QU SPORT NEWS

Author: Luke Sennott

  • Robbie’s Revelation

     Former Quinnipiac Pitcher Robbie Hitt is back at Quinnipiac, this time as the Quinnipiac pitching coach.

    Spencer Decker, Hockey and Baseball beat writer

    After Robbie Hitt played for Quinnipiac head baseball coach John Delaney, he followed a similar path as Delaney did to the majors. Hitt graduated in 2018, and the Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the 24th round of the 2017 MLB draft. The Brewers selected Delaney in 2008. Their shared experience created a natural connection for Hitt when he interviewed to become Quinnipiac’s pitching coach.

    “When I stopped my playing career and got into coaching it was definitely one of my goals to get back here” Hitt said. “I loved playing for [Coach Delaney], and he’s taught me a lot in the coaching realm as well.”

    Hitt was one of the top starting pitchers on Delaney’s  staff in 2017, pitching more than  58 innings. That was the second most on the staff that season. Delaney also has mentored Hitt, talking with  him during offseasons and connecting when he pitched in the minor leagues. 

    “Robbie’s awesome and he was a competitor when he was here,” Delaney said. “To have someone that knows Quinnipiac, knows the program and knows who it has been running for years and to bring someone back that knows how to run this thing is huge. … From a pitching standpoint, he’s been awesome this year. The guys love him and it’s been the reason why we’ve been in so many games and had so much success.”

    Hitt returned to Quinnipiac for more than a coaching job. He returned to a school he loved. A school where he spent three seasons under his former head coach. And to recall some old memories.

    “Some of my favorite [moments of my life] are college baseball,” he said. “Professionally, a lot of the time it’s more about the play development than winning, especially in the minor leagues. Getting back to that college game where it’s all about winning was a major piece [in my decision].”

    The Brewers cut Hitt in 2022 after he pitched in Class AA. He then joined the Sussex County Miners to finish out his career in 2024. Despite playing in a lower level, Hitt said he enjoyed his time there and felt it helped him get ready to become a coach.

    “I like to say I got my Ph.D. in Baseball,” Hitt said “I played eight years professionally in addition to my three college years, so I learned a lot.”

    Hitt is one of 23 Quinnipiac players to be drafted to an MLB team in the history of Quinnipiac baseball. One of those 23 was his teammate Matthew Batten. Batten, a draft selection of the San Diego Padres, is one of two players to graduate from Quinnipiac and still make it to the major leagues, joining Turk Wendell. Batten, along with other teammates of Hitt, also had high praise for Hitt as a teammate, and they were excited when he saw he would be the pitching coach at Quinnipiac.

    “It was all support [when they found out],” Hitt said. “Everybody’s close. I stay in touch with those guys [and it was] all very supportive. I’ve had some buddies throughout New England and everyone’s in a different spot but they come out to try and to catch a game when we are on the road.”

    Delaney is a coach first and focuses on his team, but he always wants his players to find a place in the professional industry. Hitt has, and Delaney couldn’t be more proud .

    “It’s great to have former players come back,” Delaney said. “From a coaching standpoint with all of my players that come through here, I want to see them progress in what they want their future to be. We push these guys hard because I want them to not just be average when they leave here and to have a successful career because of how hard they worked. We’ve had alumni reach out to players and say if you can play at Quinnipiac then we can take you anytime in our workforce.”

    Making the transition from player to coach can be difficult. Despite that Hitt has loved his first couple months on  the Bobcats’ staff.

    “I still have that player mentality. I love just being a part of the group,” he said. “It’s the biggest thing [for me]. Working with the kids and helping them hopefully achieve their dreams is great for me.”

    Quinnipiac sits tied for seventh in the MAAC standings as of Thursday, and is seeking  to qualify as one of the six teams in the field. With 12 games left, Quinnipiac will look to make it to the 2026 MAAC Baseball Championship, a six-team double elimination championship May 20-23 at Heritage Financial Park in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. Hitt had a message for the players  as they look to find a spot in the championships.

    “We’ve transitioned to where we’re playing nine nine-inning games,” he said, “so I’m going out and telling them that they’re closing the first inning and resetting and closing the second inning instead of guys thinking they need to save themselves. We got plenty of bullpen depth so just give it all you got.”

