Editor's Note: The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference is celebrating its 40th anniversary season in 2020-21. Throughout this summer, the conference will be announcing all-anniversary teams for each sport it currently sponsors. In conjunction, the Marist Athletics Department will highlight its achievements from the MAAC era.
 
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POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – The Marist softball program joined the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in the 1998 season. In their 23 years in the conference, the Red Foxes have established themselves as consistent contenders.
 

Ausanio Honored

Head coach Joe Ausanio was one of three coaches selected to the MAAC 40^th Anniversary Team. Ausanio was joined by Julie Brzezinski (Fairfield) and Mike Rappl (Canisius). The coaches were chosen in a vote by the conference's sports information directors.
 
Ausanio has the most wins (326) and longest tenure (12 seasons) of any coach in program history. He has led Marist to two trips to the NCAA Tournament (2013, 2016), and three MAAC regular-season titles
(2014, 2016, 2019). The 2016 team won a program-record 45 games. Ausanio is a three-time MAAC Coach of the Year (2011, 2016, 2019) who has amassed a .625 winning percentage in conference games (125-75). Five Red Foxes have won MAAC Rookie of the Year in his tenure. He has also coached 11 CoSIDA Academic All-District selection, and two Academic All-Americans (Melissa Giordano, 2009; Gabrielle Kelliher, 2017).
 

40th Anniversary Selections

Five Red Foxes were named to the 40^th anniversary team as players:
 
Melissa Giordano - Giordano is Marist's all-time leading hitter (.371) and is tied for the most hits in program history (236). In 2009, she set the program's single-season records for batting average (.429) and doubles (19) en route to being named MAAC Player of the Year. Giordano also ranks in the top 10 in program history in doubles (second), triples (tied for fourth), runs (fifth), and home runs (tied for 10th). Giordano won a MAAC championship as a player in 2006, and as an assistant coach in 2013.
 
Megan Rigos – Rigos' 22 wins in the Red Foxes' first MAAC title season of 2006 is the most by a Marist pitcher in the team's MAAC tenure. Her earned run average of 1.11 that season is the lowest by any Red Fox in the last 23 years. The left-handed Rigos has Marist's highest MAAC career totals in wins (71), strikeouts (765), innings pitched (801.2), and appearances (153). The innings and appearances totals are the most of any Red Fox in program history.
 
Maureen Duddy – A four-year catalyst at the top of the lineup, Duddy is the MAAC's all-time record holder in stolen bases for her career (120) and in a single season (54 in 2016). She is also the Red Foxes' all-time leader in runs scored (168), and is tied for the most hits with Giordano (236). Duddy's career batting average of .339 is fourth in program history, and she played on MAAC championship teams as a freshman (2013) and senior (2016).
 
Kyrsten Van Natta – Van Natta showed up for work every day – literally – in her four years as the Red Foxes' shortstop. Her 216 games played are the most in program history, as are her 145 RBIs. Van Natta was an all-round standout. She was named MAAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2016, and ranks in the top five in program history in run scored (second, 157), stolen bases (second, 98), home runs (tied for second, 30), hits (fourth, 211), and doubles (tied for fourth, 38). She played on MAAC championship teams as a freshman (2013) and senior (2016).
 
Amanda Koldjeski – Nearly two decades after her graduation, Koldjeski remains the program's all-time home runs leader (33). Her 15 home runs as a senior in 2001 are tied for the program's single-season record. Koldjeski also ranks in the program's top 10 all-time in batting average (sixth, .335), doubles (tied for seventh, 34), runs batted in (tied for seventh, 117), and hits (10^th, 178). She was the program's first CoSIDA Academic All-American selection.
 

Honorable Mention

Claire Oberdorf – An NFCA Top 10 Freshman in Marist's championship season of 2016, Oberdorf shined as a two-sport athlete in softball and basketball. She is the only player in program history to hit over .375 in a season twice. Oberdorf ranks in the top 10 in program history in five categories, including third in stolen bases (50).
 
