Fairfield University Athletics

2022: Lauryn Rhinehart produced both in the pitching circle and in the batter’s box this year, also spending time as a first baseman and as a designated player. The righthander posted a 5-6 record with a 3.62 ERA, winning four of her last six decisions which all came against MAAC opponents. She posted 33 strikeouts during the season, highlighted by her season-high six strikeouts in a victory against Niagara. She tallied four or more strikeouts in four games – 4 vs Monmouth, 4 vs. Saint Peter’s, 6 vs. Niagara, and 4 vs. Iona. Rhinehart also picked up 14 hits in the batter’s box with four doubles and six RBI. As a pitcher, she was 5-1 overall against the MAAC in the regular season with her 2.11 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 53 innings.

2021: Rhinehart continues to be a staple on the Stags’ pitching staff, posting a team-high eight wins this season. She is responsible for one of the team’s four shutouts, helping her post a 2.68 ERA through her 15 appearances in 2021. The pitcher has struck out 48 hitters in 65 innings (4.95 strikeouts per 7 innings) including a season-best seven against Iona on March 30. She owns a 4-2 record against Manhattan (2-0), Canisius (1-1), and Marist (1-1). Rhinehart started 11 of her 15 appearances, owning a 2-1 record with one no decision as a reliever. She has two starts of five innings without allowing a run, earning wins against Manhattan as a starter and versus Marist as a reliever. As a hitter, Rhinehart is batting .231 with six hits in 26 at-bats, driving home four base runners. Her best game at the plate came at Quinnipiac, registering two hits in three at-bats with two RBI and a double.


2020: Rhinehart tied for the team lead with eight appearances with six of those games coming as a starter. Her most successful start was against Sacred Heart, tossing a complete game which included three strikeouts. The Pioneers scored five runs but only one of the runs was earned. The junior struck out three batters in four games which led her to 18 strikeouts for the season in 32.2 innings pitched (4.1 strikeouts per seven innings). Rhinehart showed her ability to go deep into games with her 131-pitch effort against Sacred Heart, just 10 more pitches than her 121 pitches in her next outing against Stetson. Rhinehart’s two relief appearances were versus Yale (2.0 innings) and North Florida (3.1 innings).

2019: Rhinehart collected berths to the All-MAAC first team and the NFCA All-Region second team as a utility player. She served her teammates both as a pitcher and as a first baseman in 2019 which included 24 appearances in the circle. She ended the season with a .309 batting average, a number enhanced by a strong run over the last 14 regular season games during which she hit .343 (12 for 35).  Rhinehart played nine MAAC games during that final 14 games and posted a .343 hitting percentage (11 for 32), a run of games that included seven contests against teams in the 2019 MAAC tournament (Niagara, Siena, Iona, and Monmouth). As a pitcher, Rhinehart won five straight decisions before falling in the regular-season finale against Monmouth. She had a hand in five of the team’s seven shutouts, earning three herself and helping with two others. In the Iona doubleheader, she collected a win and a save in addition to 3 for 8 with a double and a home run at the plate. She led the team with five wins in MAAC play, posting a 5-4 mark with a 2.89 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 53.1 innings pitched in conference action.

2018: Rhinehart earned a berth to the 2018 MAAC All-Tournament Team after pitching all but seven innings in Fairfield's four games. She won one of her three decisions and pitched 13 innings in the Stags' 3-2 setback against Monmouth in a winner's bracket game. She fanned 10 batters in that extra-inning match up with the Hawks.. The right hander posted an 9-7record in 2018 with a 3/64 ERA. Her first collegiate win was a two-hit shutout against LaSalle in which she tallied a personal-best 11 strikeouts. Her next best strikeout total came against Saint Peter’s fanning six in a 10-1 win on April 8. Rhinehart excelled against MAAC opponents during the regular-season, owning a 7-1 mark with a 3.06 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 61.2 innings pitched.  Her lone loss in conference play was a 6-2 decision against Marist College. She also earned a few at-bats during the season, stroking six hits in 35 at-bats (.171 average) with four runs scored and three RBI.

Before Fairfield: Rhinehart joins the Stags softball program after playing the sport at Woodinville High School. She was a first-team all-conference pitcher in 2015 and 2016 before earning the same honor as an outfielder i 2017. In her senior season, Rhinehart was placed on the Seattle Times All-Area team. She helped lead Woodinville High School to the 2017 4A Washington State Championship.