Shepherd University pitcher Madelayne Ruffner has been named PSAC Pitcher of the Week three times. Courtesy photo

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Piling up Pitcher of the Week accolades in the PSAC by Shepherd University’s Madelayne Ruffner has been almost as noticeable as her glittering 15-1 record and miniscule 0.78 earned run average.

The strike-throwing left-hander has literally dominated conference opponents and non-conference rivals in equal strikeout fashion.

Three times the conference has named her Pitcher of the Week, showcasing her exploits as if being a public relations firm pushing her toward All-America recognition.

Ruffner’s list of jaw-dropping statistics just keeps growing and growing, as the Rams make a late-season run toward the conference tournament.

A polished 15-1 record. Ten complete games in 14 starts. In 116 innings pitched, she has allowed only 51 hits while fanning 228 batters. Opponents have never really solved her offerings and show a tiny .127 batting average against her.

Among her nearly spotless record this season are two league-leading stats — her 17 runs allowed are a league best, as are the mere 13 earned runs allowed.

Just lately, she received credit for both wins in a doubleheader sweep of Lock Haven and came back the next day to pitch 3.2 hitless innings, in a win over Mansfield that helped complete another doubleheader sweep of a conference opponent. In those 3.2 innings pitched she struck out nine.

Shepherd has raised its league record to 17-8-1 and now resides in second place in the East Division behind only East Stroudsburg University (20-5-1). Kutztown University is third at 16-10, tied with Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg, also 16-10.

In 2024, Ruffner finished her freshman season with a 16-5 record and a 1.83 earned run average. She also had a save. In her 143 innings pitched, she struck out 242 and walked only 33 batters. She fashioned three shutouts, while getting at least 10 strikeouts in 16 games. Her school-record 16 strikeouts in a game was accomplished twice.

Ruffner is also a threat at the plate and is currently hitting .275. She settles into the batting order when used as the Rams starting pitcher.

Ruffner is now on national “watch lists” as a possible All-America selection. To actually gain more traction toward that elite status, Shepherd would have to at least qualify for the 10-team PSAC Tournament, where she could be seen by more influential people . . . and then shake the league, by winning some games in that event. The conference tournament will have five teams from both the East and West Division.

Ruffner has been a picture of effective consistency. Only one loss in 14 starts? Ten complete games? An 0.78 earned run average? That is consistent excellence.

Shepherd still has six conference doubleheaders remaining (against Kutztown, West Chester and Millersville) and finishes its regular season on Saturday at home against Millersville, in a regular season-concluding twinbill. And then it is off to the PSAC Tournament and possibly some national recognition for Ruffner.