FairCurrently: 70°F
Monday, June 15th, 2026
Categories
News

Spring Athletics Round-up

Baseball comes up short in the NCAA Super Regionals at Cooper Park. Sarah Hessler ’26 finishes 18th in the women’s hammer throw competition at the NCAA Track and Field Championships. Two longtime athletic figures retire, and welcome back to Jennifer Smith ’02.

A wide-angle, full-view outdoor shot captures the Millersville Marauders baseball team posing on a green field. They hold a "PSAC BASEBALL CHAMPIONS 2026" banner and a trophy under a cloudy blue sky. Thirty-six players and coaches stand and sit in three rows. Most wear white t-shirts that say "CHAMPIONS" and black baseball caps with an "M" logo. They stand closely, arms around shoulders, smiling widely. On the far left, a coach wears a grey shirt. On the right, coaches wear black and yellow shirts. In the background, a green outfield fence and a light pole are visible.
2026 PSAC Champions

The spring sports season brought the end of another banner year for Millersville Athletics. The baseball team brought home the PSAC Tournament Championship for the second year in a row. Second baseman Donis Rodriguez was named the tournament MVP for his outstanding play in the four games.

An African American male baseball player stands smiling on a baseball field. He wears a white championship t-shirt and holds a black Most Valuable Player plaque. A silver medal hangs around his neck on a blue and white ribbon.In the background, teammates in matching white shirts and black baseball caps stand in a line. A field manager in a black polo shirt stands to the right. The outfield fence, green trees, and a cloudy blue sky are visible in the background. A white folding table sits in the lower foreground.
Donis Rodriguez ’28, PSAC Tournament MVP

The team then advanced to the NCAA Atlantic Regionals, where they beat Charleston and Seton Hill at Cooper Park. Next stop was the Atlantic Super Regionals, which the Marauders entered as the No. 2 seed with a 39-16 overall record. They faced West Chester in a three-game series, having beaten the Golden Rams in the PSAC Tournament title game 2-1.

Millersville’s Achille’s Heel throughout 2026 had been its defense and consistent hitting. Both issues cost the Marauders in the Super Regionals, where they lost the first two games to West Chester.

Track and field’s Sarah Hessler qualified for the NCAA Division II Championships and competed in the hammer throw in Emporia, Kansas, on May 21. She finished 18th in the women’s event with a throw of 166-3. Hessler’s season included three top-five finishes at the PSAC Outdoor Championships. Additionally, Chloe Enck won the PSAC title in the hammer throw and sophomore Milan Snell won the 400-meter dash, helping the Marauders to a fifth-place finish. As part of the championship event, hurdler Mary Weiss became the seventh Marauder ever to be named a PSAC Champion Scholar for having the highest GPA among competing athletes at a PSAC Championship event.

Two smiling women stand on an athletic field, holding a clear glass award with a red base between them.The woman on the left wears sunglasses, a bright blue long-sleeved shirt under a black vest with a "PSAC" patch, and black pants.The woman on the right wears a light gray hooded sweatshirt with "VILLE TRACK & FIELD" printed across the front in black and gold text.The background shows an outdoor sports track, bleachers, red pop-up tents, and other individuals scattered across the field under an overcast sky.
Mary Weiss ’26 (right), PSAC Champion Scholar

MU is also excited to welcome home Jennifer Smith ’02, who was named our new women’s basketball coach on April 10. Coach Smith was an All-PSAC East performer under the great Mary Fleig before embarking on a successful coaching career that includes three consecutive PSAC East titles from 2024-26 at Lock Haven.

Finally, a much-deserved thank-you goes to golf coach Scott Vandegrift and Associate Director of Athletics Peg Kauffman ’87, who are retiring after stellar service to the University. Coach Vandegrift led the men’s and women’s golf teams to a total of six PSAC Championships in his 40 years. Kauffman, a hall of fame women’s basketball player, served in athletic administration for 20 years and made a significant impact on the success of the athletic department.

Leave a Reply

Latest Instagram photo posted by millersvilleu

Today, @lindsayinphilly works for Wendy’s as a Program Director. But back in 2001, the business major was just trying to find a college that was close to home, but, you know – not too close. <br /> <br /> She describes her time at Millersville University as, “some of the best times of my life.” She lived in the former Lenhardt Hall, high up on the sixth floor with some of her soon-to-be closest friends, playing intramural soccer (and she's an intramural champ, by the way - check out the shirt), studying for classes and letting loose on the weekends. “I had the best time at Millersville,” she shares. “I graduated on time, in four years, without changing my major – but the best part is that I always have my best friends from MU.” <br /> <br /> Today, she has her Project Management Professional® certification, the gold-star standard in the field, and an impressive résumé with roles at Nike, Abercrombie and more, several moves to major cities like Boston and Chicago, and a switch to becoming a consultant. She moved back to Philadelphia in 2025 and this June, she began work as the new Program Director for the fast-food company Wendy’s, where she’s leading the initiative to install a new point of sale system across their franchises. Oh, and she recently became an Eagles season ticket holder. Go Birds! 🦅 <br /> <br /> In layman’s terms, Kelleher describes project management as, “Leading an effort from start to finish. My job is to connect the dots, keep teams aligned, and help everyone work toward a common goal. The skills are more transferable than people realize. If you’re planning an event, running a household, or even coordinating a party, you’re already using many of the same skills a project manager uses every day.” <br /> <br /> To read the rest of of story, click on the link in @millersvilleu’s bio!
Millersville University

P.O. Box 1002, Millersville, PA 17551-0302
© 2022 Millerville University