Leading Off

Lafayette makes the three-hour drive to University Park, Pa. to participate in the Penn State Invitational. The Leopards are slated for two games on Saturday and Sunday. The Maroon and White face off against Canisius on Saturday at 11 a.m. before a 4 p.m. meeting with Fairfield. On Sunday, the Leopards will once again take on Canisius at 10 a.m. and wrap up their roadtrip with a 3 p.m. matchup against Penn State.  

Last Time Out

The Leopards played four games at last weekend's Tiger Invitational at Clemson University. Lafayette dropped a 22-0 decision against Indiana and a 11-3 final against Clemson on Feb. 28 before an 8-0 loss against East Carolina on March 1. The lone game on March 2 saw the Maroon and White drop an 11-2 decision against East Carolina.

Home, Sweet Home

Lafayette is slated to begin its home schedule on March 14 in a doubleheader vs. Marist, with first pitches scheduled at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The Leopards then take on St. Peter's on March 16 doubleheader. A three-game series against Holy Cross on March 22-23 begins Patriot League play. Holy Cross marks the first of four consecutive series against conference opponents, with Lehigh, Colgate and Bucknell following. 

It's An Honor

Senior outfielder Mary Grace O'Neill received Patriot League Softball Player of the Week recognition on Feb. 24 after her performance at the Panther Invitational. The Pleasantville, N.Y. native hit .529 at the tournament, collecting nine hits over three days of action. 

On the year, O'Neill leads the Leopards offensively, slashing .421 in the early going. The Economics major has started in all 12 games, collecting three doubles and a triple while primarily hitting in the two-hole.

The Opponents

The Leopards face off against Canisius on both days of the Penn State Invitational, with first pitch set for 10 a.m on Saturday and Sunday. The Golden Griffins are 3-7, dropping two of their three games last time out at the Pirate Invitational. Much of Canisius' offense has come from Ella Johel, who's started every game this season. The sophomore outfielder is swatting .429 through 28 at-bats, tallying two home runs and six RBIs in the process (both team highs). Classmate Olivia Manchester has been masterful within the circle with a 1.91 ERA with a 3-0 record. In Manchester's six appearances, she's racked up 20 strikeouts while only walking three batters.

Saturday evening pits Lafayette against Penn State. The hosts enter this weekend with 19 games under their belt in the 2025 campaign, with a record of 8-11. Penn State most recently competed at the Hokie Invitational, collecting three wins in five contests. Sophomore Brooke Klosowicz, the team's batting average leader, is one of six Nittany Lions to appear in every game for Penn State this season. Klosowicz claims a .473 average while owning three home runs and 15 RBIs. Penn State's go-to arm has been senior Mady Volpe, who's appeared in 17 games and pitched 50.0 innings. Volpe owns a 3-4 record in seven starts but has limited opponents to a .224 average while giving up 2.66 runs per game.

The final Sunday matchup for The Maroon and White is a 12:30 p.m. meeting against the Fairfield Stags. The Stags enter with a 2-8 record and currently in the midst of a four-game losing streak. Fairfield's offense has seen juniors Quinn McGonigle and Anna Paravati produce through the first 10 games of the campaign. McGonigle currently leads the Stags in batting average, slashing .450 in the early going. Paravati is right behind her classmate with a .387 average through 31 at-bats while leading the team in RBIs (9). Fairfield's ace has been junior Alyssa Weinberg, who owns a 2.42 ERA in four appearances with a 2-1 record 28 strikeouts and six walks.