Gettysburg College Bullets

Gettysburg College Bulletshttps://gettysburgsports.com/rss.aspx?full=trueen-us60Yannetti named to permanent softball head coach positionhttps://gettysburgsports.com/news/2026/6/9/softball-yannetti-named-to-permanent-softball-head-coach-position.aspxhttps://gettysburgsports.com/news/2026/6/9/softball-yannetti-named-to-permanent-softball-head-coach-position.aspxSoftball

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – After spending the 2026 season as interim head coach, Madelyn Yannetti has been named to the permanent role, announced by Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation Troy Dell '95 on Tuesday.

Yannetti guided the Bullets to the No. 3 seed in the Centennial Conference (CC) and into the postseason in her first year at the helm.

"Madelyn proved on the field and beyond this spring that our softball was in great hands under her leadership," Dell said. "She has a clear vision for the program and how she wants to continue to develop our team as a strong presence in the conference, region and nationally. I'm excited for the future of our softball program under her guidance."

Originally hired as the full-time assistant coach, Yannetti was promoted to interim head coach for the 2026 season in September. This spring, she guided the Bullets to their fourth straight 20-win season and conference tournament bid. She mentored three all-conference players, including the program's eighth CC Player of the Year. Two of those players also earned all-region honors while Player of the Year Renee Laczkowski went on to be named an All-American.

"I am incredibly honored, grateful, and excited to serve as the head softball coach at Gettysburg College," Yannetti said. "I would like to sincerely thank Troy Dell, the search committee, and everyone involved in the interview process for their trust and confidence in me. I am deeply appreciative of their support and belief in the future of our program. I am excited to continue building on the foundation we have established, helping our student-athletes grow both on and off the field, and striving for excellence in everything we do. I look forward to leading a program that makes our players, alumni, and the entire Gettysburg community proud."

Gettysburg ranked in the top four in the conference in no fewer than 12 offensive categories this spring, including second in scoring at 5.73 runs per game and second with 126 walks.

No stranger to Gettysburg, she returned to the staff in a part-time role in 2024, working primarily with the pitching staff, for her second stint with the squad. She was a key member of the coaching staff that was CC and NFCA regional coaching staff of the year and won the program's first regional championship in 2025.

Prior to joining the staff in a full-time capacity, she a health and physical education teacher at Red Land High School between 2022 and 2025. She specialized in engaging reluctant and nontraditional learners by creating inclusive, low-pressure physical activities that promote movement, self-esteem, and positive attitudes toward physical education. Additionally, she supervised the aquatics department, overseeing programs, operations and instructional standards.

Yannetti also served four seasons as the varsity head softball coach, leading the Patriots to the Mid-Penn Keystone division title and District 3 Class 5A championship in 2025. It was the program's first division crown since 1999 and first district title ever. Red Land went 20-3 and made it to the second round of the state playoffs.

Yannetti brings national championship experience to the program. A 2019 Messiah graduate, she was part of the 2016 national runner-up squad. She holds several collegiate accolades, including NCAA Softball Championship all-tournament team, NFCA second-team all-east region and first-team All-MAC Commonwealth. She is still one of just two pitchers in Division III history to throw at least 19 shutout innings in a single game. She tossed 19 scoreless innings in a 1-0 win over Arcadia on May 6, 2017.

In addition to a stellar collegiate career, Yannetti was also drafted in 2019 to the Professional Softball League. She played for one season professionally before starting her coaching career.

A local product, she played for Gettysburg High School and still holds the school's single-season record for RBIs (32 in 2015) and pitching strikeouts (141 in 2014). She also holds the Warriors' career records for batting average (.465), hits (120), home runs (11), RBIs (84) and slugging percentage (.717).

