Lyndonville, VT - The Vermont State University Lyndon softball team will escape the snow and cold of the Northeast to open up their 2025 campaign. The Hornets will head south to North Myrtle Beach, SC, to compete in the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic this week. Lyndon will take to the field for the first time on Tuesday morning when they take on fellow North Atlantic Conference member State University of New York at Delhi in an 11:00 am non-conference game. Later tomorrow the Hornets will face Grand Rapids Community College in an exhibition game.
In total the Hornets will play seven games and three exhibition contests during their stay. On Wednesday, they will again face Grand Rapids and SUNY Delhi, then battle Vermont State University Johnson and Maine Maritime Academy on Thursday. After an off day on Friday, the Hornets will conclude their trip with a game against Mary Baldwin University and an exhibition against Monroe Community College on Saturday, then games against Lancaster Bible College and Wilson College on Sunday.
Lyndon returns eight players from the 2024 edition that finished 8-19 overall and 3-9 in North Atlantic Conference play. The Hornets will be led by senior tri-captains Seairra Anderson (Somersworth, NH), Claudia Knapp (Howell, NJ), and Blake Southworth (Bethel, VT). Southworth was a 1st Team All-Conference selection in 2024. The second baseman and outfielder led the Hornets with a .341 batting average, 28 hits, and 18 runs scored. Anderson, a third baseman, batted .329 with 11 runs batted in. Knapp, a catcher and first baseman, batted .256 with a pair of hime runs and a team best 15 runs batted in.
Senior pitchers Bailey Quire (Gainesville, FL) and Emily Anderson (Levittown, NY) also return, along with three juniors: utility player Kazandra Gonzalez (Norwalk, CA), outfielder Ann Watkins (Los Angeles, CA), and catcher Lindsey Ganon (Beverly, MA). Pitcher Riley McNamara (Manchester, NH), a transfer from Central Maine Community College, sophomore utility player Sarah Collier (Hardwick, VT) and three freshmen, catcher Shyanne Glencross (Tilton, NH), catcher Skylar Pepple (Chesapeake, VA), and outfielder Megan Richardson (Essex Junction, VT) round out the roster.
After returning home from Myrtle Beach, the Hornets will resume their 34-game schedule with a non-conference doubleheader at Mitchell College on March 19th. Lyndon will also play non-conference doubleheaders with Westfield State University, Elms College, Norwich University, Bay Path University, and Bridgewater State University.
Lyndon will open their home slate and North Atlantic Conference play with a doubleheader against VTSU Johnson on April 11th. The Hornets and Badgers will play two the following day at Johnson. Lyndon competes in the NAC's West Division along with VTSU Johnson, SUNY Delhi, and the State University at Cobleskill. Each team will play four conference games against each of the other three division foes. The top three teams in the NAC's East and West divisions will qualify for the conference tournament in May.
Head coach Kevin Valentine returns for his sixth season leading the Hornets. He will again be assisted by Pete Everett, and will be joined on the staff by first year assistant Brooke Robinson-Miller.
