas A&M Leadoff. A new era begins with the first throw versus Texas Southern at 12:15 Eastern Time. For Bison fans, the future is now.