-Go Bullets-

]]>Madelyn Yannetti Head Softball CoachTue, 9 Jun 2026 13:45:00 EST1920020Seven selected for 2026 Hall of Honor Classhttps://gettysburgsports.com/news/2026/6/3/orange-and-blue-club-seven-selected-for-2026-hall-of-honor-class.aspxhttps://gettysburgsports.com/news/2026/6/3/orange-and-blue-club-seven-selected-for-2026-hall-of-honor-class.aspxBaseball, Men's Basketball, Football, Men's Golf, Men's Soccer, Women's Basketball, Women's Lacrosse, Women's Soccer, Softball, Volleyball, Orange and Blue Club

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The Gettysburg College Department of Athletics and the Orange and Blue Club are proud to announce the selection of five former student-athletes and two long-time coaches for enshrinement into the Hall of Athletic Honor this fall.

Six of the seven members of the Class of 2026 were involved in two sports during their time in Gettysburg. The group accounted for a total of 26 conference championships and 25 national playoff appearances by their respective teams.

Headlining the class are two former coaches – women's basketball and softball coach Mike Kirkpatrick, who retired in 2015 after 26 years as a head coach, and men's basketball and men's golf coach George Petrie, who retired in 2018 after a 29-year career. The class also includes Laurie Goon '07 (women's lacrosse and soccer), Mike McLaughlin '02 (men's golf and soccer), Sean Murphy '87 (baseball and football), Andrew Powers '11 (men's basketball) and Megan Wargo '02 (softball and volleyball).

The seven individuals will be formally inducted in the newly-renovated College Union Building Ballroom on Friday, Oct. 16 as part of the Homecoming festivities. They will also be recognized at halftime of the football game against Carnegie Mellon the following day. More information regarding the ceremony will be made available later this summer.

Kirkpatrick set the standard as coach of two sports, finding success on both the basketball court and softball diamond. After his 26 seasons patrolling the women's basketball sidelines, he remains the all-time winningest coach in program history with a record of 379-271 (.583). Following 18 of those basketball seasons, he went right to the softball field as soon, where he posted a 358-178-1 (.668) record. He guided both programs to conference championships, claiming the 2013 basketball title and crowns in softball three times (1994, 1999, 2007). In basketball, Gettysburg posted winning seasons in 21 of his 26 year and qualified for the Centennial Conference (CC) tournament 12 times. He was twice named the conference's Coach of the Year and mentored 41 all-conference honorees and three All-Americans. On the diamond, he had 11 straight 20-win campaigns that included a 31-10-1 record and regular-season conference title in 2005. He coached 55 all-conference softball players, including players who brought home three Player of the Year trophies.

Like his counterpart in Bream Gym, Petrie established two programs as perennial contenders in the conference. He took over a men's basketball program in 1989 that had not won a conference championship in 51 years and had never appeared in the national tournament. He changed that in 1995-96, leading the Bullets to an 18-9 record and the program's first NCAA Div. III tournament berth. Over the next 16 years, his teams finish above .500 all but once. He retired as the program's all-time wins leader with a record of 396-348 (.532), including a 232-163 (.587) mark in CC play. He guided the men's basketball team to back-to-back conference titles in 2001 and 2002 and added a third crown in 2009. The Bullets marched to the NCAA tournament five times under his guidance, including a run to the round of 16 in 2008. He coached 20 All-CC or All-Middle Atlantic Conference men's basketball performers as well as six all-region selections. In 24 years as men's golf coach, Petrie helped the Bullets claim three CC titles (1994, 1995, 2002) and four runner-up finishes. On the golf course, 15 of his golfers claimed all-conference accolades, including six individual titles.

Goon was a defensive stalwart for not just one Bullets program but two, claiming all-conference honors in both women's soccer and women's lacrosse. As a key member of both defensive units, her Gettysburg teams never missed a postseason in the fall or spring. She helped the women's soccer team to a 31-7-2 conference mark and four straight conference tournament appearances, including hoisting the trophy in 2004. An honorable mention All-CC honoree as a junior, she was named to the first team as a senior as well as being tabbed all-region. On the lacrosse field, she led the Bullets to a 72-12 record, including 34-2 in CC play with three conference titles. In 2006, Gettysburg won a program-record 21 games on the way to its first appearance in the national title game. She was a first-team all-conference and all-region selection as both a junior and senior, third-team All-American in 2006 and second-teamer in 2007. She remains eighth all-time with 90 caused turnovers and 11th with 159 ground balls in her career.

