Brianne Prince Hazelton

Over her 5-year career her pitching record was 83-25, but over her sophomore, junior and senior years, she posted a spectacular 60-9 won/loss mark. Her career ERA was a miniscule 0.65. She struck out 902 batters in 695 innings and threw 8 no-hitters.

Prince Hazelton was a 4-time CCAC Division II First Team All-star and a 3-time CCAC Division II Player of the Year.

She was selected as a First Team All -Western New York All-star 3 times and was named the Post -Journal Player-of-the-Year in her sophomore, junior and senior years. In 1997 she was named All-WNY Pitcher of the Year

In her senior season, Brianne whiffed 204 hitters in 142 innings, had a microscopic 0.39 ERA, allowed only eight earned runs all season and held opponents to a measly .136 batting average for coach Jon Blanchard’s Bears. The New York State Sportswriters Association named her to its First Team All-New York State Class C team. Frewsburg retired Prince’s no. 21 softball jersey.

Her outstanding high school record earned Prince Hazelton an athletic scholarship to Division I St. Bonaventure. By the end of the first fall season on the Olean campus, she was 3-1 with a 1.50 ERA as the team’s No. 2 pitcher and was eagerly looking forward to the spring schedule. However an unexplained growth on her shoulder halted her plan when the mass was diagnosed as Hodgkin’s cancer.

Chemotherapy, radiation and a determined, never-give-up attitude resulted in Brianne defeating Hodgkin’s and resuming her St. Bona softball career.

Over the next three years, 2000-2002, Prince Hazelton had 58 appearances, 53 of which were starts, threw 299 innings, had 40 complete games and picked up 16 victories for the Bonnies.

Deciding to give back to the sport she loved, Brianne agreed to take over as head coach of the softball team at Forestville Central School in 2010. Over the succeeding 15 years, she recorded 134 wins as leader of the Hornets. She guided her team to three Section 6 Class D championships (2011, 2012, 2025) and the Far West Regional title in 2025. Her patient rebuilding of the Forestville softball program has been recognized with three divisional coach of the year honors. In 2025 the Post-Journal/Observer selected her as its Coach of the Year and she was named the All-Western New York Small School Coach of the Year.

Brianne Prince Hazelton is a school counselor at Forestville Central School and resides in Fredonia. She is the mother of two children.