AUBURN, Ala. -- Rutgers softball is back in action this weekend at the Jane B. Memorial Tournament hosted by Auburn. In addition to taking the field against the No. 19 Tigers, the Scarlet Knights will also square off with Louisiana and McNeese State.
Head Coach: Kristen Butler (Florida '06) - 248-284 overall (11th Season) /142-158 at Rutgers (Seventh Season)
2025 Record: 7-9
Top Scarlet Knights:
Batting
- Jillian Anderson - .381 BA, 4 runs, 16 hits, 1 double, 8 RBIs
- LA Matthews - .295 BA, 4 runs, 13 hits, 3 doubles, 1 HR, 10 RBIs
- Hailey Stripling - .290 BA, 9 runs, 9 hits, 5 RBIs
Pitching
Head Coach: Chris Malveaux (Texas A&M '01) - 122-134 overall (Fifth Season)/14-1 at Auburn (First Season) & Kate Malveaux (Bradley '12) - 14-1 overall (First Season)/14-1 at Auburn (First Season)
2025 Record: 14-1
Ranking: ESPN.Com/USA Softball - No. 19; USA Today/NFCA - No. 20; D1Softball - No. 23; Softball America - No. 22
All-Time Series: First Meeting
Top Tigers:
Batting
- Abbey Smith - .317 BA, 14 runs, 15 hits, 1 HR, 1 RBI
- Icess Tresvik - .378 BA, 17 runs, 17 hits, 2 doubles, 6 HRs, 16 RBIs
- Nelia Peralta - .327 BA, 15 runs, 16 hits, 3 doubles, 3 HRs, 12 RBIs
Pitching
- SJ Geurin - 9-0 W-L, 1.23 ERA, 2 CG, 1 shutout, 2 saves, 51.1 IP, 31 Ks
- Chalea Clemmons - 3-1 W-L, 2.91 ERA, 1 save, 21.2 IP, 20 Ks
- Haley Rainey - 2-0 W-L, 25.0 IP, 17 Ks
Head Coach: Alyson Habetz (Louisiana '95) - 8-4 overall (First Season)/8-4 at Louisiana (First Season)
2025 Record: 8-4
All-Time Series: Louisiana Leads 7-0 (Last Meeting: March 11, 2023 - L, 0-5)
Top Ragin' Cajun:
Batting
- Kayla Falterman - .469 BA, 13 runs, 15 hits, 2 doubles, 6 RBIs
- Maddie Hayden - .436 BA, 13 runs, 17 hits, 3 RBIs
- Cecilia Vasquez - .424 BA, 7 runs, 14 hits, 3 doubles, 2 HRs, 15 RBIs
Pitching
- Sam Ryan - 3-1 W-L, 3 CG, 26.2 IP, 6 Ks
- Mallory Wheeler - 3-0 W-L, 3 CG, 29.0 IP, 16 Ks
Head Coach: James Landreneau (McNeese State) - 308-166 overall (Ninth Season) - 308-166 at McNeese State (Ninth Season)
2025 Record: 10-5
All-Time Series: McNeese State Leads 3-1 (Last Meeting: February 16, 2019 - W, 2-1 (8))
Top Cowgirls:
Batting
- Samantha Mundine - .477 BA, 10 runs, 21 hits, 3 doubles, 11 RBIs
- Kassidy Chance - .440 BA, 8 runs, 11 hits, 4 doubles, 8 RBIs
- Jade Munoz - .390 BA - 19 runs, 16 hits, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HRs, 7 RBIs
Pitching
- Kadence Williams - 1-2 W-L, 2.10 ERA, 1 save, 20.0 IP, 8 Ks
- Maddie Taylor - 5-1 W-L, 3.53 ERA, 2 CG, 35.2 IP, 24 Ks
- Ryann Schexnayder - 2-1 W-L, 3.76 ERA, 1 CG, 22.1 IP, 9 Ks
- The Scarlet Knights are coming off their second consecutive appearance at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. Out in Cathedral, California, RU went 2-4, facing a trio of top-25 SEC opposition and picking up wins over Bethune-Cookman and UC Riverside.
- Freshman right-hander Ella Harrison struck out 29 across her three appearances and 17.2 innings pitched marking the most strikeouts of any pitcher during Mary Nutter. She only gave up two extra-base hits and held down a 1.58 ERA. Harrison had double-figure strikeouts in two of her three appearances including 10 against No. 22 Missouri and a career-high 11 against Oregon State.
