On paper, outsiders might look at Penn State Fayette's record and see that the team finished 11-17 overall (and 7-11 in Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference [PSUAC] play) and think the season wasn't successful. Good luck telling that to first-year head coach Alex Rohlf. She took over a program that only won three games in 2021 and had not made the PSUAC tournament since 2019. Not only did the team win 11 games, but it advanced to the PSUAC tournament while laying the foundation for the future. Needless to say, the season was a success and there is no doubt the future is bright.

"Overall, I was very pleased with the season," Rohlf said with energy in her voice. "I had two main goals going into it, to fix the culture and make the playoffs. We accomplished both of these. The team bought into what (assistant coach) Becky (Howell) and I were trying to do. Anyone that came to one of our games would say the same thing, that team was loud and had fun. We tried to do that each and every day, both in practice and in games. We played with high energy and for each other. In my five years with the program, I can truly say this was the most enjoyable. The culture that we built is something that I am very proud of."

The team had several highlights, including beating seven-time PSUAC champion Penn State Brandywine and second place Penn State Schuylkill on consecutive days. There were only 10 players on the team, and they became local favorites as there would be up to 75 girls at games watching and asking for autographs after the game. When fans return to watch the team in 2023, they will see some familiar faces as seven of the 10 players will return.

Cassidy Uphold (Grantsville, MD/Northern Garrett HS), Sammi McGhee (Hutchison, PA/Yough HS), Courtney McKlveen (Ligonier, PA/Ligonier HS), Lauran Minerd (Uniontown, PA/Albert Gallatin HS), Conklin (Carmichaels, PA/Carmichaels HS), Hayley White (Cumberland, MD/Allegany HS) and Brianna Hunt (Berlin, PA/Berlin Brothersvalley HS) are all back and it excited Rohlf.

"We will return a great core of players," Rohlf said. "Cassidy is a two-time All-American outfielder, Sammi was an All-American shortstop, and Courtney was an All-Conference pitcher. Lauran and Emily are the remaining two pieces of our dynamic outfield. Hayley formed a great one-two punch in the circle with Courtney while Bri stepped up to play multiple positions and caught some key games for us in the playoffs. With this returning core of players, I feel like we are off to a great start."

Uphold hit .384, had 33 hits, scored 24 runs and drove in 19 runs while McGhee hit .368, had 35 hits and scored 25 runs.

The three players leaving the program are Kelsey Holp (Grindstone, PA/Frazier HS), Lauren Mastowski (Dawson, PA/Frazier HS) and Carissa Cyphert (Scottdale, PA/Southmoreland HS). When asked about them, Rohlf smiled before speaking.

"We will have three players leaving in Kelsey, Lauren and Carissa," she said. "They were three starters from the team this year. Kelsey has been a staple in the program for five seasons and her leadership on the field will be truly missed, however she will return to the dugout with us. Lauren has been an offensive leader here for her whole career and was an All-American this season. She will be hard to replace. Carissa stepped up after many years off from softball and became a key player in our lineup. All three of them will be missed."

Mastowski led Fayette with a .391 batting average, which was good for 15th in the PSUAC. She also led the team with 36 hits, 10 extra base hits (nine doubles and a home run) and RBI (23).

What will the offseason look like for Rohlf and the team?

"This offseason will have many different tasks," Rohlf said. "I will work with the remaining players and those coming in to make sure they are in good shape coming into the fall season. We will work on fine-tuning some things and coming back stronger. We will work on some fundraising things to get ourselves ready to return to South Carolina for spring training and getting a few other things. I will also be out on the recruiting trail and working a few camps to help find the next group of future Fayette softball players."

Speaking of future players, Rohlf spoke about how recruiting is going.

"Recruiting is going great," she said. "I am very excited about the group we have coming in for the 2022 class. Right now, we have six commits, but I am working on a few last-minute additions to add to the existing talent we have here. This summer will be all about building connections with 2023 recruits and continuing to build for the future. The goal is to continue to build a lasting program, to compliment the talent we have already."

When asked if she will change anything for next year, Rohlf grinned.

"I can't give away all of my secrets," she said. "But I know going into the next season will be challenging. We will have a larger roster, which is both a blessing and a challenge. I want to continue to build upon the positive culture we started this season. I learned a lot this season in my first year and look to build upon those things in the upcoming seasons. This was a great way to begin my head coaching career and I couldn't be prouder of the players and what we accomplished."

For more information on the Penn State softball team, go to https://www.psfathletics.com/sports/sball/index or follow the team on Instagram @fayetteathletics.