The Greensburg area continues to be a hotbed for softball talent. The nucleus of this success comes from the Hempfield Area softball program, which has become a powerhouse in the state.

The Spartans feature a plethora of future Division I talent. Recently, another member of the team made her commitment to play at the highest collegiate level.

Hempfield Area’s junior catcher Ella Berkebile has made the decision to continue her career on the diamond at Bucknell University.

“It’s definitely a weight lifted off of me,” she noted. “Everything has been leading up to this moment. It’s nice I can finally enjoy travel ball and the high school season.”

She fell in love with Bucknell early in her competitive softball career. She began attending camps at the school as an eighth grader, which quickly helped develop a relationship with the program and coaches.

However, they weren’t the only team that was high on her list.

“I considered St. Francis (PA) and Robert Morris, as well,” the future Bison discussed. “I wanted to keep my search of colleges close to home. So, I had a three-hour limit.”

During Berkebile’s time at Hempfield Area, she’s been able to prepare to play at the next level by catching Division I caliber pitchers. The Spartans feature a dominant combo in Kent State commit Riley Miller and James Madison commit Julia Varhola.

“They are both very good pitchers, and obviously, have different techniques,” she shared. “The biggest adjustment is the difference in their movement, but I’ve been working with them for so long in both travel and school seasons.”

The chemistry she’s developed with them has culminated in tons of success for the Spartans. Berkebile was part of the Spartans’ WPIAL title run in 2023 and has been a focal point in the lineup since her freshman season.

Last year didn’t end the way the Spartans had envisioned. The defending champions were on the wrong side of an upset loss to Norwin. Berkebile has noticed an extra level of motivation from the team this offseason for wanting to get back to the championship.

There are still a couple weeks until things fire up for the season. However, that hasn’t stopped the Spartans from putting in the extra work.

“We start pitching and catching workouts from now til the end of the holidays,” she mentioned. “Early January, we start defensive work, and then the season starts in March.”

With two more years as a Spartan before she heads off to Lewisburg, she’s eager to get Hempfield Area back to being title contenders. Berkebile is well aware of what it will be that carries the Spartans back to the peak of the mountain.

“Definitely hitting,” she added. “If we can’t score, we aren’t going to win. We are going to try and string hits together and not leave runners on base.”