Breakout Quinnipiac Softball Pitcher Lauren King Transfers to DII Powerhouse

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Photo: Liz Flynn/QBSN

Eric Kerr


Lauren King is leaving Connecticut and going to Oklahoma. The former Quinnipiac softball pitcher is transferring to play for Oklahoma Christian University next season.

The sophomore played just one season for the Bobcats before her second was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but her time on the field was notable.

In her first year, King was named to the All-MAAC Rookie Team. With a record of 8-8, she finished with a team-best ERA of 2.52, good for fourth in the conference.

Behind then-senior Kendall Brundrett, King made 15 starts and 25 appearances out of the bullpen for Quinnipiac, providing a promising future in the circle.

King did not pitch in a game for the Bobcats in the shortened 2020 season as she was sidelined with an injury. In her absence, Quinnipiac turned to transfer Tiffany Kennedy-Cummings and first-year Lala Pascual.

Before the shutdown, the team was 2-9 in non-conference games played across California and Florida.

King’s new home, Oklahoma Christian, sponsors a Division II softball program, and one of the best in the country.

The Eagles competed in the Heartland Conference until it folded in 2019, moving up to the Lone Star Conference (LSC) this year.

The Eagles softball team had a strong start in 2020 with an overall record of 21-5 (6-2 LSC), finishing 16th in the national Division II softball rankings before their season was cut short.

Oklahoma Christian won the Heartland Conference Championship in 2019 and advanced to the regional championship before losing to Texas A&M-Kingsville.

The 2021 Bobcats will have Pascual as the only returning pitcher on the roster. Julia Woeste, an incoming recruit from Hollister, California, will join Pascual in the circle.