Category: Softball

By: Tyler Platz

Postseason softball is less than a month away with the MAAC Tournament scheduled for May 6-10. The top-eight teams in the conference qualify for the tournament. The bottom four seeds open play with a pair of single elimination games, while the remaining rounds follow a double elimination format. The tournament champion earns an automatic bid to represent the MAAC in the NCAA Tournament.

As it stands now

If the season ended today, here’s how the standings would shake out:

No. 1 Marist Red Foxes: 30-6 (7-1)

Marist has been the most dominant team in the conference with an 83.3% win percentage. Wins have come easily for the Red Foxes, powered by one of the top pitching staffs in the league – including a 2-0 mark against No. 3 Fairfield, a sweep of No. 5 Quinnipiac and lopsided wins over No. 6 Canisius.

Graduate starting pitcher Kiley Myers has continued to perform at a high level following the 2024 season in which she was named MAAC Co-Pitcher of the Year. In 2025, Myers is excelling with a sub-2.00 ERA of 1.27.

Another name in Marist’s rotation to look out for is sophomore Anna Sidlowski. The 2024 MAAC Rookie of the Year complements Myers with her 6-2 record so far this season. 

Senior Maddie Pleasants rounds out the Red Foxes talented pitching core. Pleasants leads all MAAC pitchers with a 1.22 ERA. Offensively, she also has been a threat, topping the conference with a .586 batting average.

No. 2 Iona Gaels: 19-14 (13-3)

The Gaels currently hold the best record in MAAC play, and that success against familiar opponents could set them up for a head-turning postseason run. Iona has performed well on defense by limiting mistakes and taking advantage of the opportunities it’s presented.

This clean and consistent team-wide defensive effort has the Gaels ranked second in the conference in fielding at .974 – a mark that reflects their ability to stay composed. The majority of softball is mental, and Iona’s efficient, focused play against teams it knows well could be the difference in a tight postseason game. 

Routine plays and no errors give Iona a shot to make a push for the MAAC title.

No. 3 Fairfield Stags: 17-19 (10-3)

The Stags’ well-rounded play makes them a solid contender to win the MAAC. Their second-place ranking in batting average (.317) and fielding percentage (.973) showcases this team’s execution on both sides of the ball.

Fairfield’s balanced attack and efficiency on offense and defense have led to a strong 10-3 conference record, making it a tough matchup in the postseason. With less than a month until the playoffs start, the Stags will look to capitalize on these strengths to stay among the top of the MAAC standings and best position themselves for a run.

No. 4 Siena Saints: 23-14 (7-3)

As cliché as the phrase “defense wins championships” is, it certainly applies to the defending MAAC champion, Siena Saints. This season, multiple Saints have maintained perfect fielding percentages, which could translate into some important wins in the postseason.

Junior Ella Milante (38) leads the team with 35 putouts and three assists. She’s joined by senior Ashley Giampolo (42) who has been consistent with 19 putouts and 23 assists on zero errors. Sophomore Chloe Cummings (28) also cracks the top 20 MAAC fielders, contributing 27 putouts and one assist with no errors as well.

No. 5 Quinnipiac Bobcats: 13-19 (8-5)

As the regular season winds down, the Bobcats gained some much-needed momentum after a three-game sweep of Mount St. Mary’s (8-31, 3-15 MAAC) over the weekend. While the sweep came against a struggling opponent, it provided Quinnipiac with a significant confidence boost.

The Bobcats have generated wins by committee, without any players ranking in the top five of major statistical categories. But if they continue building on their recent form and 8-5 conference record, they could be well-positioned for a playoff run in May.

No. 6 Canisius Griffins: 17-17 (7-5)

The Griffins know how to hit the ball. They rank second in the MAAC in both batting average and home runs. This type of offense could make them one of the more threatening lower-seeded teams in the playoffs. 

Sophomore outfielder Ella Johel leads the team with a .444 batting average, and her 48 hits and 32 runs have been an integral part of the Griffins’ regular season. Her play through mid-April has helped position Canisius for a strong postseason push.

Atop the Canisius’ home run list is senior infielder Rosie Gomez and junior infielder Bailey Altorre, each with six home runs and over 20 RBIs. Their power hitting adds another layer to the Griffins’ offense, making them a tough out if the offense is rolling.

No. 7 Rider Broncos: 14-26 (8-7)

The postseason is still in play for the Broncos, even after not having the cleanest season so far. The team’s overall record may not stand out; Rider has found ways to stay competitive in the MAAC. They’re tied for second in the league in total hits (108) and lead all teams in doubles (34), consistently putting runners in scoring position.

If Rider continues to find gaps in opponents’ play and deliver timely doubles to put runners on second, they could be a survivor of the single elimination opening rounds – the kind of team nobody wants to face when bats heat up.