  • Win and You’re In

    Vincent Quill, Lacrosse Beat Writer

    The Quinnipiac women’s lacrosse team is looking to do something that it has never done before.

    Starting the season playing eight straight non-conference games, the team will end the season with eight straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) games to make a push for the playoffs. With an 8-7 record, Quinnipiac sits in seventh place in the MAAC. The Bobcats aim to make a push for the playoffs for the first time in back-to-back seasons, and only the 5th time since they joined the MAAC in 2013. 

    The Bobcats’ season has had its ups and downs. In their first MAAC contest, they lost to Niagara in double overtime. After that, they traveled to Buffalo to take on Canisius, and yet again, came home disappointed, losing in another one-goal game 15-14.

    The trend of one-goal losses has haunted this team, as four out of their seven losses and three of their four conference losses have come in one-goal games. These narrow losses highlight how small mistakes have big results.

    On Saturday, April 11, the Bobcats took on the No. 1 team in the MAAC, the Fairfield Stags. Quinnipiac has struggled against Fairfield, losing all 17 games the two teams have played. This game was no different as the Stags cruised to a 17-13 win, putting Quinnipiac’s playoff chances in their own hands.

    Quinnipiac now sits at 3-4 in the MAAC with one game remaining in the regular season. They take on Sacred Heart Pioneers with everything on the line. Win and you’re in. With six teams making the playoffs, Quinnipiac is the seventh team and Sacred Heart is in control of the sixth and final playoff spot sitting at 4-3.

    These two teams have different styles of play, as Quinnipiac relies on its offense to overpower teams. Sacred Heart leans on its defense to stop attacks. Quinnipiac scores on average 15 goals per game, while Sacred Heart allows only 7 per game. The difference between these strategies will come down to can the Bobcats score. 

    On Saturday, April 18, the Bobcats will march down to Sacred Heart with a winner-takes-all matchup, and a chance to make history. 

  • Quinnipiac Hires Roman Owen

    Photo via Quinnipiac Athletics, taken by Rob Rasmussen

    Matt A. Mariani, Basketball Beat Reporter

    Concluding the 2025-26 women’s basketball season, Head Coach Tricia Fabbri announced her retirement after 31 seasons with the Bobcats. With big shoes to fill, Quinnipiac hired Roman Owen, who previously was the associate head coach at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 

    Owen has worked for numerous collegiate basketball programs since 2008 and in women’s basketball since 2010, when he was the Mid-America Christian University head coach. His longest stint came at UNLV, where he coached from 2020 until 2026. UNLV had a 149-41 record with Owen on the staff.

    He helped lead the Lady Rebels to four Mountain West regular-season titles. They  won three tournament championships during his six seasons. The Lady Rebels made the NCAA tournament three straight seasons in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Quinnipiac’s last NCAA tournament appearance came in 2018, and in the 2017 season they made the Sweet 16 as the 12th seed.

    Quinnipiac’s women’s basketball program has been one of the best programs on campus over the past few seasons, but has not been able to get back to the NCAA tournament. The team won the MAAC regular-season title, posting a 19-1 record in conference play and a 27-7 record in total in the 2025-26 season. The team fell short of making the March Madness bracket, losing to No.2 Fairfield, 51-44, but this creates room for improvement for the new head coach. 

    “This is Day 1, you guys have had a heck of a program. Can’t wait to build on the success and go compete for championships and play in the postseason,” Owen said in a post on X (QU_WBB). 

    On April 16, Quinnipiac announced the university  would add Amaya West as the assistant coach of the women’s basketball team. West spent last season as the video coordinator for UNLV, on the same staff with Owen. She played professional basketball in Ireland and was a 1,000-point scorer during three seasons at University of Nevada, Reno, and one season at Fresno State. 

    Owen has said he is excited to join Quinnipiac and is ready for the opportunity, as well as the chance to build on the legacy Fabbri has left.

  • The Price of the Transfer Portal

    Matt A. Mariani, Basketball Beat Writer

    The Michigan Wolverines won the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball national championship with all five starters acquired from the transfer portal. 

