LANCASTER, Pa. – Defending champion Swarthmore was picked as the favorite to repeat in the 2024 Centennial Conference softball preseason poll. In a vote among CC head coaches, the Garnet collected six first-place nods and 72 points.
Ursinus, which fell in the championship to Swarthmore last spring, secured two first-place votes and 55 points to finish second in the voting. Gettysburg grabbed the remaining first-place vote and tallied 48 points to place third.
Dickinson and Washington College were deadlocked in a tie for fourth place with 40 points apiece as the final two projected playoff squads. Muhlenberg (28), Haverford (24), McDaniel (15) and Franklin & Marshall (12) rounded out the voting in sixth through ninth, respectively.
The 2024 softball campaign opens up on Saturday, Feb. 24 with Ursinus and Washington College both slated to host non-conference doubleheaders. All nine CC squads will begin the season by early March, with conference play set to commence on Saturday, March 30. The five-team CC postseason is scheduled for Apr. 30, May 2-4-5. The No. 4 seed will host the No. 5 seed in a single-elimination play-in game on Apr. 30, before the tournament shifts to a double elimination format from May 2-4-5. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will host first round games on May 2, with the remainder of the tournament shifting to the No. 1 seed on the weekend of May 4-5.
2024 Centennial Conference Softball Preseason Poll
| Rank | Institution (First-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. Swarthmore (6) |
72 |
| 2. Ursinus (2) |
55 |
| 3. Gettysburg (1) |
48 |
| 4T. Dickinson |
40 |
| 4T. Washington College |
40 |
| 6. Muhlenberg |
28 |
| 7. Haverford |
24 |
| 8. McDaniel |
15 |
| 9. Franklin & Marshall |
12 |
2024 Schedule | 2024 Championship | 2023 All-Centennial Team
The Centennial Conference softball championship was decided by a walk-off home run for the second year in a row last spring, and offered some sweet redemption for Swarthmore.
In 2022, Muhlenberg outlasted host and top-seeded Swarthmore 3-2 in nine innings in the decisive championship game, with Sarah Karmazyn delivering a walk-off solo homer to give the Mules the crown. In 2023, the Garnet entered the newly-expanded tournament as the No. 5 seed, which in years prior would have meant they didn't qualify for the CC postseason. Unphased by their seeding, the Garnet rolled to a perfect 4-0 record in the tournament, capped off by a two-run walk-off homer from Kate Hart in the title game vs. host and top-seeded Ursinus.
The victory marked the first-ever CC softball championship for Swarthmore, which went on to represent the conference in the NCAA Tournament. The Garnet performed well at the regional hosted by 10th-ranked Randolph-Macon, advancing to the final before falling twice to the host Yellow Jackets to conclude the year with a 26-18 record, the program's first CC title, NCAA Tournament berth and NCAA Tournament win.
Loads of talented and accomplished players are back in the Centennial thie spring, with six All-Region and 29 All-Centennial performers back with their respective squads. Returning All-Region players include Gettysburg's trio of pitcher Paige Forry and outfielder Giovanna Komst and Julia Smith, Swarthmore's duo of utilty Olivia McClammy and shortstop Alex Simon, and Muhlenberg outfielder Gillian Zack.
All four major award winners from 2023 return this spring - Komst (Player OTY), Forry (Pitcher OTY), Simon (2023 Gold Glove OTY & 2022 Rookie OTY) and Dickinson outfielder Jane Lloyd (Rookie OTY) - while Washington College utilty Lexi Barnhart is also a returning major award winner as the 2021 Pitcher and Rookie of the Year in the CC.
All nine CC squads welcome back at least one all-conference player to their rosters this spring, led by Gettysburg (6), Washington College (5), and Swarthmore (4).
Returning All-Region (6)
Paige Forry, Gettysburg, Jr., LHP (2023 NFCA First Team)
Giovanna Komst, Gettysburg, Sr., OF (2023 NFCA First Team)
Julia Smith, Gettysburg, Sr., OF (2023 NFCA Third Team)
Gillian Zack, Muhlenberg, Sr., OF (2022 NFCA Second Team)
Olivia McClammy, Swarthmore, Jr., DP/Util (2023 NFCA Second Team, 2022 NFCA First Team)
Alex Simon, Swarthmore, Sr., SS (2022 NFCA Second Team)
Returning All-Centennial (29)
Abby Kohan, Dickinson, So., 2B (2023 First Team)
Zoe Kleeblatt, Dickinson, Sr., DP (2023 First Team)
Jane Lloyd, Dickinson, So., OF (2023 Rookie OTY & Honorable Mention)
Alexa Klepper, Franklin & Marshall, Jr., 2B (2022 Second Team)
Paige Forry, Gettysburg, Jr., P (2023 Pitcher OTY & First Team)
Giovanna Komst, Gettysburg, Sr., OF (2023 Player OTY & First Team, 2022 Second Team, 2021 Second Team)
Julia Smith, Gettysburg, Sr., OF (2023 Second Team)
Allegra DeCandia, Gettysburg, Sr., 1B (2023 First Team, 2022 Second Team)
Lauren O'Leary, Gettysburg, Jr., 2B (2022 Honorable Mention)
Megan Hughes, Gettysburg, Sr., P (2021 First Team)
Molly Kaufman, Haverford, So., DP (2023 Second Team)
Mia Kessinger, Haverford, Jr., 1B (2022 First Team)
Makayla Calamita, McDaniel, Sr., SS (2023 Second Team, 2021 First Team)
Paytyn Hazelton, McDaniel, Sr., 1B (2022 Honorable Mention)
Bella Sylvester, McDaniel, Jr., 3B (2022 Honorable Mention)
Sophia Cicchetti, Muhlenberg, Sr., Util (2023 First Team)
Gillian Zack, Muhlenberg, Sr., OF (2022 Honorable Mention)
Olivia McClammy, Swarthmore, Jr., DP/Util (2023 Honorable Mention, 2022 First Team)
Alex Simon, Swarthmore, Sr., SS (2023 Gold Glove OTY & First Team, 2022 Rookie OTY & First Team)
Avery McClure, Swarthmore, So., 2B (2023 Honorable Mention)
Iris Barone, Swarthmore, So., OF (2023 Honorable Mention)
Sara Sullivan, Ursinus, Sr., 3B (2023 First Team)
Christa Andrusiewicz, Ursinus, So., P (2023 Second Team)
Stephanie Wichman, Ursinus, Jr., Util (2023 Honorable Mention)
Hannah Solge, Washington College, Sr., OF (2023 First Team, 2021 Honorable Mention)
Lexi Barnhart, Washington College, Sr., Util (2023 Second Team, 2021 Pitcher OTY, Rookie OTY & First Team)
Brynn Balliet, Washington College, So., P (2023 Second Team)
Jenna Harper, Washington College, So., 1B (2023 Second Team)
Chloe Trefz, Washington College, Jr., SS (2023 Honorable Mention)
