After a season in which it finished as the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference runner-up, expectations around the league are high for the Penn State Altoona softball team entering 2023.

Last spring, the Lions went 20-13 overall, including a 12-4 record in the AMCC that gave the Lions the number two seed in the conference tournament. From there, Penn State Altoona reached the AMCC championship game, where it suffered a loss to Penn State Behrend.

AMCC coaches predicted that Penn State Altoona would repeat its successes of a year ago, as the Lions were voted into second place in the 2023 edition of the conference's preseason coaches' poll. Head coach Bill Graham returns for his second year with the Penn State Altoona softball program.

Penn State Altoona's roster features five returning players from last season: senior outfielders Brooke Colledge (Everett, PA/Everett) and Madison Lucas (Philipsburg, PA/Philipsburg-Osceola), junior utility player Cameryn Feathers (Martinsburg, PA/Central), sophomore infielder/right-handed pitcher Alyssa Fisher (Lock Haven, PA/Central Mountain), and sophomore infielder Gianna Hoppel (Lewistown, PA/Mifflin County).

"Those returning players will give us needed experience and leadership from last year's run to the championship," said Graham. "They bring all the qualities of good players in hustle, ability, and energy. They can also play at each level of the field: pitcher, catcher, infield, and outfield."

Feathers and Hoppel were both highlighted as "Players to Watch" for Penn State Altoona this season in the AMCC preseason poll. Feathers was a second-team All-AMCC pick last season, when she ranked third in the conference in home runs (2), fourth in slugging percentage (.570), fifth in batting average (.420), sixth in on-base percentage (.454), and seventh in hits (42), total bases (57), and stolen bases (7). Meanwhile, Hoppel took first-team All-AMCC honors last season while also being named to the third team of the Division III All-Region VII squad. She led the AMCC in batting average (.462) while also being second in on-base percentage (.488), sixth in home runs (1) and sacrifice hits (4), and eighth in slugging percentage (.538).

Colledge hit .300 last season, ranking 16th in the AMCC in doubles (6), 22nd in runs batted in (17), and 25th in runs scored (19), and Lucas was 13th in the conference in walks drawn (11) while scoring 10 runs and driving in eight.

Fisher, the Lions' other returning player, made an impact both at the plate and in the pitching circle last spring. As a hitter, she hit .304 and ranked sixth in the AMCC in home runs (1), seventh in triples (3), 16th in stolen bases (4), 20th in runs scored (21) and 25th in slugging percentage (.435). As a pitcher, Fisher was a second-team All-AMCC selection after finishing second in the conference in shutouts (2), fourth in wins (9), ninth in complete games (6) and earned run average (4.49), 14th in innings pitched (68 2/3), and 15th in strikeouts (25).

Beyond the returners, Penn State Altoona welcomes six newcomers: junior outfielder Aubrey Dotts (Houtzdale, PA/Moshannon Valley), sophomore right-handed pitcher Madison Peters (Bellefonte, PA/Bald Eagle), sophomore third baseman Hanna Lauck (Bellefonte, PA/Bellefonte), freshman utility player Miracle Banta (Queens, NY/Academy of American Studies), freshman right-handed pitcher/middle infielder Madalyn Maynard (Towanda, PA/Towanda), and freshman shortstop Karli Storm (Chest Springs, PA/Cambria Heights).

Graham highlights a trio of his first-year players who can join the returners to make an impact in what could be an opportunistic lineup.

"I think Madalyn Maynard, Hanna Lauck, and Karli Storm will all have the ability to do damage at the plate. I look forward to watching them grow as college hitters," he said. "We'll probably play around with the lineup and use some different experiments, but we have a good contact-hitting team that will look to put the ball in play and make things happen. We also have two hitters who can hit it as hard as anyone in the conference, so that will help."

As for the team's pitching staff, Fisher will lead the way with Peters and Maynard also seeing time in the circle.

"Alyssa Fisher will lead the staff. She is coming off a very successful freshman season where she won us some big games and did very well," said Graham. "Madison Peters comes in as a transfer and was instrumental in leading Bald Eagle to the PA state championship game a few years ago. Madalyn Maynard will give us quality innings, too. We'll need all three to back each other up and give our offense a chance each time out."

Graham also expects his team to make the necessary plays in the field to help back up his pitchers and keep things manageable for his offense.

"We'll be moving some pieces around, so we will have to find what works. Our philosophy will be to keep things simple and make routine plays," he said. "Our infield should be solid, and they should get a lot of chances with our pitching staff."

Penn State Altoona softball opens its 2023 schedule in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area, as the Lions will compete in the Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic from Sunday, March 5 through Thursday, March 9. After that, the team will return to Pennsylvania to resume its schedule against some regional non-conference opponents while getting its AMCC schedule underway in April.

"We are looking forward to getting the season started in Myrtle Beach, and we've got some new opponents out-of-conference that will be fun to play," said Graham. "But the AMCC games will challenge us, so we need to be ready for those. Those games will determine our season."

Graham hopes that, by executing consistently at the plate, in the circle, and in the field, his team can be in the mix within the AMCC this season.

"There's really no secret plans. The team will have to hit well, play good defense, run the bases, and get good pitching to compete in any league," he explained. "If we can find a way to accomplish that, we'll be in good shape. But, if it were that simple, everyone would do it. We look forward to the challenge."