- Also in the circle, freshman Kelsey Hoekstra sent down five on strikes against UC Riverside in the final game of the week, while fellow freshman Dezaria Johnson made her first appearance and picked up a save in the victory over Bethune-Cookman.
- Offensively, Jayla Fuller got her first career start in left field in the finale against UC Riverside that saw the rookie go 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and pair of RBIs along with a run scored.
- Three other bats hit over .300 last week including freshman Riley Hwang, redshirt freshman Stephanie Kraska and senior Jililan Anderson. Anderson collected five hits and a pair of RBIs.
- Freshman right-hander Ella Harrison collected three complete game victories at the Lion Invitational last week for a 1.00 ERA with 26 strikeouts over 21.0 innings pitched to earn Big Ten Co-Pitcher of the Week honors alongside Nebraska's Jordy Bahl. Harrison held opponents to a .195 batting average and three earned runs.
- Harrison earned her first victory of the year as RU downed SIUE, 9-3, going the distance and allowing only one earned run on six hits while fanning eight in her first collegiate victory.
- She followed tossing nine strikeouts and no earned runs in a 2-1 win over Abilene Christian, holding the Wildcats to four hits, none for extra bases.
- In the Lion Invite finale with host East Texas A&M, Harrison made it three consecutive complete-game victories in the 4-2 win. She hurled nine strikeouts for the second straight game
- The Scarlet Knights went 4-1 at the Lion Invitational in week two of the season. RU opened with a 9-3 victory over SIUE and the first shutout of the year in a 7-0 win over host East Texas A&M on day one. Picked up a 2-1 win over Abilene Christian to start off day two before falling 4-1 in the second meeting with SIUE. RU, however, rebounded with another victory of ETAMU, 4-2, on the final day.
- In the circle, Ella Harrison wen, combining for a 1.00 ERA with 26 strikeouts over 21.0 innings pitched while keeping opponents to a .195 batting average and three earned runs. Kelsey Hoesktra was 1-1 with a 1.56 ERA and shared the shutout over East Texas A&M.
- At the plate, Jillian Anderson hit .500 with six hits in 12 at-bats, driving in four runs while scoring three runs. LA Matthews batted .438,going 7-for-16, with a home run and pair of doubles resulting in 4 RBIs and two runs scored. Bailey Briggs also accounted for four runs batted in and came across the plate three times.
- The Scarlet Knights opened up the 2025 campaign last weekend at The Spring Games in Leesburg, Florida. Rutgers opened the season with a 6-2 victory over defending Horizon League Champion Cleveland State before falling 8-1 to MTSU,
- Veterans Jillian Anderson and LA Matthews both hit .333 with five hits, including a double on the weekend. Matthews recorded three RBIs while Anderson sent home a pair of Scarlet Knight base runners. Redshirt sophomore Bailey Briggs logged five hits with a pair of RBIs.
- Redshirt freshman Hailey Stripling made her RU debut and finished out the weekend with three RBIs, four runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Stripling was responsible for three of RU's six runs in the 6-3 season-opening victory over Cleveland State.
- Inside the circle, freshman Ella Harrison made three appearances with 14.2 innings pitched with 15 strikeouts, including 10 in her Scarlet Knight debut against MTSU. Her double-digit strikeouts marked the most by a rookie hurler since Jaden Vickers in 2020.
- Classmate Kelsey Hoekstra got the start and the win against Cleveland State and went the distance in Sunday's game with Liberty and totaled 13.0 innings on the weekend with five earned runs allowed.
- Seniors Georgia Ingle and Laurelai DePew also saw time in relief. DePew threw the final inning in the win against the Vikings and struck out two. Ingle made three trips to the circle, including both games with Liberty as well as Louisville. Ingled totaled 4.1 innings of work with one earned run allowed.
- This season, Rutgers softball boasts a youthful squad with 12 newcomers, including Witchita State transfer shortstop Siera Hoekstra along with 11 true freshman. Five members of the freshman class were named to Softball America's Freshmen To Watch list - Infielders Addie Osborne and Baileigh Burtis and pitchers Ella Harrison, Kelsey Hoekstra and Dezaria Johnson.
- Graduate student first baseman LA Matthews, senior outfielder Jillian Anderson and freshman right-handed pitcher Ella Harrison were named Big Ten Players to Watch .
- Also returning to the roster for the 2025 campaign are senior left-handed reliever and designated player Georgia Ingle, senior right-handed pitcher Laurelai DePew, junior catcher Gaelen Kelly, redshirt sophomore infielder Bailey Briggs along with redshirt freshmen Stephanie Kraska and Hailey Stripling.