    In 2026, the NCAA transfer portal had never been more important, as seen in this year’s national championship. Michigan reportedly spent more than $10 million on its roster. This marked a departure from college basketball seasons of the past, when teams were homegrown and players stayed at the school where they originally committed. 

    As of April 8, seven members of the Quinnipiac men’s basketball team had entered their names into the transfer portal, looking for a different opportunity at another program. Four of them  started for head coach Tom Pecora: senior forward Amarri Monroe, who spent three seasons in Hamden; senior guard Asim Jones, who just finished his first season; sophomore guard Jaden Zimmerman; and sophomore forward Grant Randall. 

    As of April 9, 11 schools had reached out to Randall, including  BYU, Cincinnati, Clemson, VCU and NC State. Randall, a 6-foot-9 forward, was the fourth-leading scorer on the team, averaging 11.4 points per game. He had a career high in the final game of the season with 28 points against Marist in the MAAC tournament and a career high rebounds (16) against Sacred Heart in January. Randall has said he plans to visit George Mason, Dayton and Cincinnati sometime this week. 

    On April 14, Zimmerman announced on his Instagram that he will transfer to Grand Canyon University (GCU) for his third season. GCU finished 20-12 and 13-7 overall in the Mountain West Conference. Zimmerman averaged 15.1 points per game as a sophomore. 

    Monroe is seeking a fifth year of eligibility, which would require a waiver from the NCAA. Monroe was named  the MAAC Player of the Year  as a junior. As a senior, he averaged a team-high 15.6 points per game, playing 30 of the 32 games. He led the Bobcats the past two seasons, but had a down year compared to his junior season when he averaged 18.1 points per game. Quinnipiac will need to replace Monroe’s role, scoring and leadership while Monroe looks for his next opportunity, likely in a higher conference. Monroe entered the portal after his junior season, and his top schools he considered included UConn, Miami, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Ole Miss and Kansas. 

    Off the bench, sharpshooting sophomore guard Samson Reilly also announced that he would enter the transfer portal. Senior guard Ronell Giles Jr. and first-year forward Sam Nosakhare also entered the portal. Nosakhare and Reilly were not the first players off the Bobcat bench, but held  key roles. Nosakhare played in 18 games, and Reilly was featured in 28 games. 

    Giles Jr. also would need a waiver for another year of eligibility. Along with Giles Jr. and Monroe, Jones also is waiting to be granted a waiver for an extra season. 

    With four starters and two role players hitting the portal, the Bobcats have work to do in the summer to find replacements and attempt to pursue a MAAC championship. Currently on the roster, first-year guard Tai Turnage and sophomore forward Keith McKnight will return, as well as sophomore forward Spence Wewe, who is the only returning starter. 

    “You know, [Randall] and Keith should be all cornerstones next year if we can keep them both,” Pecora said during the final MAAC news conference. 

    McKnight, the team’s sixth man, who also started a handful of games, will compete to be one of the main players this coming season. Turnage and McKnight connected on multiple thunderous alley-oops throughout the season. Wewe likely will remain the starting center and be expected to play a more dominant role in the paint during his third season. Turnage played a key role as the squad’s backup point guard, averaging 3.6 points and 2.1 assists per game, though he played inconsistent minutes throughout the season. He did have four or more assists in five contests, including a career high 11 dimes against CCNY in November. 

  • MAAC Tournament: Red Foxes run away with the quaterfinals

    Matt A. Mariani, Basketball Beat Writer

    MAAC QUARTERFINAL GAME:
    With 10 seconds remaining, Ryjon Blackwell converted one of two free throws to give the Marist Red Foxes a 77-75 lead. The Quinnipiac Bobcats had 10 seconds to tie or take the lead. With four seconds left, the ball was in the hands of first-year guard Tai Turnage. As he dribbled downcourt, Turnage looked to shoot a game-tying floater, but it was blocked, leading to a Marist victory.

    Just two points separated the fourth-seeded Bobcats from an opportunity to advance in the MAAC tournament.

