Softball Starts Season in Arizona
PHOENIX — Colgate Softball is back on the field this weekend as they open the 2025 season at the Kickoff Classic in Phoenix on Friday morning against Montana. The Raiders return six student-athletes who started in at least half of last season's outings, including Preseason All-Patriot League selections in seniors Quinn Livesay and Jillian Herbst.
Livesay and Herbst boasted the second (.322) and third (.314) best batting averages on last year's squad that ended the season 22-28 overall and just one game away from a Patriot League playoff berth. The career-high batting average for Livesay was partnered with personal-bests in hits (39) and runs (18), earning her a first-team 2024 All-Patriot League selection.
Herbst will anchor the infield after finishing second in the league with 112 assists and a .970 fielding percentage last year, starting all 50 games for the Raiders and earning a second-team all-conference bid.
Fellow seniors infielder Amanda DeSantis, outfielder Claire Whalen and infielder Alexis Romero will also take on larger roles this season after playing in a combined 88 games last season and making 20 combined starts.
In the circle, junior pitcher Maya Servedio returns with 24 appearances under her belt from last season where she earned 16 starts and an 8-9 record. Classmate Alexa Acker and senior Mia Edwards join Servedio as returners in the pitching rotation who tossed 38.2 and 11 innings in 2024, respectively.
The talented class of eight first-years adds another big arm to the circle in Mikala Ham, who ended her high school career with 731 strikeouts and a 0.89 earned-run average. Analisa Raffaelli and Mia Cascio will look to solidify the infield alongside Herbst, while Sydney Berg and Mackenzie Lewis will earn reps in the outfield for the Raiders. Lily Haluska and Hailey Gald serve as backstops behind the plate in addition to Livesay.
Colgate kicks off the season with a bout against Montana at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 7, before a nightcap against tournament hosts Grand Canyon University at 7 p.m. The Kickoff Classic continues with a Saturday afternoon doubleheader against Northern Illinois and Wichita State, and concludes on Sunday morning with another matchup against the Shockers at 11 a.m.
Players Mentioned
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- 6' 1"
- Junior
- IF
- 5' 9"
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- P
- 5' 4"
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- UTL
- 5' 5"
- Senior
- C
- 6' 1"
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- INF
- 5' 2"
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- 5' 10"
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- 5' 6"
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- First Year
Players Mentioned
- 6' 1"
- Junior
- P
- 5' 9"
- Senior
- IF
- 5' 4"
- Senior
- P
- 5' 5"
- Senior
- UTL
- 6' 1"
- Senior
- C
- 5' 2"
- Senior
- INF
- 5' 10"
- Junior
- P
- 5' 6"
- Senior
- OF
- 5' 5"
- First Year
- IF
- 5' 9"
- First Year
- OF
Latest Women's Softball
- Softball Caps Terrier Invite With a WinSPARTANBURG, S.C. – Analisa Raffaelli's third inning homer helped propel the Raiders to their third win of the season with a 2-1 win over Eastern Kentucky on Sunday morning.
- Softball Splits with NC A&T, USC UpstateSPARTANBURG, S.C. – Colgate knocked off NC A&T, 8-4, for the second time in as many days before succumbing to a late rally in a 9-5 decision at USC Upstate in Saturday's doubleheader at Cyrill Stadium.
- Softball Splits Day 1 in SpartanburgSPARTANBURG, S.C. – Colgate Softball scored five unanswered runs to beat NC A&T 5-4 in a doubleheader split on Friday afternoon at Hope Field. The Raiders dropped the nightcap to host Wofford 3-1 despite a strong performance in the circle from Maya Servedio.
- Raiders Wrap Up Kickoff ClassicPHOENIX — Colgate fell in the Kickoff Classic finale to Wichita State on Sunday morning by a score of 9-1. Senior infielder Jillian Herbst went a perfect 3-3 at the plate to lead the Raiders while senior catcher Quinn Livesay stretched her hit streak to three games.
- Softball Stumbles in PhoenixPHOENIX — Colgate could not come up with a victory on day two of the Kickoff Classic, falling to Northern Illinois, 5-2, and Wichita State, 6-0, in a Saturday afternoon doubleheader.
- Softball Falters on Day One of Kickoff ClassicPHOENIX — Colgate softball suffered two setbacks on opening day of the 2025 season, falling to Montana, 11-4, and Grand Canyon, 8-0, on day one of the Kickoff Classic. Senior Alexis Romero led the way for the Raiders hitting .500 and launching her first-career home run, while classmate Quinn Livesay also added a pair of base knocks across both games.
