Category: Rutgers softball

Rutgers softball: Katie Wingert providing a spark offensively

Katie Wingert is helping Rutgers softball early in the season.

With the softball season underway, Rutgers is off to a solid start with a 6-4 record. While they have gotten contributions throughout the roster, Katie Wingert has been on fire at the plate. The talented catcher has been a hits machine and key to Rutgers success.

Through 30 at-bats, Wingert has posted a .433 batting average and driven in a team-high 14 runs. She has also shown some power, as nine of her 13 hits have gone for extra bases. With her in the heart of the order, Rutgers offense has been hard to stop.

 

Additionally, she has already added three multi-hit games to her resume. That includes two three-hit performances, one against Colgate and one against Houston. In games that the Cumberland Valley High School product has driven in at least one run, Rutgers is 5-1.

As Rutgers looks to continue its winning ways, Wingert will be relied on heavily. She has been the best player by a wide margin offensively the last two weeks and has shown no signs of slowing down. She also hasn’t had to rely on her power to make an impact.

While the regular season is far from over, Wingert is already showing that the 2024 campaign may be one of her best.

Rutgers softball defeated Hawaii 14-7 to kick-off the 2024 Mary Nutter Tournament

On Thursday, Rutgers softball defeated Hawaii 14-7 in the first game of the 2024 Mary Nutter Tournament.Β 

On Thursday, Rutgers softball (7-4) defeated Hawaii (1-5) 14-7 in the first game of the 2024 Mary Nutter Tournament.

The Scarlet Knights fell behind early in this matchup when Hawaii jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning. Rutgers got on the board in the bottom half of the second when catcher Katie Wingert added her seventh home run on the season, cutting Hawaii’s lead to three.

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Wingert’s home run didn’t end the momentum for Hawaii as the Rainbow Warriors added two more runs in the top of the third, extending their lead to 6-1. The Scarlet Knights didn’t quit, adding four runs in the bottom half of the inning, cutting Hawaii’s lead to only one.

 

In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Scarlet Knights recorded their first lead when outfielders Jillian Anderson and Kayla Bock added back-to-back singles to give Rutgers a 7-6 lead.

Hawaii recorded their final run in the top of the sixth inning, tying the game at 7-7, but the Scarlet Knights exploded for seven runs in the bottom half to secure the victory.

With their victory, Rutgers improved to 7-4 on the season with five games remaining in the tournament.

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Rutgers softball: Mattie Boyd makes history

Rutgers softball made a piece of history over the weekend.

On Friday afternoon, Rutgers softball made headlines in their win over Army. In their 2-0 victory, Sachse, Texas native Mattie Boyd threw a no-hitter and improved to 3-0. While Rutgers lost to Duke in their second game of the afternoon, Boyd etched herself into the record books.

From the first pitch, the Army Mules had no answer for Boyd. In her third start of the season, the Rutgers star struck out nine batters and only walked two. On a day when the Scarlet Knights could not get much going offensively, Boyd stepped up.

 

Additionally. Boyd joined special company as she made history on the mound. She became the first Rutgers pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Jaden Vickers in 2022. Before that, the program’s last no-hitter came in 2012.

As Boyd dazzled on the mound, she got help from Katie Wingert and Julian Anderson. The talented duo provided the offensive with RBI doubles. Their clutch hitting proved to be more than enough.

Through 18 innings of work this season, Boyd has been nearly unhittable with a 0.78 ERA. She has also struck out 22 batters in that span. While it will be hard for her to replicate Friday’s performance, it is one outing Boyd will never forget.

Rutgers softball improved to 5-1 with a 2-0 victory over Army

Rutgers softball (5-1) kicks off the Panther Invitational Miami, Florida, on Friday with a 2-0 victory over Army (0-5).

Rutgers softball (5-1) kicks off the Panther Invitational Miami, Florida, on Friday with a 2-0 victory over Army (0-5). The Scarlet Knights game against Army is one of two scheduled games for Friday, with the second being against No. 10 Duke.

The Scarlet Knights jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. Rutgers catcher Katie Wingert and left-fielder Jillian Anderson produced two doubles in the first innings to give the Scarlet Knights the 2-0 lead.

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The Scarlet Knights struggled at the plate throughout the game, recording only four hits and five walks, but those four hits produced enough runs to surpass the Black Knights.