    The Marist Red Foxes defeated the Quinnipiac Bobcats 77-75 on March 7 in the quarterfinal round of the MAAC tournament in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The Bobcats struggled throughout, scoring just 32 points in the first 20 minutes. They trailed the Red Foxes 42-32 at halftime. In a tight second half, the Bobcats led at times but were not able to hang on in the final minutes.

    Marist shot better than the Bobcats: 50% from the three-point line (9 of 18) and 40.3% from the field. What hurt the Bobcats most, as it did all year, were free throws. They shot 21 of 32 from the charity stripe, just 65.6%, or 3.2% below their season average. Leaving points out there showed big at the end, in such a close matchup.

    Quinnipiac’s starting guards, sophomore Jaden Zimmerman and senior Asim Jones, both struggled. Zimmerman scored six points, while Jones scored seven. The guards shot a combined 0 for 7 from beyond the arc and 3 of 6 from the free-throw line.

    “To win a game like this, against a good club at this time of the year, you have to have a full team effort and we had a couple of guys who struggled tonight,” Pecora said in his post-game news conference.

    Overall, it was an underwhelming end to an underwhelming season.

    SHOES TO FILL:
    The most prominent change for the Bobcats will be the absence of Amarri Monroe in 2026. Monroe, a senior forward, scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in his final game. The senior left his legacy, being named the MAAC Player of the Year in the 2024-2025 season. Monroe posted a farewell on his X account the day after the loss.

    “No regrets, thank you @QU_MBB” Amarri Monroe via X.

    To make the loss of Monroe worse, on March 25 guard Jaden Zimmerman said on his Instagram that he would enter the transfer portal. While Zimmerman had somewhat of a sophomore slump, the guard did increase his scoring from 11.0 points per game to 15.1 in his second season.

    Another question mark lands with second-year forward Grant Randall. Randall played the best game of his young college career versus Marist, scoring 28 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. He shot 70% from the field and was 5 for 5 from three-point range. Randall could hit the transfer portal after a great performance in the playoffs and a solid season.

    “Grant Randall goes up and puts up numbers like he did tonight and his phone’s gonna light up,” Pecora said following the loss.

    Head coach Tom Pecora, in his first three seasons, has helped the Bobcats finish as MAAC regular-season champions in back-to-back seasons. But the program has not been able to reach the MAAC championship game. Pecora is 63-36 as the head coach of Quinnipiac and set the university record for most wins in a season in 2023-24, but at the end of the day, it’s the ring that matters most.

  • The Perseverance of Pelosi: Fighting both through injury and the lineup in Hamden as Quinnipiac advances in NCAA Regional

    Spencer Decker, Hockey Beat Writer

    Sophomore forward Chris Pelosi scored his first goal in a month as the Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey team defeated the Providence Friars 5-2 Thursday in an NCAA regional semifinal in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

    Quinnipiac will face the North Dakota Fighting Hawks at 7 p.m. on Saturday night for a chance to advance to the men’s Frozen Four in Las Vegas.

    “It was unreal,” said Pelosi after scoring the second goal of the game. “It was a great feeling and kind of brought me back to the good old days”

    In the previous series against Clarkson, they recorded one point in both games they lost. Pelosi felt he truly bounced back tonight.

    “Our complete level was just different tonight. I don’t think I gave it my all against Clarkson, and it really picked up today,” said Pelosi.

    Pelosi has been a standout forward for the Bobcats this season; deemed a leader by the coaching staff despite being a sophomore. However, a challenge of leading is being there and talking to your team. For Pelosi, injury took away part of that trait he possessed. Despite it, he worked to get back and showed how much he means to the team.

    Pelosi was a 2023 third-round draft pick by the Boston Bruins, and has served as one of the top players for Quinnipiac the past couple of seasons. His talent, character and diligence doesn’t go unnoticed. It’s something that also has been noticed by his teammate, first-year forward Markus Vidicek.

    “Every day he comes in, he wants to work hard and wants to get better and it shows on the ice, and I think he’s gotten better since the season started” Vidicek said.

    For Pelosi, there was a time when that hard work came to a halt. In a Jan. 31 game at Clarkson, Pelosi suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out for nearly a month. Injuries might be the worst part of being an athlete. Sitting on the bench or up in the top of the arena while teammates play and have fun while you are stuck watching isn’t the outcome you look forward to whatsoever.

