The Weekend
Lafayette will get an earlier start to Patriot League play than expected as the weekend's series with Bucknell will now begin on Friday at 4:30 p.m. with a single game at Metzgar Fields. They will attempt to play on Saturday (weather permitting) with Sunday also in the mix to wrap up the three-game series. First pitches on Saturday and Sunday are to be determined based on the weather.
Last Time Out
Lafayette closed out the tournament portion of its non-conference schedule with four games at the University of Maryland Tournament on March 15-17. The Leopards went 1-3 with close losses to Bryant and Purdue Fort Wayne, a 5-3 win over Fairfield and an 8-0 final against Maryland to wrap up the weekend.
About the Leopards
Lafayette returns eight players who started 15 or more games in 2023, including six players who started more than half of the games last season. The Leopards are coached by head coach Karavin Dew and assistant coach Bridget Bailey, each in their second season with the program.
Rookie of the Week
Freshman Regan Dillon was named the Patriot League Softball Rookie of the Week following the Leopards' first weekend of competition. Dillon hit for a .600 average, batting cleanup for four of the five games at the Tarleton State Whataburger Invitational, with nine hits, four doubles and two runs batted in. In her collegiate debut, Dillon went 3-for-4 against Mississippi Valley State, 2-for-2 with a pair of runs scored against Buffalo and 2-for-3 with an RBI in the 3-0 win over Tarleton State. The Texas native played first base in four games while getting behind the plate in one.
O'Neill Leading Off
On the opening weekend, junior Mary Grace O'Neill hit .400 out of the lead-off spot in five games. The Pleasantville, N.Y. native banged out eight hits with two doubles and a triple, scored six runs and stole five bases in her opening weekend with the Leopards. O'Neill is leading the team in hitting with a .338 average through 20 games.
Theft on the Rise
O'Neill has swiped 15 bases and currently ranks fourth in Lafayette history for stolen bases in a season. She needs six more stolen bases to become the Lafayette single-season record holder.
Three for .300
Three Leopards are hitting for a .300 or better average: O'Neill (.338), freshman Regan Dillon (.300) and sophomore Grace Hausamann (.300)
The Opponents
Bucknell enters the weekend with a 9-15 overall mark, having lost five-straight games on the Bison's recent trip to Florida for five games in The Spring Games in Madeira Beach, Fla. and four more in Jacksonville. Bucknell's Wednesday doubleheader against St. Francis was postponed due to rainy weather in Lewisburg, Pa.
Offensively, senior catcher Zoie Smith leads the team in hitting with a .309 average, collecting 10 extra-base hits while driving in a team-leading 16 runs. Having started all 24 games, Smith leads the team in home runs (3), runs scored (15) and OPS (.974). Freshman Brooke Popella is hitting for a .266 clip with 12 RBI.
In the circle, junior Madison Roukey and senior Hunter Vestal both sport ERAs below 3.0. Roukey is 3-6 in 16 appearances with a 2.33 ERA while Vestal is 2-2 with a 2.48 ERA.
