PSUAC Softball All-Conference Awards
State College, Pa. - The results are in and following a successful playoff run by the Hazleton Nittany Lion Softball team, seven players were named to the Penn State University Athletic Conference's All-Conference Team. These esteemed student-athletes along with their teammates helped send the Lions to the PSUAC championship game for the first time since the 2017 season, finishing the season with a 17-17 overall record.
Ashley Wilson (East Stroudsburg, Pa.) - 1st Team All-Conference Utility Player
Wilson had a tremendous rookie season for Hazleton and proved herself one of the most versatile in the conference. Wilson was a constant in the Hazleton lineup, contributing defensively in the outfield, middle infield and at the catcher's position. Ashley finished the season ranking 5th in the PSUAC in batting average, hitting at a .424 clip. Wilson added team highs with two home runs and 29 RBI while adding 18 runs scored and a .630 slugging percentage.
Rebecca Baum (Stewartstown, Pa.) - 2nd Team All-Conference Pitcher
Baum excelled inside and out of the circle for Hazleton during her second season in uniform. As a pitcher, Baum led the Nittany Lions in strikeouts with 68 K's and tied for the team lead in wins with seven victories ranking fourth and fifth respectively in the PSUAC in those categories. Baum was just as impressive at the plate for the Lions, toting the third best batting average on the team at .367. Baum added 20 RBI, a pair of home runs, 21 runs scored and seven stolen bases.
Tori Rabuck (Tower City, Pa.) - 2nd Team All-Conference Infielder
Rabuck 13th in the PSUAC and second on the Hazleton roster with a .400 batting average this season. The freshman totaled a team-high 40 hits in 100 at-bats, adding 23 RBI and a pair of home runs. From April 16 to April 30, Rabuck helped propel the Lions to the three seed in the PSUAC post season, going 22-for-40 over an 11 game stretch where she drove in 15 runs.
Sky Esterly (Nazareth, Pa.) - 2nd Team All-Conference Outfielder
Esterly finished the regular season on a tear, racking up six multi-hit games in the final 10 games of the regular season and scoring nine runs with seven RBI over that stretch. Esterly ended her senior season with a .286 batting average, adding 16 RBI, 18 runs scored and four stolen bases, wrapping up a terrific senior season.
Athena Matenkoski (Drums, Pa.) 2nd Team Mention All-Conference Outfielder
Matenskoski collected just one hit in the month of March but came on as one of the most consistent hitting outfielders in the Hazleton lineup late in the year. The freshman totaled 18 hits in the month of April, including four multi-hit games to register a .373 batting average for the season. The freshman totaled five extra-base hits this season including one home run while notching 13 RBI, 12 runs scored and a .467 on base percentage.
Cassidy Lentz (Germansville, Pa.) Honorable Mention All-Conference Pitcher
Lentz completed Hazleton's one-two punch in the circle, matching the team high with seven wins as a pitcher to go along with a 5.31 earned run average. The senior picked up two huge post-season wins against Penn State Schuylkill that helped send the Lions to the PSUAC championship and ranked fifth in the conference with 63 strikeouts.
Jess Lepore (Telford, Pa.) - Honorable Mentiona All-Conference Infielder
The Hazleton shortstop played in 33 games this season totaled the sixth highest batting average on the team at .291 for the season. Lepore ranked second in the PSUAC in stolen bases with 16 swipes this season, scoring the second most runs on the team with 25 scores with nine RBI's primarily out of the lead off spot for Hazleton.