Wheeling, W. Va. – Entering the 2025 season, Wheeling Head Softball Coach Mallory Chapman had a fresh start with a roster consisting of almost entirely new players. They embarked on the season and helped the program reach new heights as they grew throughout the season. They made it back to the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Softball Tournament for the first time since the 2018 season and look to continue that growth in the coming years.
As they do every season, the Cardinals battled a tough Non-conference schedule as they prepared for the rigors of the Mountain East Conference (MEC) schedule. That preseason slate included games against UIndy, Malone, and Gannon, before they hit the road for their spring trip. The Cardinals ended the stretch 2-14 and split their final preseason non-conference doubleheader against Walsh before hitting MEC play. After a 1-9 start to the conference slate, the Cardinals would turn things around on a rainy March 30th doubleheader with Frostburg State. The Cardinals took a rain shortened game one before taking the make-up in game two. Wheeling would go 6-10 following that stretch and set themselves up with a chance to clinch a playoff berth heading into their final doubleheader.
It would come against Point Park, with the Cardinals needing just one win to claim the #4 seed in the division. They got it done with a 13-1 win in game one and, despite falling in game two, they made it back to the tournament for the first time since the 2018 season. It was pitching that guided the team through the tournament as they battled #1 seeded Glenville State to start things off. It would be a 0-0 game as the two starting pitchers went back and forth until the Pioneer's final at-bats of the day. The Cardinals would fall in a 1-0 walk-off and headed into the elimination game against Davis & Elkins. The Cardinals once again leaned on their pitching and had a 1-0 lead after five. However, a pair of late Senator runs would be enough and the Cardinal's tournament run would come to an end.
Leading the pitching staff both in the tournament and throughout the season was Kaylin Shields. The freshman made her first appearance with 7.0 innings of one run ball against Davenport on March 2nd and never looked back. She would log 155.0 innings of the Cardinals over 34 appearances, 26 starts, and put together a 4.20 ERA. She held the lowest ERA on the pitching staff, while striking out 108 batters over her 155 innings of work. She took her game to the next level during the MEC Tournament, where she pitched every inning for the Cardinals. She would throw 12.0 innings in postseason play, allowing three runs, two earned, on nine hits while walking five and striking out eight. She looks to be a leader for the Cardinal's pitching staff into the future as the program continues to grow.
On the offensive side, it was sophomore Amber Morgan leading the way with the lone All-MEC honor of the season. Morgan was the team's leading hitter, putting together a .405 average while hitting two home runs and driving in 23 RBI. She led the team in several categories including batting average, slugging percentage (.542), on-base percentage (.457), and stolen bases (13). Of the 53 games she appeared in, Morgan finished with at least one hit in 40 of those games. She would play a big role in helping the Cardinals clinch the postseason berth, going 3-3 with a home run and four RBI in the 13-1 win over Point Park that got them to the tournament. She was a consistent presence at the top of the lineup and looks to continue being that force for the team.
Along with the top performers, the Cardinals also had several other key contributors throughout the season. Maria Clark was a utility knife for the program, making her mark on both the offense and the pitching side of things. On offense, she finished with a .216 batting average while adding three home runs and 23 RBI, setting herself as the team leader in home runs. On the pitching staff, she would serve as the team's #2 starter, and pitched to a 5.15 ERA over 123.2 innings of work while striking out 43 batters. Helping Morgan at the top of the lineup was Ava Kresak, who finished with a .306 batting average with 14 RBI across 173 at-bats. Kresak finished the season with 12 multi-hit games and had some of her best performances in the postseason. She combined to go 3-7 with a triple and an RBI across the two games, driving in the lone postseason run for her team.
The Wheeling University Softball team now heads into the off-season as they look to build on their young team's success.
