Pirates Welcome Butler for Final Home Series of 2025

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – In their final home series of the 2025 season, the Seton Hall softball team (27-18 Overall, 10-8 BIG EAST) will host the Butler Bulldogs (23-19 Overall, 12-9 BIG EAST) at Mike Sheppard Sr. Field for a matchup ripe with BIG EAST Tournament implications. First pitch for the opening game of the series is slated for 2 p.m. on Friday, April 25.

Last Time Out
The Pirates hosted faced Rutgers to close out non-conference play and the home-and-home series between the two schools on April 16 in Piscataway, New Jersey. Seton Hall found itself down 6-1 early amid the swirling North Jersey winds, but The Hall kept fighting their way back.

ERIN HOWARD WITH A GRAND SLAM TO PUT THE HALL IN FRONT 😱#HALLin🔵⚪️ | #HooksUp pic.twitter.com/Ms1zZfoFYw
— Seton Hall Softball (@SHUSoftball) April 16, 2025

Down 7-3 entering the sixth inning, the Pirates launched an eight-run rally, capped off by a two-out grand slam by Erin Howard, to put Seton Hall in front 11-7. Taylor Hill collected her own home run in the seventh inning, securing a 15-8 victory for the Pirates and the season sweep of the Scarlet Knights.

Weekly Schedule
Friday, April 25
2 p.m. – Seton Hall vs Butler (Live Stats - Stream)
Saturday, April 26
12 p.m. – Seton Hall vs Butler (Live Stats - Stream)
Sunday, April 27
12 p.m. – Seton Hall vs Butler (Live Stats - Stream)

Previewing Butler

Seton Hall is 14-17 all-time against Butler, with the first matchup occurring in 2014.
- The Pirates are 6-5 in their last 11 meetings versus the Bulldogs.
This season, Butler is currently 23-19 on the season with a 12-9 conference record.
- Butler sits fourth in the conference standings, while Seton Hall currently sit fifth.
The Bulldogs are slashing .297/.382/.405 with 21 home runs, 182 RBI, 73 stolen bases and a -5 run differential (206-to-211).
At the plate, Butler brings both power and speed. Speedy outfielder Cate Lehrer has collected a BIG EAST-leading 32 steals and scored 34 runs, all while slashing .413/.439/.427. On the flip side, Ella White is slashing .291/.451/.500 with team leading marks of five home runs and 35 RBI.
In the circle, the lead Bulldog this season has been freshman Gwen Baker, across 26 appearances, she has a 3.60 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 97.1 innings pitched. She has five starts of seven innings this season, including a one-run complete game victory over St. John's on March 21.

NEWS & NOTES

On April 21, Taylor Hill was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll for the second time this season after hitting .750 with two home runs, collecting eight RBI and scoring six runs. She is the sixth-different Pirate to receive BIG EAST honors this season.

Hill on a Heater 🔥🔥

Off the back of a two home runs, including a grand slam, Taylor Hill finds herself on the BIG EAST Honor Roll!#HALLin🔵⚪️ | #HooksUp🪝 pic.twitter.com/IktjGXAHdk
— Seton Hall Softball (@SHUSoftball) April 21, 2025

With two weeks remaining in the season, Kelsey Carr is amidst a career-best season. In the BIG EAST she ranks inside the top five in slugging (3^rd, .759), on-base percentage (1^st, .544), runs scored (5^th, 39), RBI (7^th, 38), doubles (T-6^th, 10), home runs (T-3^rd, 12), total bases (9^th, 85), walks (1^st, 48), innings pitched (4^th, 113), wins (3^rd, 12) and saves (T-2^nd, 3).
In the entirety of D1 softball, Carr leads the nation in walks per game (1.12) ranks 26^th in on-base percentage (.544).
Alongside Carr, Katey Brennan ranks fifth in on-base percentage (.489), third in doubles (11), and fourth in runs scored (46). She is also second in the conference in walks behind Carr with 37 walks.
- Brennan is three runs scored off of setting a new single-season runs scored record.
Olivia Gilbert currently sits third in the conference in RBI (49), third in doubles (11) and 9^th in plate appearances (163).
- Brennan is three RBI off setting a new single-season RBI record.
With their comeback win over Rutgers, the Pirates collected their first win of the season when trailing after four innings (1-14 record). The Hall is also 22-1 when leading after four innings.
In the entirety of D1 softball, Seton Hall ranks 4^th in the nation in hit-by-pitches (54), 28^th in on-base percentage (.417), 32^nd in runs per game (6.49). The Hall is also tied for 31^st in the country in doubles per game (1.60).
With a 23-0 victory against Wagner, the Pirates set new single-game program records for runs scored (23), margin of victory (23) and walks in a game (14).
In the Pirates' 3-2 victory over Villanova on March 29, Taylor Hill made history. Crossing home plate after her game-sealing, three-run home run, Hill broke the program record for career runs scored. That record was held by 2017 BIG EAST Player of the Year and three-time All-BIG EAST selection Alexis Walkden (2015-18), who registered 147 runs in her four seasons at The Hall.
With a pair of wins over St. John's, Head Coach Angie Churchill surpassed 300 career wins.
By winning the first game of the doubleheader over St. John's, Churchill also one reached 50 career BIG EAST wins.
- It took Churchill 88 BIG EAST Games to reach that mark, setting a new program record for the quickest coach to 50 BIG EAST wins in program history.
- Previously, the record was held by Ray Vander May, who took 106 games to earn his 50^th win.
With 48 walks so far this season, Kelsey Carr surpassed Alexis Walkden's (2015-18) program record for of 114 career walks.
With her 58^th career double in the second game of the Pirates' doubleheader against St. John's, Taylor Hill passed Janae Barracato (2018-22) for the most doubles in Seton Hall history.
After surpassing 200 career hits against Villanova, Hill needs only 11 hits across the remainder of the season to break the current career hits program record held by two-time All-BIG EAST selection Katie Pierce (2003-06) with 225 hits. The Pirates have six regular season games remaining, plus any postseason games that are to be determined.
On April 7, Naya Martinez earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors after she totaled .333/.368/.556 with four runs scored, one double, one home run, seven RBI and a single stolen base.
Across the entire season, all but one player (Karissa Dupuis) on the Pirates roster has had at least one plate appearance. With Rachael Schumann's RBI against Army, every Pirate who has batted in a game has registered an RBI this season.