After getting walked off to end their season in 2024, the Hofstra University softball team is motivated to bounce back in the 2025 season and start their campaign for another ring.
In 2024, the Pride ranked No. 6 overall in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) with a record of 17-10. In the CAA Championships, Hofstra upset No. 3 Stony Brook University and advanced to play No. 1 seed Campbell University. The Fightin’ Camels ended the Pride’s season when they came alive in extras with a walk-off hit to advance in the tournament.
,” said Hofstra head coach Adrienne Clark, who is entering her fourth season as head coach. “I know we were bummed when we didn’t win the conference championship. I thought that we fought hard and continued to get better as the season progressed. As long as we continue to fight hard and grow, it’s hard to think that it’s not a productive year to help us prepare for this year.”
Last season helped shape the new leaders who are stepping up to fill the gaps in offense after losing the top three bats in the lineup.
Becca Vaillancourt, the 2024 offensive leader, was the centerpiece of the 2024 lineup. Vaillancourt slashed .350 last season, with nine home runs and an OPS of .985. Vaillancourt was also the Pride’s everyday catcher who was a reliable defender with only one error that season.
Hofstra also graduated the other two greatest offensive contributors, Chelsea Manto and Alyia Catanzarita, who batted for power and bases.
“It’s big shoes to fill, but we have people who have been mentored by them and who have been able to take notes on how they were able to do it,” Clark said. “So, I feel confident that we have people that are going to be able to fill those roles and push the limits even more.”
The offensive workload is to be passed among several of the returning players, including Olivia Malinowski, Chelsea Villar and Gabby Sulton.
“I think my job is to just lead by example and hold up the standards and keep them going, so this next group is set on the right path,” Malinowski said.
This season, Malinowski was named Preseason All-CAA. She slashed .267 last season with 40 hits and has championship experience. As a freshman, Sulton had an OBP of .394 with a home run in 25 plate appearances. She was named Honorable Mention All-CAA before the season began.
The Pride comes into the season after losing their left-handed ace, Julia Apsel, who entered the transfer portal after the 2024 season and transferred to Florida State University. Apsel was a workhorse on the mound, pitching 201.2 innings to a 1.39 ERA. Aspel recorded four shut-out victories and tossed a perfect game last season against Hampton University.
“I think that [Apsel] carried a lot of the load last year and did so effortlessly,” Clark said. “We do have a pitching staff right now that collectively are capable of being able to do what [Apsel] did. It might not be one particular person carrying the majority of the load, but it will be the group of them.”
University of California Riverside transfer Emma Falen and freshman Carley Ernst are two new faces in the pitching staff who can be expected to get several innings. At UC Riverside, Falen pitched to a 3.18 ERA in 19 appearances. Ernst totaled 420 career strikeouts throughout her high school career and tossed a no-hitter in her senior season.
Haley Venturini and Anna Bulter, two pitchers who made appearances last year, can be expected to get some innings on the mound this season as well.
The Pride have a strong foundation returning to the diamond. Along with this core of athletes who have worked together, a large group of underclassmen are being integrated into the program.
“Our freshman and sophomore classes are so dynamic and versatile,” Clark said. “They have the capabilities to really help continue to push the pendulum further. I believe that they are athletes and competitors who are ready to step up and push the limits a little bit.”
It seems that a combination of new and returning players will play a vital role in the success of the team this season. The workload will be distributed among many players, really emphasizing the importance of the whole.
“We all enjoy having fun together,” Malinowski said. “We all want to be better for the person next to us, and we are all very well aware of what this team could be and the goals we have moving forward.”
In the offseason, the Pride have been grinding, focusing on improving themselves both on and off the diamond. They are pushing for a championship run in 2025, and want to grow from last season.
“The focus this offseason has been competing and learning to understand the game at a higher level,” Clark said. “So combining the game-savvy part of it with our athleticism and being able to compete at a high level, regardless of who we are playing.”
Clark emphasized the importance of team building and growth as individuals during the offseason, as well as training for gameplay. They have participated in life skill practices, like a cooking challenge and a business etiquette dinner, which improved the team as individuals and helped to grow the connection of players.
“One thing about championship teams is they need chemistry,” Malinowski said. “If you don’t have good chemistry, nine times out of 10, you can’t figure it out. I think that something that this group especially has been working on is seeing how our puzzle pieces fit together.”
The coaching staff has shaped up this offseason as well, with Nikki Amodeo being a new addition. Amodeo is coming off a season as an assistant coach at the University of Connecticut, where she helped develop outfielders and catchers.
“[Amodeo] is an amazing asset to our program,” Clark said. “I am very thankful to have her on our staff. She is very dynamic and capable of thinking about the game at a high level and able to provide a level of understanding and empathy for our players. She has a toolbox full of skills.”
The coaches have worked as a unit to create an environment that is more than just a team for those involved.
“We are making sure that we are creating an experience for our student-athletes to learn more about themselves than they knew they were capable of,” Clark said.
With these goals being the precedent, the Pride are seeking another ring after feeling the glory of a CAA championship in 2023.
“I have a ring; I want another one,” Malinowski said. “One for each hand.”
The Pride begin hunting for their 14th CAA Championship title in conference play on March 14, against the University of Delaware.
