Kean Softball’s Impressive Start

By Hector Morales

Kean University’s Softball team were off to an amazing start winning 17 of their first 22 games. To recap on their season so far, the Cougars started the year playing Apex, North Carolina back in February for the Grand Slam Triangle Classic and won two of their first three games. 

In the beginning of March, the Cougars headed South to North Myrtle Beach for the FirstPitch Dreams Classic, winning six of those seven games. Then the team headed to Virginia for the Cross Bay Bash series and won against Juniata College 3-0 but lost to Christopher Newport University 5-1. 

“It was great to go away,” Head Coach Margie Acker said. “We took a good old fashion road trip, and it gave them an opportunity to spend some time together.”

The Cougars returned to Kean University on March 16, and they were 6-2 in the past eight games. Their team’s earned run average is 2.16, which is first in the New Jersey Athletic Conference, and they are in the top five in team’s batting average. 

“We have some great bats in the lineup, our pitching has done a nice job, defensively we are having a nice job, but every game we are getting a little bit better and learning from our mistakes.” Acker said. 

Freshman infielder Eliza Filus has been one of the hottest hitters for the Cougars. She leads the team with five home runs, eight doubles, and leads the NJAC with 30 runs batted in. It’s Filus’ first year as a Cougar and she is studying public health for her major. 

“It feels great,” Filus said. “I owe it all to the team because if I didn’t have the team that I do, then I don’t think I’ll be performing the way I am.”

Filus is from Lebanon, New Jersey and she attended Thomas Jefferson University before she transferred to Kean this semester and it’s her first-time playing college softball. 

“It’s just a good experience in my first year playing college softball and I didn’t think I had this amazing of a team,” Filus said. 

Senior starting pitcher Heather Clevenger is also one of the key players on the team. The Hamilton native who is studying for criminal justice has a 7-1 record, 43 strikeouts, and a 2.25 ERA. 

“I feel great about my stats,” Clevenger said. “I definitely feel like my pitching has improved since last year since I’m more comfortable with my teammates. They always put in the time and hard work.”

Clevenger played softball at Nottingham high school and at Mercer County Community College before transferring to Kean. 

The Cougars are 17-5 into the season and now facing the NJAC teams in the month of April. They split the doubleheader against The College of New Jersey Lions on April 2 in Ewing, New Jersey and sweep the doubleheader against Montclair State University RedHawks on April 6. Acker will focus on improving her team’s defense so they can have a better chance of reaching the NJAC tournament. 

“We got some good pitching and we put some runs on the board, but it’s important to play solid defense,” Acker said.

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