Top 10 Clarkson Highlights - #3 Clarkson Softball Reaches Liberty League Championship Round

The Top 10 Clarkson University Athletic Department Highlights of 2016-17 were carefully selected by the Clarkson Sports Information Staff. Top 10 Clarkson highlights will be posted on Mondays throughout the summer.

Year One (2014): 6-26 overall, 2-10 in the Liberty League, outscored 222-70.

Year Two (2015): 18-13 overall, 3-9 in the Liberty League

Year Three (2016): 20-14 overall, 5-7 in the Liberty League, missed conference tournament by one game.

Year Four (2017): 22-17 overall, 7-5 in the Liberty League, reached conference tournament championship round.

Just like every other team in the country, the Clarkson University Softball team sets goal for itself for the upcoming season. Some are pie in the sky, like win a national championship for a team that won three games the year before. Fifth-year head coach Kristen McGaughey, along with her staff and student-athletes, are no different and they have come up short in a number of areas. But McGaughey has to be pleased with the progression thus far after starting the first season with a team composed of walk-ons and untried freshmen.

Despite the steps taken by the Golden Knights in the first few seasons, Clarkson was outside the top four in the Liberty League Coaches' Pre-Season poll, though it was a tightly contested battle for the third through fifth spots, with the Knights taking the latter position. Few, except for the Knights' themselves, would have believed that the team would be fighting for the regular-season title on the season's final day in April, or that Clarkson would be in a position to play for the conference's post-season championship a week later. Alas, the chance never truly materialized due to a wet Liberty League Tournament weekend, but the Knights 2-1 record in the conference tournament proved the pre-season speculation had been off base.

The Knights received several sterling performances from upperclassmen and underclassmen alike. Senior Jamie Bridge polished off an excellent college career by earning Liberty League Pitcher of the Year honors, posting a 1.27 earned run average with 41 strikeouts in 49.2 innings in league games. Senior Ali Schwenzfeier and juniors Raeanna Dunn and Summer Lancette joined Bridge on the Liberty League First-Team, while freshman Michele Winn (Liberty League Second-Team) and Kyrstin Messier (Liberty League Honorable Mention) also impressed in their initial collegiate seasons. McGaughey and assistant coach Jessica Kusnierz also shared the conference's Coaching Staff of the Year honors with league champion Rensselaer.

Several conference all-stars, a league tournament appearance, and another 20-win season certainly checked off a few boxes in the goal department for Clarkson in 2017. The Knights came up short of 100 stolen bases and an NCAA Tournament appearance, but practices for the 2018 season will start in seven more months and who knows what Clarkson Softball may accomplish by the end of that campaign.

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Players Mentioned

#6 Jamie Bridge: P/OF; 5' 4"; Senior; R/R

#5 Raeanna Dunn: IF; 5' 4"; Junior; L/R

#14 Summer Lancette: OF; 5' 2"; Junior; L/R

#13 Ali Schwenzfeier: UT; 5' 4"; Senior; R/R

#3 Michele Winn: C/IF; 5' 6"; Freshman; L/L

#15 Kyrstin Messier: IF; 5' 7"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

#6 Jamie Bridge
: 5' 4"; Senior; R/R
: P/OF

#5 Raeanna Dunn
: 5' 4"; Junior; L/R
: IF

#14 Summer Lancette
: 5' 2"; Junior; L/R
: OF

#13 Ali Schwenzfeier
: 5' 4"; Senior; R/R
: UT

#3 Michele Winn
: 5' 6"; Freshman; L/L
: C/IF

#15 Kyrstin Messier
: 5' 7"; Freshman; R/R
: IF