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Clarkson University Athletics

2026 Clarkson University Softball Preview

HaspilIsabel2025RIT
Bella Doyle

Softball | 2/10/2026 10:00:00 AM

With eight players having graduated from last year's squad, the Clarkson University Softball team will be a reshaped program in 2026, but the Golden Knights are flush with new talent as they embark on the season ahead, beginning in early March.

Guided by head coach Kristen McGaughey and assistant Devin Fitzpatrick, Clarkson returns 11 players from last year's team with just one true senior while also welcoming 16 newcomers that provide the Green and Gold enviable depth all around the diamond.

The biggest loss from a year ago is two-way player Fitzpatrick, who was chosen the Liberty League Player of the Year thanks to a 2.08 earned run average in the circle and 15 home runs with 44 RBI and an .843 slugging percentage at the dish. Clarkson will also be without three-time Liberty League All-Star Zoey Kovach behind the plate, as well as several other starters all over the field.

The cupboard was hardly left empty, however, as the Knights do return a number of capable bats, specifically in the infield. Junior Lexi Rydelek was hitting below .300 through her first 10 appearances of the season, but after a strong doubleheader against SUNY Potsdam in early April, the batting average hovered around .400 for the remainder of the campaign, eventually settling at .394, which included five home runs in 78 plate appearances. Classmate Isabel Haspil was positioned just a few feet from Rydelek's right at second base, where she also turned in a strong year, hitting .333/.441/.465, as the duo had the two highest on-base percentages on the team among regulars. Playing on the left side of the infield behind a pair of seniors, sophomore Maddie Throumoulos gave a glimpse of the future in her 43 plate appearances, batting .395/.465/.526 in limited time. Finally, sophomore Emily Bulone, who joined Rydelek as a Liberty League All-Star, was a strong hitter in her first season, batting .352/.382/.493, sending scorching liners all over the field with a standout bat.

With so many seniors occupying the starting lineup, a number of younger players had to bide their time waiting for opportunities. Senior Karyssa Parker appeared in 26 games, usually as a pinch-runner (14 runs scored) and a late-game defensive replacement when necessary. The team's other senior this year, Kendall Cuyler, missed the entirety of 2025 and will be back for an extra season in 2027. Junior Genevieve Mucitelli has showcased a solid bat in her opportunities at the plate as well, while Shaelee Torres and Kaelyn Buehler will also be seeking more time on the field in 2026.

In the pitching circle, the top two arms returning are second-year collegians Bella Hotchkiss and Amanda Corrice. Both will be counted upon more regularly now that Fitzpatrick has graduated, and the duo showed well in their first season. Hotchkiss struck out 29 in 48 innings of work and Corrice fanned 15 in 42.1 innings of work. Neither will be relied upon as heavily as Fitzpatrick was last year, partially due to the fact that the Golden Knights have more options for sharing the workload. First-years Ry Garcia, Avery McDonald, Briana Dieckmann, and Janzen Long will work their way into the rotation as the Knights expect to exploit matchups and also give opposing lineups varied looks.

As mentioned earlier, the Knights have enviable depth around the field, with the expectations that 15-20 players could appear in any given doubleheader for increased speed, better defense, or more potent bats. This will likely be most evident in the outfield since all three starters graduated from the 2025 team. Emily Martin and Ryleigh Fontana showcase enough speed that the two could cover much of the outfield by themselves, which will also provide the Knights with a different look on the base paths a year after attempting only 14 stolen bases. Besides that duo and the aforementioned pitchers, Clarkson will also look for immediate impact from Isabel Neugebauer, Gretchen Grimm, Ivy Borkoski, Molly Hagymasi, Naomi King, Abby Harris, Brooke McConnell, Kelsea Flanagan, Sophia Corchado, and Bethany Jump, all first-years for the program that have displayed ready ability at the collegiate level.



 
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Players Mentioned

Zoey Kovach

#18 Zoey Kovach

C/UT
5' 7"
Senior
R/R
Kaelyn Buehler

#12 Kaelyn Buehler

C/OF
5' 4"
Sophomore
R/R
Emily Bulone

#22 Emily Bulone

C/IF
5' 6"
Sophomore
R/R
Amanda Corrice

#15 Amanda Corrice

P/UT
5' 2"
Sophomore
R/R
Kendall Cuyler

#6 Kendall Cuyler

UT
5' 4"
Senior
R/R
Isabel Haspil

#5 Isabel Haspil

IF/OF
5' 5"
Junior
R/R
Bella Hotchkiss

#24 Bella Hotchkiss

P/IF
5' 9"
Sophomore
R/R
Genevieve Mucitelli

#21 Genevieve Mucitelli

C/UT
5' 3"
Junior
R/R
Karyssa Parker

#14 Karyssa Parker

UT
5' 3"
Senior
R/R
Lexi Rydelek

#23 Lexi Rydelek

IF
5' 7"
Junior
R/R

Players Mentioned

Zoey Kovach

#18 Zoey Kovach

5' 7"
Senior
R/R
C/UT
Kaelyn Buehler

#12 Kaelyn Buehler

5' 4"
Sophomore
R/R
C/OF
Emily Bulone

#22 Emily Bulone

5' 6"
Sophomore
R/R
C/IF
Amanda Corrice

#15 Amanda Corrice

5' 2"
Sophomore
R/R
P/UT
Kendall Cuyler

#6 Kendall Cuyler

5' 4"
Senior
R/R
UT
Isabel Haspil

#5 Isabel Haspil

5' 5"
Junior
R/R
IF/OF
Bella Hotchkiss

#24 Bella Hotchkiss

5' 9"
Sophomore
R/R
P/IF
Genevieve Mucitelli

#21 Genevieve Mucitelli

5' 3"
Junior
R/R
C/UT
Karyssa Parker

#14 Karyssa Parker

5' 3"
Senior
R/R
UT
Lexi Rydelek

#23 Lexi Rydelek

5' 7"
Junior
R/R
IF