McLaughlin was no stranger to postseason honors during his time in Gettysburg, earning all-conference laurels seven times between his soccer and golf careers. He made an immediate impact in both sports, starting all 80 games of his four-year soccer career and helping the team to a .796 winning percentage (63-15-3). In addition to his 15 goals, nine assists and 39 points, he helped the defense post a sub-1.00 goal-against average all four years. A three-time all-conference selection, including a first-team nod as a sophomore and senior, he was also all-region as a senior. Over his four years, the team won a pair of conference titles and played in three NCAA tournaments. On the golf course, he is one of just two players in CC history to earn all-conference accolades four times. He won the conference individual title on a playoff as a sophomore and was co-champion as senior. In 2002, he qualified for the NCAA championship as an individual, finishing 26th overall.

Murphy was a key cog in title runs for both football and baseball in the 1980s. He helped the Bullets to at least a share of the first three CC football titles, including as a starting outside linebacker on the 1985 national semifinal team. On the baseball diamond, he led Gettysburg to MAC championships in both 1986 and 1987. In football, he earned Pizza Hut All-America honorable mention honors as well as ECAC South All-Star first team and all-conference first team accolades in 1986. In his career, he racked up 161 total tackles and nine sacks. In the spring, he was a three-year starter on the infield with a .310 career batting average. He was also a pitcher, posting a 10-4 record with a 1.99 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 123 career innings on the mound.

Powers scored more points than any men's basketball player to ever wear a Gettysburg uniform, graduating with 1,946 points in 108 career games. He averaged 18.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, while finishing tied for the program record with 270 assists. He remains one of just three players in men's basketball program history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists. Playing under head coach George Petrie, he was a four-time all-conference selection, including three times on the first team and Player of the Year honors as a sophomore in 2009 – the same year he earned NABC third-team All-America laurels. He also claimed D3hoops.com all-region accolades all four years, including three first-team nods and was the Regional Rookie of the Year in 2008. Powers guided Gettysburg to a program-record 24 wins and appearance in the NCAA third round in 2008 before leading the team to a conference title and another NCAA showing in 2009.

Wargo also had a strong impact on two teams during her time on campus, earning all-conference honors three times each in volleyball and softball. In her four seasons on the court, she racked up 1,287 kills and 1,704 digs, which both remain top-10 all-time in program history. She was a three-time all-conference selection, culminating with first-team and Player of the Year honors as a senior in 2001. The Bullets won three conference championships in her four years on the volleyball court. Her Gettysburg springs were spent on the softball diamond, where she hit .397 over her career with 110 hits. She remains top-six all-time in batting average and on-base percentage (.470) and threw out 11 would-be base stealers from behind the plate as a senior. She earned all-conference honors in all three of her seasons, including a pair of first-team nods. She helped the softball team to the 1999 conference title.

Since 1978, the Orange and Blue Club has overseen the recognition of the College's outstanding former student-athletes with selection to the Hall of Athletic Honor. With the addition of this year's class of standout performers, 288 former Bullets have been selected for induction over the last 48 years. The seven 2026 inductees were selected from a list of nearly 60 candidates by the Hall of Athletic Honor Selection Committee.

-Go Bullets-

]]>Hall of Athletic Honor Class of 2026Wed, 3 Jun 2026 11:16:00 EST2920019Four Gettysburg baseball players tabbed Academic All-Districthttps://gettysburgsports.com/news/2026/6/2/baseball-four-gettysburg-baseball-players-tabbed-academic-all-district.aspxhttps://gettysburgsports.com/news/2026/6/2/baseball-four-gettysburg-baseball-players-tabbed-academic-all-district.aspxBaseball

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Four members of the Gettysburg baseball team were named to the Division III Academic All-District baseball team, selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC) recently.

Academic All-District honorees are considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America honorees will be announced on June 23.

