Brianne Prince Hazelton

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame will enshrine eight people at its 44th annual induction banquet Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at the Lakewood Rod & Gun Club. Below is the biography of Brianne Prince Hazelton, one of the inductees of the CSHOF’s Class of 2026. The other inductees are Kenny Betts, Jennifer Giebner Donato, Karl Englert Jr, Trevor Hitchcock, Brian Hull, Kerry Kellogg and Dan Wolfe. Tickets are available for $50 at the CSHOF, 15 W. 3rd St., Jamestown, Matt’s News in Dunkirk, by calling chairman Chip Johnson at 716-485-6991, or online at www.chautauquasportshalloffame.org

The inspiring journey from a decorated high school pitcher, through a life-threatening illness, a courageous recovery and a comeback to Division I college competition, to a successful high school coach, earned Brianne Prince Hazelton induction into the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame as a member of its Class of 2026.

Prince Hazelton, a 1998 graduate of Frewsburg Central School, was a two-sport athlete for the Bears. She was a six-year swimmer for coach Bruce Johnson (CSHOF 2023), primarily in the freestyle and butterfly events. She was a two-time victor in the 100-yard butterfly at the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Championships.

But it was on the softball diamond where Brianne really excelled. She was a five-year starter on the Frewsburg varsity squads that won four Section VI titles and the 1997 Far West Regional.

Over Brianne’s five-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 minuscule 0.65. She struck out 902 batters in 695 innings and threw eight no-hitters.

Prince Hazelton was a four-time CCAA Division II First Team All-Star and a three-time CCAA Division II Player of the Year.

She was selected as a First Team All-Western New York All-star three 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 VI 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 and OBSERVER selected her as its Coach of the Year and she was named the All-Western New York Small School Coach of the Year.

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