    Pelosi said he “was getting bored” of watching the games. He wanted to get back out on the ice and play hockey. Despite the boredom and itch to get back on the ice, Pelosi found the injury as both a good and bad thing.

    “Yeah, it’s always fun watching the team from an outside perspective,” said Pelosi. “We’re so good and so skilled, so it’s kind of refreshing to see when you’re watching from the stands. But, it got kind of boring up there, watching the boys blow out these teams, set new [home] records, and so I was a little bit upset while I was out, but at the same time, I was happy the boys were keeping it rolling and getting the wins.”

    It was rough for Pelosi, and came at a tough time for the team. Quinnipiac was on its furthest road trip of the season, in Potsdam, New York. Nearly five hours away from Hamden. Pelosi wasn’t the only injured Bobcat, either. His roommate, sophomore forward Tyler Borgula, also missed time – which helped Pelosi.”

    “You can’t lift with the team, so you lift as an injured crew and you can create your own jam that way, so it was fun with the injured guys,” Pelosi said, “but at the same time we were all battling to get back as soon as possible.”

    Pelosi said that the teammates he lived with helped make sure he was OK.

    “Borgula was injured as well with a broken wrist, so we kind of had [Andon] Cerbone and [Matthew] McGroarty doing some stuff for us,” Pelosi said, “but, yeah, they helped us out a ton.”

    Coach Rand Pecknold missing one of his stars in the lineup, Quinnipiac had an impressive showing, scoring 25 goals in four games.

    However, the winning streak didn’t last long. Pelosi was nearly ready to come back as Quinnipiac faced off against nationally ranked Cornell at home. Even though Pelosi was hungry to get out there, he had to sit just one more game, forced to watch from above in a suit, as his team suffered its worst loss at home in over five years, as they were defeated 6-1.

    “Cornell always plays us well and gives us a hard game,” said Pelosi. “We came down on the bottom side of that game, but, it lights a fire under the injured guys and the scratches that we have, and it just pushes us even further.”

    Pelosi and his team will now look ahead to Saturday. From what has been an up and down season, Pelosi think they are as talented as anyone else in the field.

    “Yeah, we know what we’re capable of,” said Pelosi. I think [we are] going into the playoffs with a clear mindset and bouncing back even stronger, and knowing that we could do this thing.”

  • From the Bottom to the Top: The Senior Class Redefining Quinnipiac Softball 

    Photo by Izzy Dibari

    Conor Reid, Softball / Baseball Writer 

    Hamden, Conn. — Quinnipiac softball hasn’t been one of the most dominant teams on campus for the past couple of seasons. Inching their way up from the bottom of the MAAC, the Bobcats finished last in 2022, second-to-last in 2023, and third from the bottom in 2024. 

    But in 2024, something changed. Head coach Hilary Smith has been shaping Quinnipiac softball into a different team. 

    “It was about selling the vision of what we thought Quinnipiac softball could be,” said Smith. 

    The vision has turned itself into a reality. Right now, Quinnipiac softball finds itself perched second in the standings at 9-1, after a record-setting campaign last year — going 14-11 and setting a school-best record since joining the MAAC in 2014. 

    “We’re a very old team. Most of our starters are seniors, and this is the best leadership we’ve ever had,” Smith said. “All of these girls have been with me for a long time, so they’re showing the younger ones the way it’s supposed to be done. When their number is called, it’s a product of what they’ve done.” 

    This senior leadership has led the team to its best start to a MAAC season, with six of the team’s starters being seniors. This veteran core is anchored by captains Kennedy DeMott, the catcher, shortstop Natalia Apatiga and third baseman Sophia Vega. Joining them in the starting lineup are the outfield trio of Mary Fogg, Ally Hochstadter and Noelle Reid.  

    This togetherness has led to a lot of their success, according to DeMott. 

    “We started with seven. We lost one, but we’ve always had a good group of girls where we are hanging out outside of practice, inside of practice, and always have each other’s back,” said DeMott. “And I think that’s honestly where it starts. Because yes, we can be friends and act friendly on the field, but if we aren’t actually able to create that connection, then it won’t come out on the field.” 