The following Bullets baseball players were honored as part of the program:

Junior Jack Amirata (Montclair, N.J./Montclair Kimberley Academy), a business, organizations and management major
Junior Will Bercaw (Langhorne, Pa./The Pennington School), a physics major
Junior John Francesconi (Syracuse, N.Y./Marcellus), an economics major
Junior Will Stellato (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Warde), a business, organizations and management major

Francesconi and Stellato earned their second straight honor after also being selected as a sophomores.

To be nominated for the Academic All-America program, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore with a 3.5 or higher cumulative grade-point average and be a starter or significant reserve. Up to five eligible student-athletes per institution can be selected to the all-district team.

-Go Bullets-

]]>Academic All-District BaseballTue, 2 Jun 2026 14:46:00 EST220018Ortenzio inducted into MAC Hall of Famehttps://gettysburgsports.com/news/2026/6/2/mens-wrestling-ortenzio-inducted-into-mac-hall-of-fame.aspxhttps://gettysburgsports.com/news/2026/6/2/mens-wrestling-ortenzio-inducted-into-mac-hall-of-fame.aspxMen's Wrestling

]]>Robert Ortenzio MAC Hall of FameTue, 2 Jun 2026 12:37:00 EST1220017Gettysburg adds Black to strength and conditioning staffhttps://gettysburgsports.com/news/2026/6/1/general-gettysburg-adds-black-to-strength-and-conditioning-staff.aspxhttps://gettysburgsports.com/news/2026/6/1/general-gettysburg-adds-black-to-strength-and-conditioning-staff.aspxBaseball, Men's Basketball, Men's Cross Country, Football, Men's Golf, Men's Lacrosse, Men's Soccer, Men's Swimming, Men's Tennis, Men's Track & Field, Men's Wrestling, Women's Basketball, Women's Cross Country, Field Hockey, Women's Golf, Women's Lacrosse, Women's Soccer, Softball, Women's Swimming, Women's Tennis, Women's Track & Field, Volleyball, General, Women's Wresting, Women's Flag Football, Acrobatics & Tumbling

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Kolton Black has joined the Gettysburg College's strength and conditioning staff as the first full-time assistant strength and conditioning coach.

Black joins Reggie Overton's staff after spending the last two years as a sports performance graduate assistant at Salisbury.

While with the Sea Gulls, Black led sports performance for men's soccer, rookie football and both golf programs while assisting with football, lacrosse and tennis.

Prior to his time at Salisbury, he served as a strength and conditioning intern with the football program at University of North Carolina. While in Chapel Hill in 2024, he assisted with the set up and break down of every lift and running session. He collected five- and 10-yard acceleration times using Zybek timing gates and used force plates to collect CMJ height, propulsive power, eccentric braking forces and RSI.

During the 2023-24 academic year, he was a sports performance intern during his senior year at Juniata, assisting with football, women's lacrosse, field hockey, soccer, volleyball, basketball, track and field, tennis and swimming.

Black was a four-year member of the Juniata men's lacrosse team, serving as a captain as both a junior and senior. He was a Landmark Conference Academic Honor Roll selection in both 2023 and 2024. He graduated with a bachelor of science in biology from Juniata in 2024.

While at Salisbury, he earned his master of science in health and human performance, graduating in May.

-Go Bullets-

]]>Kolton Black Assistant Strength and Conditioning CoachMon, 1 Jun 2026 14:46:00 EST2420016Five Gettysburg softball players tabbed Academic All-Districthttps://gettysburgsports.com/news/2026/5/29/softball-five-gettysburg-softball-players-tabbed-academic-all-district.aspxhttps://gettysburgsports.com/news/2026/5/29/softball-five-gettysburg-softball-players-tabbed-academic-all-district.aspxSoftball

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Five members of the Gettysburg softball team were named to the Division III Academic All-District softball team, selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC) recently.

Academic All-District honorees are considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America honorees will be announced on June 16.
The following Bullets softball players were honored as part of the program:

Junior Audrey Bergan (Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Calif./La Jolla Country Day School), a global studies and political science major
Junior Zoe Brennan (Arlington, Va./Yorktown), a health sciences major
Sophomore Katie LaPlaunt (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent), a political science major
Junior Anika Pelekis (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood), a business, organizations and management major
Sophomore Jamie Shaw (Mount Airy, Md./Glenelg), a political science major

Bergan and Pelekis earned their second straight honor after also being selected as sophomores.