Rutgers held the Black Knights scoreless throughout the game, with pitcher Mattie Boyd striking out nine batters. Boyd pitched seven innings, allowing two walks and no hits. The Sachse, Texas native picked up her third win on the season with her victory over Army.

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Rutgers will try to continue their winning momentum as they take on Duke in their second game on Friday in the Panther Invitational.

 

 

Rutgers softball adds ninth member to incoming recruiting class

Rutgers softball lands a promising prospect in Allison Amadio.

Rutgers softball continued to build for the future on Thursday by adding to their incoming recruiting class. Their latest addition, Allison Amadio, is a New Jersey Native and Cedar Creek High School product. While Amado’s debut is over a year away, she has put together an impressive resume.

During her high school career, Amadio has been one of the best players in the state. Her list of accolades includes Defensive Player of the Year Honors, and she set the Cedar Creek High School record for putouts in a single season with 236. With Amadio leading the way, Cedar Creek became a powerhouse.

During Amadio’s tenure, Cedar Creek has won two division championships and one conference championship. The Pirates were also South Jersey Group 2 Champions in 2021.

 

Due to her success, many in Piscataway are counting down the minutes until Amado makes her debut. That includes Rutgers head coach Kristin Butler.

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When asked about Amadio, Butler said, ” We are excited to welcome Allison to the Rutgers Softball family. She is the true definition of a student-athlete. Allison comes to us with experience behind the plate and will add great character to our team. She has experience behind the plate and demonstrates great leadership.”

While Amadio will see plenty of time behind the plate, her motivation for joining Rutgers goes beyond the diamond.

“I chose to spend my next four years at Rutgers University for many reasons, both academically and athletically. Rutgers is an R1 institution, making it the most suitable place for me to design and develop my engineering career,” Amadio told Rutgers athletics.

Rutgers softball releases 2024 schedule

Rutgers softball fans can start marking their calendars after the release of the 2024 schedule

With spring drawing closer by the day, Rutgers softball fans had a reason to celebrate on Tuesday. The Scarlet Knights released their 2024 schedule, which will feature 56 games. Rutgers has a challenging road ahead during the 2024 campaign. They will face seven opponents from last year’s NCAA Tournament.

In non-conference play, Rutgers is set to face an exciting group of teams. That list includes future Big Ten opponent UCLA and NCAA super-regional participant Duke. They will also face West Coast Conference Champion LMU.

The fun will begin on February 9 in Houston. The Scarlet Knights are set to face Houston, Indiana State, and Colgate during opening weekend. They will continue their tour of the country with a stop in Miami starting on February 16 to take on FIU, Duke and Army.

 

Additionally, before the start of Big Ten play, Rutgers will participate in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic and a tournament at Fresno State. They will turn their focus to conference play starting at the end of March with a series against Purdue and Ohio State.

In April, the Scarlet Knights are set to take on Wisconsin, Maryland, and Nebraska. They will close out the month with a trip to Michigan State from the 26th to the 28th. The regular season for Rutgers will come to an end with a series against Penn State on May 3-5.

This year, the Big Ten tournament, which is set to begin on May 7, will be held in Iowa City.

Rutgers softball lands talented pitcher Dezaria Johnson to their 2024 roster

ON Tuesday, Rutgers softball added talented pitcher Dezaria Johnson to their 2024 recruiting class.

On Tuesday, Rutgers softball added talented pitcher Dezaria Johnson to their 2024 recruiting class. Johnson originally committed to North Carolina in 2022 but elected to join the Big Ten with the Scarlet Knights.

Johnson is a standout pitcher at Eastside High in Covington, Georgia, and is ranked No. 20 in the 2024 Extra Elite 100, according to Extra Inning Softball.Β Johnson, also known as, “Z” is a two-time First Team 8AAAAA All-Region selection in Georgia.

She finished her junior season with a 3.70 ERA and recorded 120 strikeouts. At the plate, Johnson logged a .396 batting average while drilling seven home runs. Last season, Johnson guided her team to a state ranking of No. 6 in Georgia’s Class AAAAA.

