Kylie Koszykowski, a transfer from Columbia Basin College, gives the Pirates significant depth at first base.Īt second base, Haley Montoya led the Pirates in batting average (.389) and ranked among NCAA Division III leaders in total hits (56) last season, earning honorable mention All-NWC. ![]() ![]() She finished with seven home runs, seven doubles and five triples to lead the team in slugging average (.648). The infield returns every starter, beginning with 2022 first team All-NWC honoree Heather Menzer at first base. First year Lizzy Bradford is also a catcher who could force her way into the lineup in some role. The pair performed admirably and each is more ready for this season because of that experience. ![]() Taylor Hofheins and Kelly Hruza were thrust into extensive playing time last season after an injury to starting catcher Maddy Thomas. The pitching staff has a number of options to throw to behind the plate. First-year Pirate Trinity Miller is a potential star-in-the-making, according to Castle. Momi Lyman went 11-3 with a 4.34 ERA as a freshman last spring.Īnnie Brose also saw time in the circle last season, and Kaleigh Bauerle has two seasons of pitching experience at Pacific University in Oregon. Corinne Vasiloff has started 36 games over the last two seasons. Whitworth returns both starters from 2022. The cornerstone of any successful team is strong pitching. The Pirates are scheduled to open Northwest Conference play at home, but upcoming winter weather next week could have an impact on those plans. The opening trip includes doubleheaders at Redlands, Pomona-Pitzer and La Verne in Southern California. Our first trip of the year should go a long way towards blending us even more." Many of our returners have been excited and driven by the competition. While the season is just beginning, they have all been making sacrifices as student-athletes for several months now to get better at the game and to learn about each other. "Effort goes a long way towards winning teammates over in our competitive environment. "I give a lot of credit to our freshman and transfers for coming in and working hard right away," he said. The 25-player roster also includes ten newcomers.Īccording to Castle, the larger roster has meshed into a cohesive team. Whitworth returns both starting pitchers, an All-NWC infield, and a starting outfielder from last season. And, we ultimately will not be satisfied with anything other than playing for and winning a conference championship." A bigger team and the demands in a classroom at Whitworth make keeping a team GPA over a 3.6 very difficult. "One is from the classroom, the other is conference standings. "We measure success through report cards," said head coach Bob Castle. The Pirates, who finished 25-17 overall and 15-13 in the NWC last season, have paired a plethora of returnees with a large and talented incoming class. – The Whitworth University softball team opens the 2023 season this weekend with high hopes of challenging for a Northwest Conference title. They will play 9 games in Bradenton and 9 on the road, finishing their Grapefruit League schedule by playing the Phillies in Clearwater on April 5th, two days before their regular season opener in St. The Pirates will kick off their Grapefruit League schedule on Friday, March 18th, when they host the Yankees at LECOM Park in Bradenton. They will play 8 different teams (Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto Blue Jays) across their 18 game schedule. The Pirates will have an 18 game Grapefruit League schedule. Clubs located on the West Coast of Florida will play each other, while clubs on the East Coast will only play other East Coast located clubs.Ĭlubs on the West Coast of Florida, such as the Pirates, will play a minimum of 18 spring training games in a 21 day window. Grapefruit League clubs such as the Pittsburgh Pirates will play a regionalized schedule. The Pittsburgh Pirates and the rest of MLB will start playing spring training games this week, with the spring training schedule set to kick off on St. ![]() Now that MLB teams are reporting to their various spring training locations and camp is beginning to rev up a new spring training schedule for both the Cactus and Grapefruit Leagues has been released. With a new and revised spring training schedule now known the Pittsburgh Pirates are set to begin spring training games this week
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