Bechtel joins the Sycamores from Bellarmine University where she served as a graduate assistant on Caitlyn de la Haba's coaching staff. She is pursuing a master of business administration degree at Bellarmine and will graduate in the spring of 2025.
The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania native was a standout catcher at Central Dauphin High School before enrolling at the University of South Florida where she played for the Bulls while earning honors as a student in the health sciences program.
After competing for USF from 2019 to 2021, when the Bulls won two American Athletic Conference championships, Bechtel continued her playing and academic career at George Mason University. Success followed Bechtel to Fairfax, Virginia. The Patriots also captured a league title during her time there and she also reaped numerous individual honors.
Among those accolades were being named as an NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete and as the First Team A-10 Conference catcher in 2023 after posting team-leading, in-conference several offensive statistics including batting (.421), on-base percentage (1.171), hits (32), RBI (21) and slugging percentage (.671). Another highlight was being named the Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week by the NFCA after batting .857 (6-for-7) and reaching base in 11 of 12 (.917 OBP) plate appearances over three games while registering a double, two home runs, four walks while posting a 1.857 slugging percentage
Bechtel graduated with magna cum laude honors with a degree in integrative studies with a focus in occupational therapy in May of 2023 and served as a volunteer assistant coach for George Mason following her graduation.