To be nominated for the Academic All-America program, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore with a 3.5 or higher cumulative grade-point average and be a starter or significant reserve. Up to five eligible student-athletes per institution can be selected to the all-district team.

-Go Bullets-

]]>Softball Academic All-District 2026Fri, 29 May 2026 11:16:00 EST1920014Gettysburg announces Guevara as inaugural acrobatics and tumbling head coachhttps://gettysburgsports.com/news/2026/5/28/acrobatics-tumbling-gettysburg-announces-guevara-as-inaugural-acrobatics-and-tumbling-head-coach.aspxhttps://gettysburgsports.com/news/2026/5/28/acrobatics-tumbling-gettysburg-announces-guevara-as-inaugural-acrobatics-and-tumbling-head-coach.aspxAcrobatics & Tumbling

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Valeria Guevara has been named the first head coach of women's acrobatics and tumbling at Gettysburg College, announced by Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation Troy Dell on Thursday.

The College announced the addition of women's acrobatics and tumbling among three new sports in March. The program, which was one of four new NCAA championships approved in January, will begin as the Bullets' 26th varsity athletic program during the 2027-28 academic year.

Guevara is a graduate of Mary Hardin-Baylor, where she was part of four straight National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (NCATA) Division III championship teams.

"We are excited to have Val join us to start our acrobatics and tumbling program," Dell said. "She knows what it takes to build a championship program. Her experience will be invaluable as we build this program from the ground up."

As part of the Cru's national championship performance, Guevara was an NCATA Division III tournament event final champion in synchronized pyramid in 2023, 2024 and 2025. In 2024, she was also champion in five element acro. As a junior, she recorded 11 heats of a 9.7 or higher, including a 9.9 in compulsory toss on Mar. 19 against Iona. She was also named to the NCATA Academic Honor in 2026.

In addition to her success on the mat, she also assisted the coaching staff this past spring with all aspects of the program, including travel logistics and recruiting, as part of the team's fourth straight national championship run.

"I am incredibly honored and excited to join Gettysburg College as the head coach for acrobatics and tumbling," Guevara said. "I am grateful for the opportunity to help build a program that reflects Gettysburg's commitment to excellence, integrity, and community while contributing to the continued growth and success of Gettysburg Athletics and the sport of acrobatics and tumbling. I want to express my sincere appreciation to Troy Dell, the search committee, and the entire Gettysburg athletic staff for their support and belief in the future of this program."

In 2019, she founded the youth acrobatics and tumbling program at Showcase Gymnastics, leading the program as head coach for the first three year and collecting two Youth Acro National Championships. She has also served as an assistant coach for five TeamGym national championships.

Prior to competing at the collegiate level, she competed in trampoline and tumbling at for Gymnast Factor and Showcase Gymnastics. She was a nine-time qualifier for nationals. She was a trampoline state champion, tumbling silver medalist and three-time TeamGym national champion. She also competed internationally for the USA TeamGym team and was a Junior Olympic Games TnT bronze medalist.

In addition to being a part of the acrobatics and tumbling team at Mary Hardin-Baylor, she was a sports management major and served as a student assistant in the sports information office, where she created photo and video content to promote the program and athletes. She collaborated with the staff to enhance the visibility of the program as part of her work.

Guevara will spend the next year recruiting and preparing for the launch of the first season of intercollegiate competition in 2027-28.

-Go Bullets-

]]>Valeria Guevara Acrobatics and Tumbling Head CoachThu, 28 May 2026 14:31:00 EST4020015Gettysburg’s Laczkowksi earns All-America honorshttps://gettysburgsports.com/news/2026/5/27/softball-gettysburgs-laczkowksi-earns-all-america-honors.aspxhttps://gettysburgsports.com/news/2026/5/27/softball-gettysburgs-laczkowksi-earns-all-america-honors.aspxSoftball

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Renee Laczkowski (Erie, Colo./Erie), a sophomore on the Gettysburg softball team, has been named to the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association (NFCA) All-America team, released on Wednesday.

