The Brandeis softball team finished its season with 11 wins and a wide array of accomplishments. The following key contributors were warriors from start to finish and gave fans reasons to hope for a dominant season in 2019.


Pitcher Scottie Todd ’20

The legendary Scottie Todd continued to win in 2018. This stud pitcher earned second-team All-UAA honors after racking up more than half of her team’s wins. Todd posted a 6-8 record, but her peripherals tell the true tale.  Todd followed her unprecedented rookie ERA of 1.41 with a 1.52 mark in 2018 and recorded 52 strikeouts. Furthermore, Todd topped 100 innings for the first time in her stellar career. After two unbelievable seasons, Todd now has the two lowest single-season ERA marks in Brandeis history. With one of the greatest pitchers in Brandeis softball history, the team will be in very capable hands next spring.

Pitcher Callie MacDonald ’20

MacDonald was a workhorse all season long, racking up 69.1 innings – 15 more than in her rookie campaign. In her second season on the mound, MacDonald had twice as many wins and four times as many complete games as in the 2017 season. She also struck out 17 batters on her way to lowering her ERA from 2017 to 2018. She will be an invaluable contributor to the success of this team moving forward.

Catcher Keri Lehtonen ’19

Lehtonen, along with Todd, also earned second-team All-UAA honors after another stellar season for the Judges. The stud catcher led the team in batting average, runs scored, extra-base hits and stolen bases. She improved her average from last season by 38 points, drove in two more runs, had six more runs scored and made 11 more hits. She also upped her slugging percentage by 76 points while striking out five fewer times. Behind the plate, Lehtonen posted a pristine .991 fielding percentage. There is simply no arguing about the team captain’s monster production over the past three years. She will enter her final season with a career average of .385, an OPS of 1.000, 22 doubles, eight home runs, 52 RBIs and 72 runs scored. Lehtonen does not simply lead the offense – she is the offense.

Outfielder Marissa DeLaurentis ’19

The other team captain for the Judges, DeLaurentis went on an extreme power surge this season. After four home runs total in her first two seasons, the outfielder erupted for four home runs, six doubles and a team-high 22 RBIs this season. Her powerful batting will be necessary for the continued success of the team during her senior season, in the spring.

Third baseman PJ Ross ’20

Ross was an equally powerful force for the Judges this season, her sophomore campaign. Ross hit twice as many home runs this year as she did last year, and tied for the team-lead with four for the season. The third baseman increased her slugging percentage by 128 points while simultaneously lifting her batting average up by 47 points. Her growth in production is showing no signs of slowing down, and she will look to dominate the conference next spring.


Shortstop Jolie Fujita ’21

The rookie shortstop burst onto the scene for the Judges with a .333 average, one home run and 15 RBIs. Both her RBI total and batting average were enough for third on the team as she established herself as a key hitter for the Judges.

The Judges are filled with talented players, and many have not even reached their full potential yet. With unhittable workhorses on the mound and dominant bats at the plate, Brandeis will look to be a feared team in 2019. There is work to be done – especially after only two wins in the conference this past season – but the team already has all the necessary tools for success on its roster. With plenty of up and coming stars to watch, as well as optimism for a successful offseason of recruiting, fans have every reason to be excited for the 2019 softball season.