No. 8 Sacred Heart Pioneers: 16-19 (6-6)

As the potential bottom seed heading into the MAAC playoffs, the Pioneers have little to no expectations. Currently enduring a six game losing streak, with losses to Yale, Siena and Manhattan, Sacred Heart will have to rebound quickly in April to make the postseason and play well once there.

Inconsistency has been the issue for the Pioneers, but the upside is they have potential to put bats on the ball. Offensively, they rank third in the conference with a .305 batting average and are also among the top three teams in home runs with eight so far in 2025.

If any rhythm can be found, Sacred Heart could be a sleeper team in the postseason – one that could put the top seeds on upset watch.

By: School of Communications

The Quinnipiac softball team opened up MAAC play last weekend against Iona after a lengthy 17-game road stretch that took them through Tennessee, Florida, Delaware and Missouri.

The Bobcats went 5-12 during that stretch. Junior Sofia Vega was standout, recording 12 hits and 14 runs, with 10 of her hits coming in the last 17 games. Mary Fogg also impressed, tallying seven hits and 19 runs. She recorded at least one hit in 13 games and had an eight-game hitting streak during the road trip.

Now, QU Sports Page’s Jake Baskin, Kaitlyn Grady and Khalise Harris break down the good, the bad and the ugly from the first half of the Bobcats’ 2025 season.

The Good

The Bobcats faced powerhouse programs like Illinois, Columbia, UCF and Syracuse — teams many mid-major programs shy away from. But instead of backing down, Quinnipiac embraced the challenge, proving it could hold its own against top-tier competition.

Columbia entered the season ranked 5th in the ivy league preseason poll, while Princeton was naked 1st in the game poll as they are now 124th nationally with an 8-12 record. Missouri, sitting at 18-15, has defeated teams like Duke and Clemson and is ranked 29th. Meanwhile, Syracuse is ranked 82nd.

While many MAAC teams haven’t faced the same level of non-conference competition, Quinnipiac has been tested early against several high-caliber programs. That experience could prove valuable as they enter conference play. The team has shown flashes of resilience, keeping games competitive against strong opponents.

Offensively, Quinnipiac has recorded 42 RBIs during the stretch, with a season-high 14 against Columbia, eight against Morgan State, and six against Kansas City. Against Missouri, the Bobcats struck out 11 batters. If Quinnipiac can continue building on it’s offensive production, the team could be in a strong position heading into conference play.

“Now we can compete with anybody,” head coach Hillary Smith said, highlighting a key positive from the team’s challenging early schedule. “We could play with the big dogs, we can hit some of the best pitchers in the country-we know that.” 

– Harris

The Bad

The Bobcats have struggled at the plate early  this season. Through 20 games, they have hit .200 or fewer in 10 of those games, all of which resulted in a Quinnipiac loss. The Bobcats’ team batting average sits at .224, which ranks 283rd out of 300 in the NCAA.

Quinnipiac has not been getting enough runs across the plate to win. In 15 out of their 20 games the Bobcats failed to score more than three runs, giving their pitching staff very little room for error. 

There have been eight  games where Quinnipiac has held its opponents to three  or fewer runs. However, it ended up losing half of those games. The Bobcats are not capitalizing when they are getting good pitching because they are not scoring enough runs to win those games. Why? They lack power. The Bobcats have only hit two home runs this season. They also are struggling to get on base consistently, there have been 12 games where they have drawn only 2 or fewer walks in the game. 

There is a way that Quinnipiac can use its offense to help get more wins in conference play.  The Bobcats need to elevate their offense a little more so that their advantage so that good starting pitching is not negated by lack of runs scored.They can do this by getting on base more consistently, getting ahead in counts and drawing more walks so they have more opportunities for RBI’s and having runners in scoring position. There were three games this season where the Bobcats accounted for a combined 28 RBI’s, however in their other 17 they only had a combined 21 RBI’s. Getting runners in scoring position and bringing them home consistently is a huge point of emphasis. They can accomplish this by playing small ball with singles and bunting and moving runners over because they lack the home run power.

 The Bobcats key to success in conference play will be scoring more than 4 runs per game, if they can do that they should be able to rack up some more wins.  

– Grady

The Ugly

The Bobcats’ defense was inconsistent throughout their road trip. While the numbers do not necessarily put their performance in a bad light — Quinnipiac’s .953 fielding percentage is 197th out of 300 teams and they have only committed 28 total errors on the season — the timing of the errors has been particularly costly.

In the final four games of the team’s Orlando road trip, the team committed seven errors. Both of Pittsburgh’s runs in a 2-1 win over Quinnipiac on Feb. 22 were unearned, while Columbia scored all 10 of its runs the following day immediately after Bobcat miscues. Quinnipiac recorded four errors in a loss to Princeton on March 14, and seven in a home loss to Iona on March 23.

