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Caroline Malandra Preparing for Senior Softball Season; Shares About Commitment to Bridgewater College
Caroline Malandra is a senior at Serra Catholic High School in McKeesport, Pennsylvania and is a Bridgewater College Eagles softball commit. The high school senior chose the private, liberal arts college in Bridgewater, Virginia because even though it is some distance from her, she felt welcomed to the institution and program.
“Once I stepped onto the campus it felt like home. The entire team is a family and I knew it was the right place for me once I had my overnight visit. The girls are so welcoming and I love all the coaches and the entire staff.”
The year 2023 marks 13 years of playing softball, and what a sweet ride it has been for the Allegheny County standout. In her time at Serra Catholic, she’s become a two-time All-Section, a two-time Mon-Valley Independent “Dirty Dozen” selection, a 2022 Honorable Mention for the Mon-Valley Independent’s Player of the Year award, and an All-State performer in 2022.
Improvement as an athlete and softball player have come from working with FSQ Sports Training and playing travel softball with the Pittsburgh Tigers. “FSQ has helped me tremendously with the way I train,” she said. I have seen a significant change in not only my strength, but in the way it translates to the field. I also credit my travel ball coach, Ryan McConnell, for being one of the coaches who’s helped transform me as a player most.”
Additionally, she’s been grateful to play for Serra Catholic Head Softball Coach, Denny Willaman, and for her father, Lou, for all the time he spent coaching her during the last 13 years of softball.
At Bridgewater, Malandra will be playing at the NCAA Division III level and compete in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC). In 2022, the Bridgewater Eagles won their first conference playoff game since 2013 and finished with a 24-19 record. Malandra intends to major in exercise science at Bridgewater and eventually become a chiropractor in the future.
While high school is coming to a close, the opportunity to win a section and WPIAL title is still a goal for Malandra and her teammates in her senior year. It would be the perfect way to cap off a high school career that’s been storied and catapulted her to the college level.
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