Laczkowski, a third baseman, claimed third-team All-America honors after earning her first all-region accolade – a first-team nod – after a second-straight all-conference honor. She was the Centennial Conference (CC) Player of the Year and earned first-team honors in 2026. Starting all 41 games, she hit a team-best .429 on the year with 57 hits and 42 RBIs. She scored 32 runs and walked 13 times. She also recorded a team-high 12 doubles and four home runs to go with two triples for a .639 slugging percentage. She recorded multiple hits in six of the last seven regular-season games and 18 times total this season.

The Bullets (20-21, 10-6 CC) earned the third seed in the CC tournament before falling twice in the conference tournament.

-Go Bullets-

]]>Renee Laczkowski All-AmericanWed, 27 May 2026 14:33:00 EST1920013Gettysburg’s Daly earns IWLCA All-America honorshttps://gettysburgsports.com/news/2026/5/22/womens-lacrosse-gettysburgs-daly-earns-iwlca-all-america-honors.aspxhttps://gettysburgsports.com/news/2026/5/22/womens-lacrosse-gettysburgs-daly-earns-iwlca-all-america-honors.aspxWomen's Lacrosse

NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – Julia Daly (McLean, Va./Langley), a senior on the Gettysburg women's lacrosse team has been named to the All-America team by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA), released on Friday.

Daly, an attacker, earns her second straight coaches' organization All-America honor and first first-team nod after being named to the second team last season. A three-time first-team all-region honoree, the Centennial Conference (CC) Attacker of the Year started all 21 games. She led the team with 66 goals, 31 assists and 97 points. She also added 20 caused turnovers and 36 ground balls. She registered six or more points in nine games this season, including a career-high eight goals against Tufts on Mar. 18.

The Bullets (14-7, 7-1 CC) advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament, falling to Tufts on Saturday.

-Go Bullets-

]]>Julia Daly First Team All-AmericanFri, 22 May 2026 11:08:00 EST1720011Gettysburg’s Hedley, Kessler to play in North/South All-Star gamehttps://gettysburgsports.com/news/2026/5/22/mens-lacrosse-gettysburgs-hedley-kessler-to-play-in-north-south-all-star-game.aspxhttps://gettysburgsports.com/news/2026/5/22/mens-lacrosse-gettysburgs-hedley-kessler-to-play-in-north-south-all-star-game.aspxMen's Lacrosse

CHESTER, Pa. – Will Hedley (Charlotte, N.C./The Hotchkiss School [Conn.]) and Ethan Kessler (Ridgefield, Conn./Millbrook School), seniors on the Gettysburg men's lacrosse team, have been selected as members of the South Team and will participate in the 2026 United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) North/South Senior All-Star Game.

The 82nd annual contest will take place as part of championship weekend in Virginia. The 28-man Division III South team will take on the North team as part of a doubleheader at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Va. on Friday. The Division III game will open the session at 4 p.m. followed by the Division I/II game at 6:30 p.m.

Hedley, a long-stick midfielder, claimed his third All-America nod and was a second-team All-Centennial Conference (CC) selection. Playing all 17 games, he had 35 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers. He also contributed seven goals and three assists to the attack. He recorded multiple ground balls in 13 games, including five against Franklin & Marshall on Apr. 25 to go with two caused turnovers.

Kessler, an attacker, was an All-American for the first time and first-team All-CC selection. Starting all 17 games, he was fourth on the team with 27 goals and has added 17 assists for 44 points. He scored multiple goals in five games this season, including tallying four at both Dickinson on Apr. 8 and Washington on Apr. 18. He had three or more points in nine games this season.

The duo is among seven CC seniors to earn the honor of playing in the prestigious event.

The Bullets (12-5, 7-1 CC) won the conference championship with a 13-12 overtime win at Dickinson before falling in the second round of the NCAA tournament to Washington and Lee.

-Go Bullets-

]]>Will Hedley, Ethan Kessler USILA North/South Senior All-Star GameFri, 22 May 2026 12:30:00 EST720012