SV grad McNany turning in 3rd superb season for Behrend softball
ERIE — Just getting her feet wet with college softball wasn’t enough for Jocelyn McNany as a freshman two years ago.
The 2021 Seneca Valley graduate dove in headfirst and has been an integral part of Penn State Behrend’s fortunes ever since.
In the spring of 2022, McNany’s introduction to the college game saw her used mostly as a designated hitter and she responded by batting .364 with 28 RBI and 29 runs scored.
Her junior season yielded similar numbers, but also saw her move into the field at first base, where she remains as a staple for the Lions’ defense.
“I was happy with how I did my freshman season,” said McNany, “but my goal was to earn a fielding position. I played a lot of positions over the years, but first base is a good fit for me.”
Through 18 games this season, the junior leads Behrend in hits (25) and is second on the team in batting average (.397), runs batted in (16) and runs scored (14). She opened the campaign by going 4-for-6 with five RBI in a pair of wins in Florida four weeks ago. With that effort, McNany was honored with Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Athlete of the Week accolades.
“Jocelyn came in ready to play as a freshman and has been a big part of our lineup,” said Behrend coach Ashley Gruber. “We needed a first baseman and she took charge of it, putting a ton of work in defensively. My confidence in her just continues to grow.”
McNany, who can usually be found batting in the second spot in the batting order, knew she needed to work to continue her assault on opposing pitchers.
“When I came in as a freshman, the pitchers didn’t know me or my tendencies at the plate,” she said. “That was to my advantage. Since then, I’ve focused on being able to do something with pitcher’s pitches.”
“A number of our players often have trouble with outside pitches,” said Gruber. “Jocelyn has done a lot of work to make sure she’s covering the entire plate and is able to hit change-ups well, too.”
Along with maintaining a hefty batting average, McNany has also provided valuable power to the lineup. She belted four home runs in each of her first two seasons and has three so far this year.
“I’ve always hit the ball hard, but remember hitting just one home run my entire high school career,” she said. “I’m now lifting weights five days every week and that has really benefited me.”
There is no lapse in her play at first base, either. She’s made just three errors in 108 chances this season for a fielding percentage of .972.
McNany’s efforts have helped Behrend remain a power in the AMCC. The Lions won the conference championship and reached the NCAA Division III playoffs in 2022. Last year, the team played in the conference title game. In those two seasons combined, Behrend went 26-4 in conference play.
The Lions (11-7) open AMCC play at Pitt-Bradford on Wednesday.
“We set our goals high,” Gruber said. “We want to finish atop the conference again. This group gets along so well and that’s going to be a big part of our success moving forward.”
McNany is majoring in mechanical engineering technology.
“I love it at Behrend,” she said. “I chose to come here for the engineering program and softball worked out. I’m enjoying both ends of it.”
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