Photo courtesy of Debbie Gigliotti Pictured is the 2024 Eisenhower softball team.

For the Eisenhower Knights softball team, this year will be a year of building on the experience they have coming back.

Head coach Rich Pascuzzi is happy to have a large squad of 18 girls this spring.

“We return a very talented core group of players,” Pascuzzi stated. “We have eight freshmen girls on the team and they are improving every practice, they are definitely pushing the returning players which is good to see.”

The Knights lost only three players to graduation, Kailee Morrison on first base, Lillian Smyth at third and Makayla Johnson in right field.

“It will be nice to have some depth with a larger squad,” Pascuzzi added. “But we will definitely miss the experience that those three had. But, I’m confident that we have the girls to fill their shoes.”

The Knights do have experience returning in senior pitcher/catcher/shortstop Julia Gesing, senior center fielder Payton Frank, junior shortstop Tracey Jacubczak and sophomore pitcher/first baseman/center fielder Samantha Childs.

The Knights have a large contingent of freshmen and sophomores on this year’s team and several are pushing hard to see varsity playing time. Third baseman Riley Gaffner, pitcher/left fielder Abbie Darr, pitcher/first baseman Alanna Byrd, first baseman Morgan Zaffino, center fielder Kendall Moore, catcher/second baseman Nakita Nelson, third baseman Kayla Unida and left fielder Sheila Jonson head up the large freshman class.

Eisenhower also has three sophomores who are looking for varsity time in pitcher/second baseman Haley Highhouse, right fielder Emily Hagedorn and second baseman/right fielder Kylie Williams lead the sophomore class.

“Goals this season are pretty simple,” Pascuzzi stated. “We want to build on last season and compete for a playoff opportunity. If we hit the ball line we are capable of and if we can minimize the mental mistakes that cost us games last season. I believe we will put ourselves in a position to reach the postseason.”

The Knights are in a good place to take positive steps up, they have a large squad and have a large number of pitchers and solid hitting as well, but this season’s success may hinge on how fast their depth acclimates to the varsity level.

“I see Saegertown, Cambridge Springs and Cochranton as the teams to beat this season,” Pascuzzi said about this year’s competition. “All three have such good programs and are always tough. A win against any one of them would certainly demonstrate we are moving in a good direction, but with some solid play and a few breaks coming our way, I don’t see any reason why we can’t be there as well.”

The key games according to Pascuzzi are the backyard brawl games against Youngsville, “it’s such a good rivalry for both teams, they are almost always close.”

Pascuzzi will have Autumn Highhouse and Sam Gafner assisting him this season and all three coaches are excited to get started,

“We have 18 talented players with a level of depth we haven’t had in a few years,” Pascuzzi said about this year’s squad. “We are relatively young, our depth has to develop for us but they are anxious to get started and so are we.”

The Lady Knights are hoping to kick off their season today, weather permitting at home against Maplewood.