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As for the Scarlet Knights, Rutgers finished last season with a record of 32-25 (9-14 Big Ten) and the No. 11 ranking in the Big Ten Conference. As a team, Rutgers finished last season ranked No. 8 in pitching with a 3.36 ERA and No. 5 in batting with a .285 average in the Big Ten.Β When Johnson reports to campus in 2024, she can help boost these rankings for the Scarlet Knights as the program continues to improve.

 

 

Rutgers softball adds talented piece to its 2023 class in Eva Garofalo

Rutgers softball landed another commitment this week.

On Tuesday night, Rutgers softball had a reason to celebrate as their 2025 class continued to grow. On social media, infielder Eva Garofalo announced that she verballed committed to Rutgers. While Scarlet Knight fans still have to wait a few years for her debut, the addition of Garofalo is exciting news for the program.

Garofalo is a New York native who can play all around the diamond. During her high school career, Garofalo has spent time at first, second, and third base. She is also dangerous at the plate and was an on-base machine during her sophomore campaign.

In 28 plate appearances, Garofalo posted a .360 batting average while driving in eight runs. She also showed a little bit of power with two home runs. Due to her success, Garofalo was hard to keep out of the lineup and provided a spark to the Raiders offense.

 

Although her high school career is far from over, Garofalo should continue to improve before she calls Piscataway home. That is an encouraging sign for a Scarlet Knights program with high expectations.

With a bright future ahead, Garofalo did not hide her excitement for committing to Rutgers on Twitter. In a post on her account, Garofalo said, “I am so overjoyed to announce my verbal commitment to Rutgers University!! I am so happy to commit with my twin. Thank you to my amazing moms and all of my coach who have helped me throughout this process! Let’s go Scarlett Knights!”

Kyleigh Sand & Morgan Smith earn All-Region honors

Some bog honors have rolled in for Rutgers softball.

For Rutgers softball, the 2023 season ended in disappointing fashion with a loss to Ohio State in the first round of the Big Ten tournament. While their focus has shifted to the 2024 campaign, the past few months have been full of unforgettable moments. Many of those were provided by Kyleigh Sand and Morgan Smith, who were honored for their stellar play on May 18th.

Sand was named First Team All-Great Lakes Region and Smith was named Second Team All-Great Lakes Region. For the Scarlet Knights duo, their achievement comes as no surprise to those in Piscataway.

Last week’s announcement marked the second straight year Sand became a first-team all-region honoree. During the 2023 campaign, she was a force offensively. The California native led Rutgers in stolen bases with 26, triples with three, and runs with 54. Her dominance did not stop there; she ranked ninth in the Big Ten in batting average and second in hits with 71.

While Sand thrived in the infield, Smith a force in the outfield. The LSU transfer led Rutgers with 46 RBIs while posting a .357 batting average. She also gave Rutgers a boost in the field, as she only committed one error and recorded 92 putouts. She made an immediate impact and became a crucial part of Rutgers success.

Due to the contributions from Sand and Smith, Rutgers won 32 games, its highest total since 1994.Β  They will be looking to build on their success next spring and continue to rewrite the program’s record book.

 

 

Ashley Hitchcock is writing a memorable last chapter with Rutgers softball

Ashley Hitchcock is making quite a mark this season for Rutgers softball.

As the regular season winds down, a few Scarlet Knights are entering the final weeks of their career at Rutgers. That list includes Ashley Hitchcock, who has become a staple on the pitching staff. In her senior season, she is providing a reminder of her value while playing multiple roles.

Through 43.2 innings of work this season, Hitchcock is third on Rutgers in wins with seven while pitching to a 3.05 ERA. She has also held opponents to a .230 batting average. While the Pennsylvania native has struggled with her control at times, she has been able to limit the damage when batters reach base.

Additionally, Hitchcock has struck out 37 batters while posting the second-lowest ERA in her career. She hasn’t finished a season with an ERA below 4.12 since the 2020 campaign. She is well on her way to doing that with less than before the Big Ten tournament.

While Hitchcock has split time between the rotation and bullpen this year, she has thrived regardless of the role. The Eastwood High School product has made five starts, with the rest of her work coming out of the bullpen. Her versatility has allowed Rutgers to find the spots to maximize her talent.

With postseason play quickly approaching, Hitchcock is far from done. Her focus now is putting Rutgers in the best position to make a deep run in the Big Ten tournament as she writes the final chapter of her Rutgers career.

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