2017 Softball Schedule Announced

Hazleton, Pa. - The Lady Lions will hit the field in 2017 with renewed motivation for a Penn State University Athletic Conference championship. Hazleton capped their 2015 season with their best finish in program history on the national level as the topped St. Joseph's (Vt.) for 5th place in the United States Collegiate Athletic Associations national softball championships in Akron, Oh. But an early exit in the semi-final round of the PSUAC postseason spoiled an otherwise outstanding year for the Lady Lions who ended 2016 with a 25-16 overall record.

Returning for Hazleton is 2016 PSUAC player of the year and USCAA All-American, sophomore Vanessa Michael (Bloomsburg, Pa.). Michael hit .385 with seven home runs in 2016 and led the nation with 48 RBI. Also returning is the multi-talented sophomore Samantha Varela (Hazleton, Pa.) who will serve as the ace of the pitching staff and join Michael in the heart of the Hazleton order. Last season, Varela was second on the team with four wins and 38 strikeouts from the circle, while knocking 40 RBI from plate, adding six home runs and a team best .387 batting average.

Highlighting this year's schedule will be four PSUAC contests with Penn State Brandywine on April 13 and 14. Brandywine issued Hazleton one of their two regular season conference losses in 2016 on their way to their second consecutive PSUAC title but in 2017, the Lady Lions look to stand in their way of a three-peat. Just as in the baseball division, Hazleton will compete in the newly reformed eastern division of the PSUAC, facing Penn State campuses in the form of Schuylkill, Brandywine, Worthington Scranton and the conference's newest edition in Penn State Wilkes-Barre.

Other notable dates include a USCAA national tournament rematch with St. Joseph's (Vt.) on March 24 and a late season trip on April 20 to the University of Scranton. The 2017 season kicks off with the team's annual trip to Titusville, Fl. where the Lady Lions will play eight regular season games over spring break. Competitor's for the squad's Florida trip scheduled from March 5-9 will be announced at a later date.