Season in Review: Softball

The Golden Grizzlies were selected to repeat as #HLSB Champions back in early February with the team heading to Florida to open the season once again. 

Oakland would finish 21-21 overall, 14-7 in conference play for the third-straight winning season. Head Coach Lauren Karn guided the squad to the team's third-straight #HLSB Championship series as well, the fourth time in her six seasons.

2023 #HLSB Series Results:

IUPUI // Split 1-1 in Indianapolis

Northern Kentucky // 3-2 Norse including #HLSB Tourny play

Youngstown State // Split 1-1 in Ohio, 1-0 in League Tournament

Green Bay // 3-1 OU in Rochester + Tourny Play

Detroit Mercy // 3-0 Oakland in Detroit

Cleveland State // 2-1 OU in Rochester

Robert Morris // 2-1 Oakland in Moon Township

Purdue Fort Wayne // 2-1 OU in Rochester

The Golden Grizzlies broke a single-game school record in the team's 3-0 sweep over Detroit Mercy on the Titans' campus.

Oakland plowed five home runs in a single game over the 200-foot length outfield while Jen Krizka joins elite company in hitting two home runs in a single game against UDM which put the catcher in a tie for first all-time in program history.

Golden Grizzlies with a homer in the record-breaking game:

Jen Krizka

Reese Ruhlman

Madi Herrington

Allisa DiPrima

Mia Konyvka

In game one against the #HLSB doubleheader with IUPUI, redshirt junior pitcher Sydney Campbell broke the school record in career wins with 49 at that point. Campbell broke Jessica Granger's record from 2007-2009.

The LaGrange, Ohio native now totally owns the career wins category with 65 total wins following the 2023 season.

Campbell's 20 wins in 2023 is the second-most by any pitcher in a single season. Ironically, the right-hander owns that record too with 23 from last season. 

All time, Campbell's 1.90 career ERA is first in the program record books as well. 

We'll have more on Sydney's accolades later in this season in review.

Oakland concluded the season third in NCAA Division I in Triples Per Game while three individuals (Maci Brown, Jen Krizka, and Reese Ruhlman) ranked 13th, 16th, and 37th in triples per game in the entirety of the division. 

Sydney Campbell ranked 19th in earned run average in the country while placing 24th in total victories.

Third baseman Reese Ruhlman was eighth in hit-by-pitch per game, second all-time in a single season by any Golden Grizzly. 

Head Coach Lauren Karn earned her second-straight #HLSB Coach of the Year honor as the conference announced its All-League accolades in early May.

Sydney Campbell landed another Pitcher of the Year honor as well as a First Team All-League distinction. 

Joining the pitcher on the All-League First Team list was Maci Brown and Reese Ruhlman while Jen Krizka took home Second Team recognition.

After a 14-7 #HLSB season, the Golden Grizzlies wrapped up the conference's regular season championship in its second-straight season with the win in game one of the doubleheader with Purdue Fort Wayne on Senior Day.

Throughout the #HLSB Tournament in Green Bay as the No. 1 seed, Oakland had four named to the All-Tournament Team roster:

Sydney Campbell

Jenna Johnston

Jen Krizka

Reese Ruhlman

Oakland said goodbye to a lone senior on the championship-clinching day in Lauren Griffith who stands in a tie for first in single-game home runs with the aforementioned Krizka, tied for seventh in season home runs, tied for sixth in season RBI, fourth in career slugging percentage, and third in career batting average. 

Griffith was All-Horizon League First Team in 2022 and 2021 with an All-Freshman Team honor in 2019.

For the first time in program history, Oakland put five student-athletes on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District list:

Sydney Campbell

Allisa DiPrima

Maci Brown

Reese Ruhlman

Jen Krizka

In order to qualify for the award, student-athletes must possess a 3.50 GPA or higher, be on the roster for at least a year, and play in at minimum fifty-percent of a team's contests (except for pitchers).