BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva softball team is back in action in just under a month, hungry to compete for a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) championship following their semifinal exit in the PAC playoffs last season. The Golden Tornadoes were picked to finish second in the PAC preseason poll released this afternoon, receiving two of the 12 available first place votes. Westminster College, the two-time reigning PAC champions, finished first in the poll and garnered nine first-place votes. Grove City came in third place after a run to the championship game last season, while Allegheny took fourth place and the final first-place vote.
Following an impressive regular season in which they went 28-11, the GTs earned the No. 3 seed in the PAC tournament last year and entered the postseason with hopes for a title. After losing their opening game in the double-elimination tournament, they won their next two contests but lost in heartbreaking fashion to Grove City with a chance to play in the championship game on the line.
Head coach
Van Zanic leads a Golden Tornadoes team that is eager to get back to the PAC championship game for the first time since 2021. Entering his 24
th season as the head softball coach, Zanic brings back almost his entire lineup from last season, including an impressive nine seniors, most of whom will see regular playing time.
Leading that group of seniors is last year's PAC Player of the Year, shortstop
Lexi Zanic. Zanic received the conference's top award after batting .416 in 2025 and finishing in the top 10 in the PAC in on-base percentage, runs, hits, RBIs, and stolen bases. She is joined in the lineup by outfielders
Justine Robbins and
Payton James, as well as utility player
Madison Rapp. Robbins received Honorable Mention All-PAC recognition last year after leading the conference with 18 doubles, while Rapp and James batted .372 and .303, respectively.
The GTs' senior class also boasts two excellent starting pitchers in All-PAC selections
McKenzie Rapp and
Sophia Tvaroch. Rapp was named to the All-PAC Second Team in 2025 after going 16-6 with a 2.44 ERA in 120.2 innings, while Tvaroch earned Honorable Mention All-PAC honors by posting a 2.98 ERA and 91 strikeouts.
Jorja Koerner and
Alena Campbell join Rapp and Tvaroch on Geneva's pitching staff, with both women providing solid arms out of the bullpen.
Centerfielder
Molly Shelley headlines Geneva's junior class after being named to the All-PAC Second Team as a sophomore. Shelley is known for her speed on the basepaths, breaking Geneva's single-season steals record in each of her first two years, but she also showed her prowess as a powerful batter last season by hitting six home runs and seven triples while leading the team with a .428 batting average. Second baseman
Kyra Wilcox is another junior that will see regular playing time after she batted .352 with 24 RBIs last season.
Two sophomores who emerged as regular starters last year will look to build on their strong freshman campaigns as well. Catcher
Isabela Skrlac and outfielder
Stacey Rodriguez each played in at least 27 games in 2025, with Skrlac batting .317 in her first season and Rodriguez scoring 13 runs.
Coach Zanic has brought in five freshmen to round out this year's roster.
The women open their season in Fort Myers, Florida, where they will travel for their annual spring break trip. Their first two games are scheduled for Monday, March 9, with a contest versus Brooklyn College at 9:00 a.m. followed by an 11:00 a.m. tilt with Rockford University.
Through purposeful learning in a community reflecting the full spectrum of God's kingdom, a Geneva College experience inspires students to discover a faith-life calling in service to God and neighbor. Offering 195+ traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality and affordability. Geneva was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) and is a founding member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and the International Association for Christian Education (IACE).
