Youngstown State University
St. Bonaventure
Softball Returns to Palmetto State for Coach Cooke Memorial Tournament
2/27/2025 10:28:00 AM | Softball
The First Pitch
The Youngstown State softball team returns to the State of South Carolina for the third time this season when it plays five games in three days at the Coach Cooke Memorial Tournament hosted by Winthrop, Feb. 28-March 2, in Rock Hill, S.C.
At-Bat
The Penguins open the tournament against St. Bonaventure and Charlotte on Friday at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. On Saturday, Youngstown State faces Marist at 10 a.m. and USC-Upstate at 3 p.m., and closes the tournament against Southern Indiana on Sunday at 10 a.m.
Up Next
Youngstown State stays in Rock Hill to begin its spring-break trip on March 4 against Mount St. Mary's at 12 p.m. and Winthrop at 2:30 p.m.
Campbell Nearing Milestones
Head Coach Brian Campbell is in his 17th season at Youngstown State and his 25th as a college head coach. Campbell owns a career record of 675-598-2 and a 390-409-1 mark at Youngstown State. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Campbell needs 25 more wins to reach 700 for his career and 10 more to reach 400 at Youngstown State.
Littler Still Lit
Sophomore Macy Littler continued staying hot from year one to year two. Littler leads the team with a .391 batting average and six runs scored in eight games played this season. She has recorded a hit in seven of those eight contests and has a pair of multi-hit games
Easy, BREE-zy
Junior Bree Kohler turned in an impressive opening start to the season. Kohler, who missed last season due to injury, is batting .353 and leads the team with 12 hits, three doubles and is tied for the team lead with five runs batted in
Ray of Sunshine
Freshman Ayla Ray continues to impress during in the early part of her rookie campaign. Ray is tied for the team lead with five RBIs and is batting .344. She has also scored five runs.
Wilkerson Goes Yard
Sophomore Lydia Wilkerson belted the Penguins' first home run of the season with a two-run jack against Brown on Feb. 20. She's now batting .333 with a homer, four RBIs and three runs scored.
Imler Looking to Continue High-Level Play
Fifth-year senior Elyssa Imler was named the 2024 Horizon League Player of the Year, All-Horizon League First-Team, and led the Penguins with a .340 batting average with 36 runs scored, 51 hits, 21 RBIs, 10 doubles and a home run. She stole 14 bases. Imler also hit .444 with 16 runs, 32 hits five doubles, a home run, and 15 RBIs against Horizon League foes.
Wilkerson Posted Solid Frosh Campaign
Sophomore Lydia Wilkerson was named All-Horizon League Second Team and All-Freshman Team last season. She batted .331 with 19 runs, nine doubles, two home runs and 17 runs batted. Wilkerson also slugged .422 with an on-base percentage of .389. She led the team with 55 hits and recorded 14 multi-hit games…Wilkerson batted. 377 against Horizon League opponents with four doubles and two homers.
What Returns
The Penguins return15 letterwinners and five starters from last year's squad that tied the school record for wins with an overall record of 36-17. The Penguins also won their second regular-season championship with a Horizon League record of 15-5 in 2024.
Penguins Welcome Several Newcomers
Along with 15 returning letterwinners, the Penguins welcome six new players to the 2025 squad. Joining the Penguins this season are Alivia Boothe, Autumn Boyd, Kami Diaz, Bella Myer, Kelsey Ogin, and Ayla Ray.