    The hunger from this senior class comes from all the times they didn’t start as hot as this year. 

    “Our senior class has been here from when we only got five wins in the MAAC. We don’t want that anymore,” said Vega. “We’re done with being at the bottom. I think we’re just hungry to be at the top.” 

    That hunger has translated into a culture shift that Fogg says was intentional from the moment they stepped on campus. 

    “As a class, we said we’re going to be what builds this team,” Fogg said. “We’ve always wanted to have that legacy behind us,.” 

    But building a softball team in Connecticut comes with its own set of challenges — specifically, snow. This problem forces the Bobcats into a grueling indoor schedule, trading the dirt diamond for a winter spent on slippery tile. And the transition is anything but seamless. 

    Right now, the team is forced to find its rhythm in sneakers rather than metal cleats, and according to Vega, battling “crazy hops” that fly off the hard floor at speeds they would never see outside. 

    “Those courts suck. It’s so bad,” said Vega. “Going from a super hoppy surface to dirt that just eats it up … it’s a big adjustment.” 

    The reality of a Hamden winter means Fogg hadn’t seen a single fly ball outside since October before the first game of the season, leaving the team to rely on pure “trust” and the work they put in months prior. 

    For a catcher like DeMott, it means “sliding around and hoping for the best” on a surface where traction is nonexistent. But this team refuses to use their environment as a crutch. 

    “Why say, ‘Oh, I wish we had better facilities?’ This is what we have,” said DeMott. “You need to be grateful for what there is and not wish for more.” 

    It is this no-excuses mentality that has allowed the Bobcats to turn a geographical disadvantage into the foundation of their historic 5-1 start. 

    As the Bobcats look to maintain their position at the top of the MAAC, the seniors remain focused on the connection that brought them here. For a program once defined by its seasons of struggle, the view from the top is a product of a vision shared, and a culture built from the ground up. 

    “Those moments of adrenaline are just like — you can’t replace them,” Fogg said, reflecting on the team’s rise. “Each year we’ve gotten better, and this year is going to be the year for us.” 

  • Back Home to Hamden   

    Photo via Quinnipiac University Athletics, Photo taken by Rob Rasmussen

    Vincent Quill, Lacrosse Beat Writer

    Lacrosse goalie Mason Oak’s future in Hamden was unclear after his senior season. 

    Oak had an impressive resume from his four years at Quinnipiac, winning the starting goaltender position as a junior. He took the job and ran with it, being named the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 with more than 200 saves and a 9-5 record.   

    To start his senior season with the Bobcats, Oak was selected as the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year in the coach’s poll. With just one year of eligibility left, Oak explored all of his options.   

    After his 2025 season, Oak entered the transfer portal on May 10, 2025. Lacrosse has always been a big part of his life, starting in second grade.  

    “Our team didn’t have a goalie, and [coach] said, ‘Want to hop in net a give it a shot?’ And I loved it from the start, made a couple saves and said this is what I want to do” he said on the Lax Goalie Rat podcast. “My high school coach, coach Mitchell, would throw me through cone drills over and over again, and I gradually kept getting better.” 

    Ever since, he has been a standout, being named the 2021 Division II goalie of the year at Comsewogue High School where he also made All-Long Island second team and 2021 All-county team.   

    “For me it’s all about having fun in [net] whether it’s practice or a game situation,” Oak said on the Lax Goalie Rat podcast. “I’m always having fun.”  

    Especially in Hamden, where he has spent the past four years under head coach Mason Poli.  Oak wasn’t ready to walk away from the team, and on June 25, roughly a month and a half after he entered the transfer portal, Oak announced he would return to Quinnipiac.   

    Oak and the Bobcats have had a disappointing 2026 season so far, starting 2-7. After a win at UMass Lowell, Quinnipiac has lost seven straight – its longest losing streak since 2022, when Oak was a first year.  

    Since being pulled against Sienna on March 7, Oak hasn’t played the past three games. The Bobcats got back in the win column on Wednesday, defeating Merrimack 15-12. Quinnipiac will look to keep this momentum going Saturday when the Bobcats take on Marist in Hamden.