FLOCK TALK
West Chester returns one all-league selection in first-team honoree Mairead Hopkins (West Chester, Pa./Rustin) along with PSAC Tournament MVP and All-Atlantic Region pitcher Danielle Ciliberto (Ambler, Pa./Wissahickon) as two members of an excellent returning core for the head coach Diane Lokey and the Golden Rams.
In the circle, West Chester returns both its top arms from a year ago in Ciliberto and Makenzie Edwards (Atco, N.J./Hammonton) , who ended the season with records of 23-10 and 10-7, respectively. Ciliberto opened the postseason a perfect 6-0 with five complete games, posted a 2.45 ERA in her sophomore season, and held opponents to a .245 batting average with a 1.06 WHIP, scattering just 97 runs (74 earned) on 204 hits over 208.2 innings of work along with 17 walks. She threw a pair of no-hitters in 2024 as well, becoming the first WCU pitcher to do so since Amanda Houck and Adina DeHainaut, while also becoming the first WCU pitcher to eclipse the 20-win plateau since Houck in 2018.
Edwards also enjoyed a strong 2024 season, pitching four complete games of her own and tying with Ciliberto for the team lead in saves with four each while posting a 3.34 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP along with a .233 batting average against. Edwards allowed just 113 hits in 127.2 innings of work, while striking out 103, which trailed only Ciliberto's 148 strikeouts for the best on the staff.
Offensively, West Chester will need to replace some offensive firepower following the departure of Madison Melvin, Katelyn Rittenbaugh, Grace Aguilar, and Alexa Peterson. However, West Chester can look forward to the return of a number of important bats from last year, including Mairead Hopkins (West Chester, Pa./Rustin), who ended the season with a .348 batting average, which was second-best on the team, while leading the squad in home runs with 10, including five home runs in the PSAC Tournament. Casey Best (Wilmington, Del./Concord), Hailey Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca), and Paige Marabell (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock) are also key offensive returners for West Chester after appearing in the Golden Ram lineup throughout the 2024 season. Best ended the 2024 season fourth on the team in batting average, batting .316, while Melvin and Marabell batted .292 and .234, respectively. Marabell registered 26 hits in her rookie season behind the plate, although nine of those 26 were for extra-bases, including eight home runs, which was third best on the squad. Marabell also proved herself as an excellent defensive catcher, ending her rookie season with a .992 fielding percentage and 12 runners caught stealing.
In the circle, Edwards and Ciliberto are without question the Golden Rams top two returning arms from a year ago and are joined by a third returner in Rhiannon Henry (Lancaster, Pa./Conestoga Valley) along with newcomers Meghan Farrell (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson), Alyssa Tooley (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham), and Jaelyn Silfies (Bangor, Pa./Bangor).
Lokey was pleased with the development of her pitching staff early this season, saying, “The pitchers have been working hard and looking strong early. The staff has been focusing on trying to hit their spots and get the spin right heading into the season. All six of them looked good early, so I’ll be excited to see how they look in game situations.”
Behind the plate receiving pitches from the Golden Rams excellent stable of arms is a strong group of catchers, led by Marabell. West Chester also returns Lauren Daniels (Drums, Pa./Hazleton), who was limited a year ago due to an early season injury, along with the option of Best, who spent much of her time at first base last season. Lokey and the Golden Rams also welcomed Holly Muni (Hamilton, N.J./Allentown) to the team this year as a fourth option behind the plate.
“We have a great mix of catchers, led by Paige (Marabell),” acknowledged Lokey. “Paige had a strong rookie season, and we are excited to have Lauren Daniels and Casey Best as options behind the plate, too. Holly Muni is another young catcher whose development I’ve been impressed with early on,” said Lokey.
In the infield, West Chester will need to replace a pair of veterans up the middle in Aguilar and Rittenbaugh, who anchored the Golden Ram defense for nearly three seasons, with Aguilar becoming the full-time option at shortstop midway through the 2022 campaign.
Among its returners, West Chester looks to the likes of Kayla Fitzpatrick (Carle Place, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy), Gianna Liciardello (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Carroll), and Gia Borelli (Wyomissing, Pa./Wilson) to potentially fill these roles along with transfer Madison Peck (Royersford, Pa./Spring Ford) and newcomers Julia Miller (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown), Sam Stein (Maplewood, N.J./Columbia), Riley Wiercinski (Avondale, Pa./Avon Grove), and Natalie Colwell (Mount Joy, Pa./Donegal).
Fitzpatrick appeared in 36 games a year ago, primarily as a pinch runner, scoring 16 runs on the year while also swiping a pair of bases. For her part, Borelli was a fixture at third base down the stretch last year, particularly behind Ciliberto. Borelli appeared in 34 games on the year with 21 starts and played an excellent third base defensively, while picking up one hit in 11 at bats along with a pair of walks in her limited plate appearances.
On the corners, West Chester does return a handful of starters from a year ago, including Best, Borelli, and Lauryn Kane (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh), although the team will need to replace the departure of Alexa Peterson. In her first season as a Golden Ram in 2024, Kane appeared in 43 games with 35 starts and logged a .252 batting average with 30 hits, while driving in 20 runs and scoring 16 more. She hit two doubles and three home runs, including home runs in back-to-back games (3/19 vs Millersville; 3/22 at Lock Haven) and logged seven multi-hit games while also posting an .880 fielding percentage. In addition to the return to Best, Borelli, and Kane, West Chester will also look to the two transfers Peck and Sabrie Purnell (New Castle, Del./William Penn), along with Roxy Smithson (Litiz, Pa./Warwick), to fill out the Golden Ram infield.