- A trio of Scarlet Knights were lauded by the Big Ten as Players To Watch in 2025.
- Graduate student LA Matthews begins her second season after starting all 55 games last season for the Scarlet Knights, primarily at first base. She hit .306 in a season that saw RU go 33-22 overall for the Scarlet Knights' second consecutive 30-win season and finish third in the Big Ten regular season standings, RU's best finish since joining the conference in 2014. Matthews totaled 56 hits and 34 runs on 13 doubles, a trio of triples and a home run. She also racked up 34 RBIs, including four contests with three runs batted in.
- Jillian Anderson, also entering her second season at Rutgers, having patrolled the outfield in all 55 games a year ago. Her prowess robbed opponents from home runs and she committed no errors with 60 putouts for a perfect fielding percentage playing both in left and center. At the plate, Anderson batted .288 with 38 hits, 25 runs scored, three doubles and 12 RBIs.
- Ella Harrison is in her first season "On The Banks". A member of the Softball America Freshman To Watch List, Harrison comes to Rutgers having earned 2023 New York State Class AA Player of the Year honors at Clarence High School. During her junior campaign she threw 134 strikeouts in 84 innings pitched with a 1.50 ERA while hitting .382 with 19 singles, six doubles and a triple. Additionally, she pitched 11 innings in a state championship shutout.
- Five members of Rutgers landed on Softball America's Freshmen To Watch list in January.
- Addie Osborne, an infielder from Erie, Colorado, was the 2023 5A State and Conference Player of the Year. During scholastic career, she hit .452 with 134 runs, 131 hits, 160 RBIs , 38 home runs, .993 slugging percentage and 1.509 OPS. She hit .518 as a senior behind 41 runs, 44 hits, 58 RBIs and 19 home run, 1.305 slugging percentage and 1.890 OPS
- Baileigh Burtis, a fellow infielder from Friendswood, Texas was a two-time First Team All-State, three-time First Team All-District and three-time First Team All-County selection. She hit .438 as a senior with 15 doubles, seven triples, and one home run and holds the Friendswood High School Single Season Doubles (15) and Career Doubles (42) records.
- Ella Harrison, a right-handed hurler from Clarence, New York, earned 2023 New York State Class AA Player of the Year honors. During her junior campaign she threw 134 strikeouts in 84 innings pitched with a 1.50 ERA while hitting .382 with 19 singles, six doubles and a triple. Additionally, she pitched 11 innings in a state championship shutout.
- Kelsey Hoekstra, also a right-handed pitcher coming in from Overland Park, Kansas, was the 2023 Sunflower League Pitcher of the Year as well as a two-time First Team All-State and three-time All-League pick. She helped her 20-2 squad to the state quarterfinals and picked up strikeouts in 112 innings pitched with a 1.00 ERA and hit .476 with 21 runs along the way.
- Dezaria Johnson, another right-hander inside the circle hailing from Covington, Georgia, ranked No. 20 in 2024 Extra Elite 100. She was a two-time 8AAAAA All-Region selection, two-time Pitcher of the Year and the 2022 Region Pitcher of the Year.
- A year ago, Rutgers captured back-to-back 30-win seasons for the first time in program history, a program record for Big Ten victories and Big Ten series wins and the highest Big Ten Tournament seed since joining the league in 2015.
- The Scarlet Knights set a total of 11 school records - six career (Payton Lincavage - at bats; Kyleigh Sand - batting average, runs; Katie Wingert - home runs, RBIs, walks), four team season (runs, RBIs, walks and total bases) and two individual season (Kyleigh Sand - runs & Morgan Smith - RBIs) along with 23 career top 10 entries.
- Former Scarlet Knight Morgan Smith became the first RU player to earn NFCA All-America distinction with a second-team selection along with first-team honors from Softball America, in addition to being named ECAC Player of the Year. Additionally, three Scarlet Knights were named to NFCA All-Region and All-Big Ten squads in Smith, Sand and Mattie Boyd. After the season Smith and Sand both signed professional contracts following the season and are currently playing professionally in Mexico.
Rutgers softball has its first mid-week of the year at Seton Hall on Wednesday, Mar. 5 before its final tournament weekend at the Bob Heck Memorial Tournament hosted by Georgia State in Decatur, Georgia. The Scarlet Knights will take on the host Panthers in addition to North Dakota, West Georgia and Colgate.
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