Shippensburg University Athletics

The Shippensburg University softball team has become a consistently competitive program in one of the most dynamite regions in the country. Over the past eight seasons, the Lady Raiders have won 68 percent of their games and have recorded at least 27 wins every year since 2001.

The 2009 season will continue this tradition of excellence while seeking to mirror the production of the 2003-05 seasons, in which Shippensburg averaged 42 wins per season and won the PSAC Softball Championship each year.

After the loss of five seniors, the Lady Raiders will enter the season with nine newcomers on a squad with an interesting mix of players. The 20-player squad features a lot of versatility and youth that hopes to gel quickly.

With just two juniors and three seniors on the roster – the younger players have the potential to mature and establish a strong group of talent that will be around for several consecutive seasons. 

The senior captains will help provide significant leadership to this year’s squad. Lori Knopf, Rachelle Wedell, and Chelsea Carson are all veterans that were members of the last Shippensburg squad to make the PSAC Tournament and will be on-field spark plugs for this year’s team.

Shippensburg will boast a highly motivated group of players to the field in 2009 that are looking to get back into the postseason tournament and also extend its streak of seven consecutive NCAA post-season appearances.


Shippensburg had some struggles from the circle in 2008 and are looking to make up for the loss of Dani Shields, one of the best pitchers in program history. Shields will be an assistant coach with the team this season and will assist a staff that includes just two returners and three newcomers.

The workhouse of the staff will be the only pitcher on the roster with more than one year of collegiate experience – senior captain Lori Knopf. The veteran was one of the team’s most valuable players last season for her contributions both at the plate and as Shippensburg’s No. 2 starter.

In a career-high 126 innings last season, Knopf spun a 2.22 earned-run average while fanning 90 batters and tossing 14 complete games. Knopf has 19 career victories and over 200 innings pitched under her belt – and she will count on that experience to help her lead the staff this season.

Complementing Knopf will be sophomore Dana Ward, who has had a strong offseason following some struggles in her freshman campaign. Ward finished her debut season with two victories while making three starts and striking out 15 batters in 22 innings. She is the only left-handed pitcher on the staff and will look to harness her velocity this season.

Freshman Chelsea Kendall is one of the leading newcomers to the team and hopes to see a lot of time inside the pitching circle this season. A graduate of Downingtown West High School, Kendall was a constant first-team all-conference pitcher who hopes to parlay her high school success into a solid career with the Lady Raiders.

One of the most versatile athletes on the team is freshman Emily Parkins – who could see time both in the circle and as an infielder. Parkins comes to Shippensburg from Souderton High School, where she was a two-time team MVP with her dominance in the circle.

Another newcomer to the circle is freshman Karen Strychowski – a native of Central Bucks East High School. Strychowski started every one of her team’s games in her senior season and was named the team’s MVP after compiling a 0.89 ERA. She will look to mirror that success in her first season with the Lady Raiders.


Shippensburg has several options at catcher – but the number one spot belongs to senior captain Rachelle Wedell. After a disappointing junior season in which she hit just .243, Wedell has had a spectacular offseason according to Coach Brookens and is ready for big things in her final season with the Lady Raiders. 

Wedell will be counted upon for a leadership role after starting 159 games over the last three seasons. She is the most tenured player on the Shippensburg roster and will be looking to replicate her past success, which includes an All-PSAC First Team selection in 2007.

Also expecting to see time this season behind the backstop are junior Lisamarie Ramagli and freshman Meg Lehman. Ramagli primarily plays first base but has filled both roles in her first two seasons with the team. She is a .257 career hitter with nine home runs through two seasons with the team.

Lehman is a newcomer from Lancaster Catholic High School, where she was a two-time, first team all-conference player as well as a two-time team MVP. She possesses excellent defensive skills and is a hard worker who will be seeking to crack the lineup in her first season with the Lady Raiders. 


The 2009 infield is full of youth but expectations are high for the group. The majority of the team’s offensive power comes from the regulars throughout the infield but the unit will look to improve its defense for the coming season. 

The aforementioned Lisamarie Ramagli will see a fair amount of the starts at first base and will be looking to duplicate the performance of her freshman campaign, when she slugged six home runs and hit .283. Lori Knopf will also see time at the position when she is not inside the circle. Last season, the duo combined for seven home runs and 57 RBIs.

Sophomore Hope Cornell, an all-conference and all-region second team player last season, has made the shift from shortstop to her more comfortable position: second base. She made an immediate impact last season by finishing second on the team with a .341 batting average while leading the team in home runs (eight) and RBIs (39).

Cornell will be the rock of the right side of the infield but will have capable fill-ins right behind her. When not in the circle, Emily Parkins figures to see some time at second base and at other spots throughout the infield.

With the shortstop position vacated by Cornell’s move to second base, two sophomore newcomers will be battling for the majority of the playing time. Marissa Nagle and Michelle Gillman were both enrolled at Shippensburg last year but not with the team - and this season they have come out with the team seeking to duplicate their high school success. Knopf could also see some playing time at the position this season.

Nagle is a gifted defender at the position, earning her team’s defensive player of the year award as a senior, while Gillman finished her high school career with a .476 batting average, including a .535 mark as a junior. Both have high ceilings are expected to make an impact this season.

After an injury abruptly ended her stellar debut season in early April, sophomore Courtney Steele returns to patrol the hot corner in 2009. In 35 games, Steele hit .323 with six home runs and 19 RBIs to lead Shippensburg in slugging percentage (.606). Her power potential is a huge asset to the middle of the lineup for Shippensburg.

A host of eligible candidates will be able to provide backup to Steele at third base. Karen Strychowski is capable of playing third when she is not in the circle, while Rachelle Wedell has also played a couple of games at the position during her career.

Sophomore Moira Johnsen has settled into the role of an extremely valuable utility player for the Lady Raiders and is another option at third base. Johnsen filled in for Steele in her absence last season and finished the campaign with 20 hits, including one home run, to go along with 10 RBIs.

Freshman Abby Block is an extremely good athlete with solid defensive skills who can play virtually every position on the diamond. Block is ready to fill in at second base or shortstop this season but is also expected to see playing time in right field. She is comfortable with any assignment given to her and is ready for her first collegiate season.


The Shippensburg outfield features an undisputed veteran leader in senior Chelsea Carson - an outstanding athlete who figures to be the regular starting center fielder in 2009. An overwhelming number of young players inhabit the outfield, and Carson’s experience and savvy will help the group produce this season. 

Carson hit .282 and stole three bases while appearing in 47 games last season, scoring 10 runs for Shippensburg. She has made 67 starts in her three-year career and will be adding to that total this season.

Sophomore Jill Mullan has shown a lot of promise after one season with the team and figures to see a lot of time in both left field and center field this season. Mullan was perfect in her five stolen base attempts last season and was a regular atop the batting order for Shippensburg. She made 50 starts and totaled seven extra-base hits, scoring 17 runs.

Mullan is just one of several slap hitters that figure into the outfield puzzle. Sophomore Maggie Sander exhibited a lot of hustle in 2008 and possesses a lot of speed, while junior Kiley Abersold returns to the team after a one-year absence.

Additionally, Dana Wardhas made steady improvement at the plate and can also figure to see time in the outfield when she is not in the circle. All three players are left-handed options for Coach Bob Brookens to call upon this season.

Sophomore Moira Johnsen will be battling for time at the corner outfield positions along with newcomers Rochelle Troise and Abby Block. All three players exhibit a great deal of work ethic and are expecting to see playing time this season.