For Delaney Troxell, her first collegiate season truly was a learning one.

The former Catasauqua pitching standout quickly discovered how a stringent approach can have lasting results.

“I learned that balance, discipline, and mental toughness go a long way toward the success of a college athlete,” reflected Troxell recently. “I learned how to balance the rigors of college academics with all of the additional demands of college softball. In high school, I was a three-sport athlete and did well academically, but time commitments in college are more plentiful.”

On the record, Troxell had a 7-11 record with a 3.80 ERA over 33 games. In 97.2 innings, Troxell recorded 77 strikeouts and allowed 17 walks. She also saved two games.

In all, her first campaign was rewarding. The Marauders were 22-30 overall last season.

“My season was a very positive one, and I truly enjoyed playing and competing at the collegiate level for Millersville,” stressed Troxell. “Coach (Jen) Probst taught me many valuable things about the ins and outs of pitching and hitting, and I am forever grateful for the opportunities that presented themselves throughout the season.

“Our young team demonstrated that we could compete in the extremely tough PSAC Eastern Division, and we are looking forward to a bright future.”

Her experiences, though, are filled with challenges on - and off - the field.

“I had mandatory study halls, team lifting sessions, bullpen sessions, team practice, and traveling to doubleheader games, all of which were part of the season,” reflected Troxell about last season. “For discipline, I learned that practice was not enough to get better at my craft; I had to continually work on improving my pitches and become better at hitting during my free time.

“I had the second-most innings pitched on the team this past season, and because of that, my mental toughness had to be strong. This is where I need to improve to continually be the best softball player I can be.”

So far this season it looks like she’s adapting. Troxell has started seven games as of last week, with a 2.37 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP. She’s 5-2 in those games with 30 strikeouts and just seven walks in 38 innings of work.

One of her biggest challenges continues to be working with her pitches.

“My biggest hurdle was learning how to successfully throw the exact pitch location my coach called for certain batters in certain situations,” said Troxell about last season. “For example, if my coach called for a pitch to be off the plate, I had to make sure it was completely off the plate.”

During this past summer, Troxell kept busy. She is working as a camp counselor for North Whitehall Township Recreation. In addition, Troxell played with the Emmaus Sting 23U team, and the Phantoms 18U Team in different summer tournaments.