By Ian Caskie, Sports Reporter
Canisius softball season is here, which means one of the school’s most successful athletics programs is looking to reach the MAAC Championship for the fifth consecutive season.
The Canisius softball team comes into the season ranked #3 in the MAAC Preseason poll, but the Griffs are not letting expectations distract them. “There’s always going to be those expectations,” said head coach Kim Griffin. “But that was last year and last year’s team. This team has the attitude of, ‘It's our time now, it’s time to buy in.’”
The Griffs come into the season retaining 17 players from last season, including senior Alyssa Cloutier. “Alyssa came to us as a mid-year transfer in her sophomore season, and the coaching staff has been so impressed with how she has grown into a leadership role during her career here,” Griffin explained.
Cloutier will be joined in the outfield by freshman Tabitha von Kolen. Coach Griffin described her as, “a player we were really impressed with in the fall. She worked her way into the leadoff spot, and she has a lot of power at the plate.”
Griffin also highlighted third-baseman Morgan Cook, second-baseman Bailey Alatorre, and outfielder Ella Johel, who is making a comeback after an early injury in the 2024 campaign. All carry power at the plate and bring a good batch of baserunning tools to the team.
Canisius looks to continue their trend of speed on the basepaths. Last year the program had 44 stolen bases across the season, led by Cloutier’s 14, and that is still an emphasis from the coaching staff going into 2025.
“We’re a fast team. It’s how we recruit, it’s how we practice and it’s how we want to win games,” Griffin said. “One thing I always say to the girls is speed never slumps. That was one thing Coach [Mike] Rappl always said. You can always end up slumping at the plate, but if you can get fast on the basepaths, you can always make a difference for the team.”
Canisius is also looking at a new look pitching staff after the graduation of ace Megan Giese. Griff fans should expect to see senior Toria Kover on the mound, as well as sophomore lefty Oliva Manchester, who brings a more surgical approach to the game. “Olivia is super intelligent in her at-bats,” said Griffin. “She’s a bio-chem major, so sometimes we think she’s performing an experiment on hitters, to see what they’ll chase and how she can cut them down.”
The Griffs start the season this Friday, Feb. 14 at the USC Upstate Tournament, taking on the Indiana University Indianapolis Jaguars and University of South Carolina Spartans in Spartanburg, South Carolina as part of the five-game tournament.
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