Photo Courtesy of Susquehanna Athletics
By Marquis Frias
The warmer weather means it’s time for some play on the diamond, and this year’s softball team is buckling up for what is amped up for what should be a strong season.
Coming off a Landmark Conference championship three years ago, and another title game appearance two seasons ago, the expectation for the 2024 crew was to make another far run in the playoffs. The regular season saw many highs and lows for the River Hawks, but their integrity and grit were shown during an eight-game winning streak that included wins over Juniata, Scranton and Drew. This successful run propelled Susquehanna to a fourth4th seed in the conference playoffs.
The River Hawks would draw a play-in match up against fifth5th-seeded Lycoming. The Warriors would go on to knock off the River Hawks in a disappointing 3-0 matchup, ending their season.
Even though it was a disappointing loss, that doesn’t mean it was a disappointing season for SU. Susquehanna was a premier fielding team in 2024, with junior shortstop Lexi Palumbo being named to the All-Landmark First team.
On the surface, Susquehanna looks even stronger than last year; entering the season at the third spot in the annual Landmark Conference preseason coaches’ poll. A key difference between this year’s team and last year’s team is the roster size. In 2025, 28 players are listed on the roster compared to last year’s number of 19.
“This year we’re stronger,” said head coach Caressa Derossett, who is entering her third year at the helm in Selinsgrove. “We call ourselves an army for our numbers alone.”
The River Hawks will look for leadership from some of their returners, including players like Palumbo, pitcher Bri Jones and Amanda Amerman. Not only will SU expect a strong output from its returners, but also a strong rookie class will help with the young core. Riley Mullen, Myalynn Morales, and Savannah Patrone are all first –years from this impressive recruiting class that have been showing great signs throughout the offseason, Derossett said.
With a program that has seen a lot of success in the playoffs, an appearance in the Landmark Conference playoffs isn’t just a goal, but an expectation, Derossett said.
“In order to do this, we need to keep our defense strong… and to just step up and be the hitters that we are,” Derossettshe said. “I’m looking forward to competing. I’m looking forward to that first gut-punch of a loss that just fires up our girls so much to the point they don’t want that feeling again.”
The team will begin the season with a spring-break trip to California, playing ten games in a six-day span to gear up for the meat of their schedule. Conference play begins March 22 at Lycoming.