Kent State’s senior soccer star, defender Kelsey Salopek has joined the KSU softball team after a four-year break from the sport.
Salopek is a general business major, and she grew up playing soccer, basketball and softball. Before she came to Portage County, she grew up in Munhall, Pa. During Salopek’s high school career, she was named both the Moe Rosensteel and Post-Gazette Player of the Year.
During her time as a Flash, she has earned several awards, including a MAC All-Freshman Team selection (2022), First Team All-MAC selection (2023) and two Academic All-MAC selections in 2023 and 2025.
In her last season, she started in all 21 games and scored two game-winning goals in back-to-back games against Ball State and UMass. In total, she played 6,748 minutes with KSU. Her senior season stats included four goals and two assists.
Salopek hasn’t played in a ballpark since her senior year of high school in 2022, until now.
“I had no plans on coming back,” Salopek said. “It was not even a thought in my head. And then I guess the softball team had a lot of injuries, or people stepped away. So they were looking for some people just to help them out numbers-wise, and they reached out to my coach, and he suggested me. I don’t even think they knew I played softball.”
Head coach Jessica O’Donnell says Salopek is a great addition to the team.
“I love having her a part of a team,” coach O’Donnell said. “She’s a go-getter. The initial role we wanted her to have was to have some help. We had a lot of injuries, and I heard she played softball, and heard she had some speed, and she’s a senior, so it was like, ‘hey, do you want to come and help us out when you can?’ and so she did.”
While Salopek is loving her time on the softball team, coming back after so long made her feel a bit rusty.
“It’s been interesting,” Salopek said. “My first practice, they made me hit, and I looked and felt like an idiot, like I never played before.”
In eight games with the Flashes this season, Salopek has been largely utilized for her speed. Despite not having an at-bat so far, she’s already stolen a base and scored three runs.
“Our team’s impressed with her abilities, knowing that she hasn’t played softball in 4 years, and how she makes incredible throws,” O’Donnell said. “She finds a way to get the balls in the air, and she just is a great positive person.”
Audrey McCarthy is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].
