SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. -- The Shippensburg University softball team earned the Atlantic Region's No. 5 seed in the 2024 NCAA Division II Softball Championships on Monday and will travel to No. 1 seed East Stroudsburg (45-15) for the Atlantic 1 Regional pod that includes No. 4 seed Kutztown (33-22) and No. 8 seed Bowie State (20-21).
 
Shippensburg (33-19) will face Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) rival No. 4 Kutztown (33-22) in the opening round of the regional tournament Thursday at 1:30 p.m.
 
It is the second consecutive year the teams meet in the NCAA tournament, as the Raiders scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning to complete the late comeback against the Golden Bears in 2023. Shippensburg holds the all-time series record against Kutztown in the NCAA Tournament with a 4-1 advantage.
 
SU and KU first faced off in the NCAA Atlantic Region in 2003, with Shippensburg winning 10-0 in five innings. The teams played twice in 2004, with the Raiders picking up two victories by scores of 2-0 and 2-1. Kutztown took their first game in the series in 2008, 1-0, in eight innings.
 
Shippensburg has now qualified for the NCAA Tournament in three consecutive years, and the third time under head coach Alison Van Scyoc.
 
The Raiders are 27-35 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and has won two NCAA Division II Regional Championships: 2003 and 2004. This is the 19th NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional appearance for Shippensburg and the 20th postseason appearance overall (SU competed in the AIAW Division III in 1982). The Raiders' best finish is third in the NCAA Division II Championship in 2004.
 
Scouting Kutztown:
 

• The Golden Bears entered the PSAC Tournament as the East's No. 2 seed and defeated California (Pa.) in the opening round. Kutztown then fended off a Raider comeback to move into the championship semifinal before falling to eventual champion West Chester. They then fell to runner-up East Stroudsburg in the culmination of the losers' bracket to finish third.
• KU had three players earn All-PSAC Second-Team honors: Naya Darnowski, Emily Henn, and Brianna Stocklin.
  • Henn leads the team in batting average with a .364 mark that ranks 16th in the PSAC. She also paces the Golden Bears in hits (71), triples (5), RBIs (49), and stolen bases (20 on 24 attempts). She ranks second on the club in home runs (8) and third in slugging (.767).
  • Hughes has posted a .332 career batting average over 176 total games, including 171 starts. Hughes has amassed 172 hits, 129 runs, 35 doubles, 34 home runs, and 124 RBIs in her four years with the Golden Bears.
  • Stocklin leads the team and is eighth in the PSAC in runs scored (50). She leads the team in doubles (12) and is second on the club in hits (65) and stolen bases (16 on 20 attempts).
• Kutztown has two options in the circle:
  • Junior Haley Gravish is the main starting pitcher for KU, touting a 19-10 record over 175.1 innings pitched. She has recorded 123 strikeouts, 37 walks, four shutouts and 20 complete games.
  • Redshirt sophomore Natalee Harvey has pitched 122.2 innings with a 12-12 record. She has struck out 74 batters, walked 42 and has totaled 14 complete games.

 
 
NCAA Tournament History:
 
 
Kutztown:

• Kutztown is making its 22nd tournament appearance in school history and its fourth straight appearance dating back to 2021.
• The Golden Bears had a stretch of 11 straight NCAA tournament appearances from 2003-2013, highlighted by a national runner-up finish in 2013 and a third-place finish in 2012.
• Kutztown's overall record in the tournament is 42-43. KU has records of 0-3 against ESU and 1-4 against Shippensburg. Kutztown has never faced Bowie State in the tournament.

 
East Stroudsburg:

• The Warriors earned their fifth overall tournament appearance, with three coming in the past four seasons. ESU competed in 2006, 2007, 2021, and 2023 previously.
• East Stroudsburg has earned the No. 1 seed for the second consecutive year, coming off a 44-19 record and winning the Atlantic Regional final, advancing to the College World Series.
• The Warriors have a 13-9 overall record in the NCAA Tournament, which includes a 3-0 record against Kutztown, a 1-0 record against Bowie State, and a 1-1 record against Shippensburg.

 
Bowie State:

• The bulldogs won the CIAA tournament over Claflin to punch its ticket to the NCAA tournament, their second straight NCAA berth and fifth in school history. Bowie State previously made the tournament in 2007, 2008, and 2009 in addition to last year's berth.
• Bowie State is looking to pick up its first NCAA Tournament win and faces off against East Stroudsburg in a rematch of last years' 1-8 matchup.
• The Bulldogs have a record of 0-2 against Shippensburg, an 0-1 record against East Stroudsburg, and have never faced Kutztown in tournament history.