To this point, Quinnipiac is 1-6 when it has committed more than one error. As they move into conference play, the Bobcats can be satisfied that they’ve received some strong pitching and played competitive games against bigger schools. But if they are to put themselves in a position to win in the MAAC, they will need to make timely defensive plays and shut down opponents’ rallies.

– Baskin

BY: Khalise Harris & Brandon Murdock

Winters in Connecticut are no joke, whether it be freezing temperatures or a few inches of snow and unpredictable conditions. This forces the Quinnipiac softball team to begin the first half of its season on the road every year.

While it can be tough to be on long roadtrips, the team has found success being far away from home to begin the year, having come back up north with winning records — a 9-8 mark in 2023 followed by a 9-5 record in 2024.

The Bobcats play their first in-state game on March 22, despite starting their season Feb. 14. This means a lot of traveling each weekend for the team, whether it’s by bus or plane, heading south to find accessible fields. . This requires them to stay prepared both physically and mentally while balancing academics, training and competition on the road.

“I think it’s actually just an adjustment for the younger ones, because this is different,” head coach Hillary Smith said. “You could play travel ball, but this is a different beast, because they’re also juggling school, and that’s not easy, especially at Quinnipiac. It’s such high standards, and they have high standards for themselves in this athletic department, and they really push themselves. So to be able to manage all of that, it is tough.”

As a young player in a collegiate program, it can be hard to balance these things, in addition to the team’s lengthy travel schedule. 

So how do the older players play a role in getting the new arrivals comfortable?

“That’s where leaders come in,” Smith continued. “That’s where the upper class comes in, and the freshmen, know, the first years, that they can lean on them for help.”

The team is full of experienced upperclassmen, who serve as role models for the freshman, providing guidance both on and off the field.

“A big part of it is them watching us do it because we’re really good about it if we’re on the bus, when we put on our headphones we’re locked in,” said junior infielder Sofia Vega. “I think once everyone is quiet on the bus it really helps the freshman to be in their work.”

To help maintain focus on academics during road trips, the team has a system called “study tables.” During this time, all players sit together with their laptops out. Whether they have assignments to complete or not, they must be engaged in something productive.

“Some of us have the same classes as them, too, so it helps us stay on top of them,” junior infielder Natalia Apatiga said.

While on the road, a typical weekend once the team arrives is usually a practice day, where the team can relax a bit after settling in, eat then prepare for the next day’s opponent. 

Traveling to warmer places and competing alongside teammates creates an exciting experience for the team. These trips strengthen team chemistry and build camaraderie, as the players are together 24/7 on these trips both on and off the field.

“We try to do as much as possible, get together and go to restaurants,” Vega shared. “Obviously the softball part is super nice to be somewhere else, play on different fields,and viewing different places.” 

The players spend long hours traveling, passing the time with different activities like playing cards, talking about the Bachelor or even doing karaoke together, which builds team chemistry while not on the field. The strong connection and familiarity with each other could be a difference-maker as they battle through the heart of their schedule.

So far, the team has competed in just one tournament – the Roar City Invitational, hosted by Tennessee State University. However, weather issues in Tennessee limited Quinnipiac to only two games. 

This is a familiar challenge for the Bobcats, as last season they had games cancelled after a long bus ride from Texas to Arkansas.

“We’re just grateful when we do get to play and we try to treat every rep and every inning that we do get with that much more intensity because we know it’s out of our control,” Smith said. 

“Obviously you’re mentally prepared to play all these games, but once these games get cancelled it’s almost like ‘Next thing.. let’s flip the page, let’s start over,’” Vega said.

Each team wants the same thing: to win. But how does the motivation stay strong within the team, especially with all the traveling?

“The biggest part is them, ” Smith said. “When they have passion and when they want something, that’s something that fuels me as a coach. They push me everyday and they motivate me everyday to want to get them better. When I see them get the thing that they want it just pushes me to want a better coach.” 

Long bus and plane rides can tire players out, so when they aren’t playing, they take recovery seriously. They stretch, do yoga two to three times each trip, and always have an athletic trainer with them at all tournaments. The team also supports each other, helping remind one another to stay hydrated throughout the journey.

What are some of the challenges for the team? 

“It’s just the amount of girls we have at the airport,” Apatiga said. “Having to wait for every single girl to go through security. It’s so long, and we get there super early and we wait two hours before we board.”

But after the hard part at the airport, the team huddles together, keeping each other company or doing their own thing, listening to music or reading. They’re,“Keeping a level head through all the chaos,” Vega said. Grounded not by a home field, but by each other.