When asked about her infield, Lokey said, “It’s certainly a challenge to replace our three from last year in Kate, Grace, and Alexa. They all provided great defense and were strong offensively, too, but we have a good mix of young players and some returning pieces from last year that we are excited to see progress this season. Casey (Best) had a great junior year offensively, especially down the stretch of the season, so we’d love to see her pick up where she left off and play a steady first base for us. Lauryn and Gia had good years last year, too, so I’ll be looking for them to keep developing this year. Kayla and Gianna (Fitzpatrick and Licardiello) didn’t see a ton of time last year. Still, I expect them to compete for time this year along with some talented newcomers, including Julia Miller, Samantha Stein, Natalie Colwell, Madison Peck, Sabrie Purnell, and Roxy Smithson, who have all impressed me early on this season.”
In the outfield, West Chester returns an experienced group, needing to replace only one position, although this was NFCA All-American and PSAC career hits and runs record holder Madison Melvin. West Chester will look to a returning group, which includes Hailey Melvin (Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca), Tess Kearney (Hatboro, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham), Emma Zoldi (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North), and Mairead Hopkins (West Chester, Pa./Rustin).
“We do have a big returning group in the outfield,” acknowledged Lokey. “I think this is the group that I’m looking to see step up the most in 2025. They got a lot of game experience last year and had some good moments, but I want to see them continue to develop and take the next step at the plate this season.”
In her rookie season in 2024, Kearney appeared in 51 games with 20 starts and logged 20 hits, including three doubles and her first career home run on 3/22 at Lock Haven. She scored 15 runs and drove in seven while working nine walks but became best known as the year went on for her defensive skills, including a number of outstanding catches in left field throughout the season. Similarly to Kearney, Zoldi had somewhat limited action a year ago, appearing in 42 games with 27 starts and picking up 18 hits in 63 at-bats while scoring 16 runs and driving in nine more. She picked up two doubles and one home run, with her lone long ball of the season being part of an excellent 2-for-4 days with two RBI and two runs in a 4/16 victory over Millersville.
Like Zoldi, Hopkins enters her junior season with the coaching staff looking for her to take the next step in her development. In 2024, Hopkins appeared in 53 games with 51 starts, primarily playing as the designated player, and finished the year with a .348 (55-for-158) batting average, which was the best of any DP in the PSAC East. A PSAC East First Team All-Conference selection, she scored 35 runs and drove in 40 with four doubles and a team-best 10 home runs, including five in the PSAC Tournament, with two of those five coming in the Conference Championship game vs East Stroudsburg on May 4.
When asked about Hopkins's development as the 2024 season continued, Lokey said, “She was in a transition year last year, coming off a handful of at-bats her rookie season. We were impressed by her early in the year with the adjustments she was making, and it really paid off late in the year with a great last few weeks. She looks like she can pick up where she left off this year, looking strong and confident through the first few weeks of practice.”
Head coach Diane Lokey and the Golden Rams will also look to Ella Heap (York, Pa./Central York), Paige Butland (Wakefield, Ma./Wakefield), Meghan Kent (Havertown, Pa./Haverford), and Presley Foote (Yardley, Pa./Pennsbury) to help add depth and impact to the Golden Ram outfield in 2025.
When asked about integrating the new players into the team for the 2025 season, Lokey said, “We really work on our team culture. We have weekly meetings where we work on all the things that go into that, including the mental approach, game adjustments, good mental health, etc… I think all those little things that we can take the time to do help not just in softball but in life while they are in school and after graduation. The leadership team is working hard again this year, ensuring we are all pulling in the same direction. We read the Energy Bus earlier this year as a team, so we are working to make sure we all stay on the right bus together and keep working toward that common goal at the end of the season.”
Fans will notice different faces in the Golden Ram dugout in 2025 as the team replaces the departure of a pair of longtime assistant coaches in, Laura Altenburger and John Lawson. Over the summer, Lokey hired Meredith McCallister as her top assistant coach and will look to Bryan Garrett for an expanded role in the Golden Ram offensive approach.
“The new coaching staff members have certainly been an adjustment. Coach Lama and Lawson were here for a long time and involved with us for all of our PSAC and Regional Championships, so I’m forever grateful for their dedication to our program. With that said, Coach McAllister brings great knowledge, especially with developing pitchers, to our program, so I’ve been excited by the work she has done already with this group. Coach Garrett has taken over hitting and is already working hard on implementing his philosophies and getting us ready for the new season.”
THE SLATE
When asked about getting the new season underway, Lokey said, “We always set goals and expectations about how we want these first few weekends to go, but by the time we hit early April, this weekend seems like a lifetime ago. We want to go out and get some wins early, but we know that the development we can get out of these early weekends is more important in the long run, so this weekend comes down to just needing to make sure we compete and do our best,” concluded Lokey.
West Chester was to open its 2025 slate this weekend in North Carolina with a Saturday doubleheader against Barton beginning at 12 p.m. before returning North to take on Goldey-Beacom next Wednesday in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Due to inclement weather and field conditions, West Chester cancelled its trip to North Carolina and postponed its doubleheader at Goldey Beacom meaning the Purple and Gold will shift its attention to opening its season later this week at Wilmington. Following this, West Chester will open its home slate on March 1 and 2 vs Holy Family and Pace before heading South once again, traveling to Melbourne, Florida, for the Space Coast Games, beginning with a March 8 doubleheader against Southern New Hampshire. West Chester will also face Felician, Columbus State, Bloomfield, Mercy, Ursuline, and Goldey-Beacom during its time in the Sunshine State before opening PSAC East play at Millersville on March 18. West Chester will remain away from home until a March 25 doubleheader against Kutztown beginning at 1 p.m.
