Spring Break Sports Spotlight

Worcester State sent their baseball, softball and lacrosse teams to South Carolina this past week for spring break. The results were overwhelmingly positive, with the three squads going a combined 14-9. Amongst the 23 games, these six student-athletes found a way to stand out with their performances. 

Lacrosse 

Clare Conway: Graduate Attack 

After taking home the ECHA Player of the Year award for the Lancer hockey team, Conway has continued with a full head of steam on the lacrosse field. Though the Lancers only played two games over break, Conway scored nine goals. Eight of which came in Wednesday’s win over Emerson College. She added a pair of assists to bring her points total to 10 on the day. Big-time stat: 2.75 Goals per Game on spring breaks for WSU (2022 & 2023) 

Mckayla Fisher: Freshman Attack 

Mckayla Fisher got off to a hot start in her first collegiate game in late-February with a four-goal performance. Come the first spring break game in her young career and Fisher was more than ready to keep rolling. Three goals and five assists meant that she was a contributing factor in eight of the 13 goals scored in Worcester State’s win over Colby-Sawyer. She tacked on an assist in the second game in South Carolina to bring her point total to nine over the break. Big-time stat: 3.75 Points per Game through her first four NCAA games 

Softball 

Morgan Keefe: Freshman Second Base/Shortstop 

Apparently making the jump from high school to college can be quite easy for some, namely Morgan Keefe. She made her NCAA debut last Saturday going 2-4 with a triple in the Lancers win over the University of Maine Farmington. Keefe stayed hot all week, with a statement 4-4, 2 RBI, 2 stolen-base game against Keene State. Over the 10 games, Keefe went 16-27 with 7 RBI and a couple extra-base hits. 

Big-time stat: 1.325 OPS over break 

Emma Lanpher: Sophomore Shortstop 

Last year’s MASCAC Rookie of the Year picked up right where she left off with an outstanding spring break. Appearing in eight of the ten games the softball team played in South Carolina, Lanpher hit .519 in 27 at bats. Lanpher had multiple hits in four of the eight games she appeared in, and made a big impact with 9 RBI. She showed off her power with five doubles, as well as her speed with a pair of stolen bases. 

Big-time stat: 8-game hitting streak to start the season

Baseball 

Alex Sorenti-Burns: Senior Catcher/Designated Hitter 

No stranger to spring break success after hitting .393 with a trio of extra-base hits in Florida a year ago, Sorenti-Burns starred in South Carolina last week. Over 11 games he hit .359 with 12 RBI, a pair of doubles and three round-trippers. The highlight of Sorenti-Burns’ week came in a 4-0 win over Scranton in which he accounted for three of the four runs driven in while putting on a two-home run performance. 

Big-time stat: .373 batting average on spring breaks for WSU (2022 & 2023) 

Tyler Smith: Sophomore Outfielder/Catcher 

The Lancers may have found their lead-off man in Tyler Smith, who took over the role in the third game of the trip. In nine games at the top of the order, Smith went 13-31 (.419) with 7 runs and 2 RBI. A bench player for much of the 2022 season, last week served as a breakout moment for Smith who is proving to be quite versatile as he spent time at three different positions. Big-time stat: Team-best 6 Stolen Bases