Longwood University Athletics

2022 (Graduate Student): Backstrom was named, once again, the Big South Pitcher of the Year, along with being a member selected on the Big South First Team and NFCA Third Team All-Region. She was a 5X Big South Pitcher of the Week throughout the season and smashed several records at Longwood. Those included as single-season strikeouts with 289 and career strikeouts with 760. She earned her best record (23-13), batting average against her (.161), and best ERA (.196). Backstrom finished the year with 229.0 innings pitched with three saves and nine shutouts to close out her career as a Lancer. Backstrom added two more no-hitters, coming to her in back-to-back outings against Gardner-Webb. She now sits with the most career no-hitters at Longwood (including 5.0 inning games). 

2021 (Senior): Finished the season as the Big South Pitcher of the Year… led the Big South in nearly every pitching category, including wins, opponent batting average, innings, complete games and shutouts…had over 200 innings pitched... threw the first perfect game in Longwood history on April 17^th against Presbyterian…had nine strikeouts in her perfect game... had a four game stretch against Bucknell and Gardner-Webb where she pitched 18.2 innings giving up no runs and striking out 20... struck out 189 batters in the season while allowing a .190 opponent batting average across 39 appearances with a 19-13 record... had 25 complete games.

2020 (Junior): Entered the year as the Big South Preseason Pitcher of the Year…stepped in as the ace of the Longwood pitching staff, leading the team in nearly every pitching category…logged a 7-6 record and a 1.96 ERA across 16 appearances and 14 starts…struck out 66 batters in 78.2 innings while walking just 28…logged complete games in nine of her 14 starts…also added two saves…held batters to a .204 average…top five in the Big South in nearly every pitching category, including fourth in wins, ERA, innings and strikeouts…opened the year with 13 strikeouts in an 8.0-inning complete game against Rhode Island on Feb. 8…ended the year scattering just three earned runs over her final 24.0 innings, logging a 0.88 ERA and a 3-1 record during that stretch.
 
2019 (Sophomore): Named to the All-Big South first team…also earned Big South All-Tournament Team honors…emerged as the workhorse of the Lancer pitching staff, leading the team in innings (184.0), wins (19), appearances (39), starts (28), complete games (15) and shutouts (3)…threw a five-inning no-hitter against league foe Hampton on April 23, allowing just one baserunner in an 8-0 victory…that no-hitter was Longwood’s first since two-time Big South Pitcher of the Year Biz McCarthy’s in 2017…amassed 151 strikeouts and held batters to a .225 average…finished second in the Big South in wins and third in innings, strikeouts and appearances…logged a 3.20 ERA that was seventh among Big South pitchers…was even more dominant in Big South play, logging a 2.07 ERA and compiling an 11-2 record in league play…threw 10 of her 15 complete games in league play…won five straight decisions in February to open the year 5-1…shut out Radford on April 11, scattering just two hits in a 4-0 league win…also blanked Presbyterian in an 8-0 win on April 27…started the NCAA Regional game against Tennessee…named Big South Pitcher of the Week on April 29 following her no-hitter.

2018 (Freshman): Named to the Big South All-Freshman Team … Also, picked up VaSID Second Team All-State honors … Posted a 2.08 ERA in 127.2 innings and 33 appearances, 19 starts to rank among the top 30 with all freshman pitchers in the NCAA … Ranked among the top five among all Big South pitchers in ERA, opponent batting average and saves … Has not allowed more than two earned runs in 15 of her 19 starts … Added 62 strikeouts while limiting opponents to a .215 batting average … Spun a complete-game, three-hitter in Longwood’s win over No. 17 California … Named Big South Pitcher of the Week on two occasions.

Prior to Longwood: Lettered in softball at Hopewell High School … Named 2016 MECA Most Outstanding Player as a junior, recording 199 strikeouts with a 1.32 ERA … Her 199 strikeouts more than doubled the 99 she punched out as a sophomore … Helped her travel team – Carolina Cardinals Mahone – to a 2016 ASA "A" National Championship and was a semifinalist in the same tournament in 2015 … Earn her second consecutive Herald Weekly Softball Player of the Year award in 2017 … Struck out 184 batters in 2017 while pitching 112 innings.