KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University softball team will once again have a veteran bunch leading the way in 2025 as they look to follow last season and make another deep postseason run.
The Golden Bears, led by newly minted National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Famer Judy Lawes, were selected third in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division preseason poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches and announced by the league office on Wednesday.
KU will return each of its three All-PSAC Second Team honorees from a season ago in senior infielder Naya Darnowski (Manchester, N.J./Manchester Township), senior outfielder Brianna Stocklin (Deptford, N.J./Deptford Township) and sophomore outfielder Emily Henn (Matamoras, Pa./Delaware Valley), along with regular starters in catcher Sarah Harvat (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) and infielders Alexa Stevens (Covington Township, Pa./North Pocono), Kristin Geesey (Bainbridge, Pa./Elizabethtown) and Morgan Slomkowski (Toms River, N.J./Toms River East). Pitchers Haley Gravish (Hamburg, Pa./Hamburg) and Natalee Harvey (Swanton, Vt./Missisquoi Valley Union), each of whom turned in double-digit wins a season ago, also return for the Golden Bears.
This cast led the way to a 37-25 record that included a 19-13 conference mark and the second seed in the PSAC East. It was their fifth consecutive season with at least 30 wins (not including the shortened 2020 campaign) and their fifth consecutive season earning at least one win at the PSAC Championship, a period that includes the PSAC Champions of 2022.
Despite falling in the PSAC Championship to East Stroudsburg, they took care of business in the NCAA Atlantic Region four-team pod by advancing past East Stroudsburg, Shippensburg and Bowie State and matched up with Charleston in the Super Regionals, making them the lone PSAC team to advance to the second round.
Ten double headers provide opportunities to catch a glimpse of the 2025 Kutztown Softball team at North Campus Softball Field, with the first coming against non-conference foe Jefferson on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 1 and 3 p.m. KU hosts Holy Family the following Saturday (Feb. 28) before starting home conference play against East Stroudsburg (Tuesday, Mar. 18) and finishing the regular season at home against Shippensburg (Saturday, Apr. 26).
The postseason charge begins with the PSAC Championship at Quakertown's Veterans Park on Wednesday, Apr. 30 to Saturday, May 3. They hope to conclude their season at the NCAA Division II College World Series, which takes place May 22-28 at Frost Stadium at Warner Park in Chattanooga, Tenn.
As for the rest of the PSAC preseason poll, the East Division features the Warriors of East Stroudsburg and the Golden Rams of West Chester ahead of Kutztown, with ESU, WCU, and Shippensburg – voted fourth behind KU – earning first-place votes from the coaches. Gannon (6 first-place votes) is the overwhelming favorite from the West Division, with Indiana (Pa.) and California (Pa.) trailing the Golden Knights and each earning a first-place vote.
The Golden Bears begin their season with a pair of North Carolina tournaments, visiting UNC Pembroke for the UNCP Invitational (Friday, Jan. 31 through Sunday, Feb. 2) and traveling to Mount Olive for the Mount Olive Tournament (Friday, Feb. 14 through Saturday, Feb. 15).
