Rutgers-Camden Athletics

Softball team tabbed as "dark horse" in NJAC pre-season poll

2/19/2025 2:48:00 PM

CAMDEN, N.J. (Feb. 19, 2025) – The Rutgers University-Camden softball program is looking to continue its string of improvement as it heads into the 2025 season.
 
The Scarlet Raptors have increased their total of wins in for two straight seasons, with last year's team posting a 17-25 record overall for an improvement of seven victories over the 2023 team. The Scarlet Raptors also qualified for the New Jersey Athletic Conference playoffs in 2024, marking their first time earning a berth in the six-team post-season playoffs since 2016. Every NJAC team participated in the 2021 NJAC playoffs, when the post-Covid tournament field was expanded.
 
As the Scarlet Raptors head into the 2025 campaign, they have 13 returning letterwinners on their 18-player roster, including sophomore pitcher Sammie Friel, who earned NJAC Rookie of the Year and All-Conference Second Team honors last season.
 
With their young talent, the Scarlet Raptors were picked as the NJAC's dark horse team when the conference released its pre-season coaches' poll today. Rutgers-Camden was picked for seventh overall by the 10 NJAC coaches.
 
Defending champion Rowan University received nine first-place votes while being picked as the conference favorite, followed by The College of New Jersey, which received the other first-place vote. Ramapo College, last season's NJAC runner-up, was tabbed for third place, while Stockton University, Kean University and Montclair State University rounded out the coaches' picks for fourth through sixth place, respectively.
 
Following Rutgers-Camden, the coaches picked William Paterson University for eighth place, Rutgers University-Newark for ninth and New Jersey City University for 10th place.
 
The Scarlet Raptors graduated a pair of all-conference players from their 2024 team with the loss of designated hitter Kamryn Kennedy, a NJAC First Team star, who hit .301, and centerfielder Alexa McNee, who earned NJAC Second Team honors while hitting .250 and playing stellar defense.
 
Friel, however, will anchor a deep pitching staff after hurling 110.2 innings with a 2.72 ERA, 11 complete games, a 9-10 record and four shutouts. She struck out 107 and walked 42, while also earning a pair of NJAC Rookie Pitcher of the Week honors.
 
Sophomore Anna Milillo also earned a Rookie Pitcher of the Week honor and worked 67.1 innings with a 5-2 record, a 2.18 ERA and a team-leading two saves. Senior Lindsey Rodzon will earn her fourth Scarlet Raptor softball letter after hurling 101.1 innings and posting a 4.77 ERA in 2024. A staff workhorse throughout her career, Rodzon was a Second Team All-NJAC player in 2023 and ranks among the program's career leaders in numerous categories.
 
Rutgers-Camden also has a pair of new pitchers in sophomore Molly Skelly, a transfer from Goldey-Beacom College, and freshman Izzy Carels, giving the team its most pitching depth in years.
 
Among the returning letterwinners are two other players who combined for three NJAC Rookie of the Week honors in 2024. Middle infielder Gianna Bauer, a junior academically with sophomore eligibility, earned a pair of weekly NJAC rookie honors while leading the team with a .310 batting average. Infielder/outfielder Alana Gannon (.279) also captured a Rookie of the Week honor.
 
In addition to Rodzon, the Scarlet Raptors feature a pair of seniors who will capture their fourth Rutgers-Camden softball letter. Luci Hutchinson has anchored third base since her freshman season. She hit .244 with a team-leading 16 RBIs in 2024 and enters this season 26 hits shy of 100. Outfielder Emily Dubiago is right behind her in the quest for the 100-hit milestone, entering this year with 72 hits after posting a .309 batting average in 2024. She is a .293 career hitter.
 
Veteran outfielder Ava Maloof and first baseman Bella Lynch both return for their third seasons, while senior catcher Kendall Lafferty will earn her second Rutgers-Camden letter after starting her career at NJAC rival Ramapo College. Also returning for their second seasons will be sophomore outfielder Kali Baker, a .291 hitter last season, first baseman Devyn Jordan (.286) and catcher/pinch runner Mia Owens, a two-sport athlete who has played a key role with the volleyball program.
 
In addition to pitchers Skelly and Carels, newcomers include sophomore catcher/infielder Madi Carr, outfielder Ryleigh Lender and catcher Zoie Mantzell.
 
Eighth-year Head Coach Meredith McCarthy returns Assistant Coaches Megan Katzmar, Liani Ortiz, Dannie Dinsfriend and Sarah Byrnes, while adding a familiar new face to the staff in long-time Raptor shortstop Meg Gray. A 2024 graduate, Gray played 75 games as the Raptors' shortstop during her three seasons at Rutgers-Camden, while serving as a team captain each year.
 
Rutgers-Camden was scheduled to open its season Sunday against SUNY-Oneonta, but that home doubleheader has been pushed back to Tuesday, beginning at 3 p.m. The Scarlet Raptors' schedule includes an eight-game trip to Florida during spring break (March 15-19) and their NJAC-opening doubleheader against New Jersey City University on March 29 in Camden.