Janna Korak – A talented outfielder, Korak is the program's all-time doubles leader with 52. She tied the program's single-season records for runs batted in (54) and doubles (19) as a senior in 2017. Korak also appears in the program's top 10 all-time in runs batted in (fourth, 134), batting average (fifth, .338), hits (fifth, 201), home runs (sixth, 26), runs (sixth, 115), and games played (eighth, 206).
 
Rebecca Freeman – A four-year standout at catcher, Freeman's 220 hits are the third most in program history. Her 119 runs batted in are sixth all-time at Marist, and her 209 games played are fifth. As a senior, Freeman had a three-homer, 11-RBI game against Savannah State, which culminated in her walk-off grand slam.
 
Alyssa Zahka – A key component of Marist's 2013 championship team, Zahka's name appears in the Marist record books in several categories. She ranks in the program's top 10 all-time in games played (second, 216), runs batted in (third, 136), runs (fourth, 122), home runs (seventh, 25), hits (tied for seventh, 193), and batting average (tied for eighth, .324). Zahka also shined in the field as a catcher and shortstop.
 
Danielle Koltz – Part of head coach Joe Ausanio's first recruiting class which arrived for the 2010 season, Koltz was one of the Red Foxes' top performers in the early part of the decade. She ranks in the program's top 10 all-time in home runs (fifth, 28), doubles (sixth, 35), runs (seventh, 113), runs batted in (tied for seventh, 117), and games played (10^th, 200). Koltz was a middle of the order hitter on Marist's 2013 championship team.
 
Jessica Green – Green was a prolific power hitter and run producer who was part of the Red Foxes' first MAAC championship team in 2006. She graduated as the program's all-time RBIs leader (138), and currently ranks second. She also ranks in the program's top 10 in home runs (fourth, 29), hits (tied for seventh, 193), and doubles (tied for seventh, 34).
 
Chrystine McHugh – One of the top hitters in program history, McHugh was the Tournament Most Valuable Player in the Red Foxes' first MAAC championship season in 2006. That season, McHugh hit .414 (third-highest average in a single season at Marist), and tied the program's single-season record with 15 homers. Her .342 career average in third in program history. She also ranks in the top 10 all-time in runs (third, 123), hits (sixth, 197), homers (tied for eighth, 24), and doubles (tied for ninth, 32).
 
Michelle Gosh – Gosh, who played at Marist from 1998-2001, is the program's all-time record holder with 500 assists. She's also one of the Red Foxes' best all-time pure hitters, as her .348 batting average in second in program history. Gosh also ranks in the program's top 10 all-time in stolen bases (tied for fifth, 35) and hits (tied for seventh, 193).
 
Melanie Kasack – An outstanding pitcher for the Red Foxes from 1998-2001, Kasack in the program's all-time leader with 109 complete games. She also ranks among the all-time best at Marist in shutouts (second, 19), innings pitched (second, 784.1), appearances (second, 121), wins (third, 64), earned run average (fourth, 1.98), and strikeouts (fourth, 352).
 

Team Superlatives, MAAC Era

• MAAC Champions: 2006, 2013, 2016
• MAAC Regular-Season Titles: 2014, 2016, 2019
• Highest Single-Season Win Totals
  • 2016: 45
  • 2017: 37
  • 2019: 35
  • 2006 & 2011: 33

 

Individual Superlatives, MAAC Era

Single Season

• Hitting
  • Average: Melissa Giordano, .429 (2009)
  • Runs: Maureen Duddy & Kyrsten Van Natta, 51 (both in 2016)
  • RBIs: Ali Milam, 51 (2018); Janna Korak, 51 (2017)
  • Hits: Maureen Duddy, 72 (2016)
  • Home Runs: Nicole Cheek, 15 (2013); Chrystine McHugh, 15 (2006); Amanda Koldjeski, 15 (2001)
  • Doubles: Janna Korak, 19 (2017); Melissa Giordano, 19 (2009)
  • Stolen Bases: Maureen Duddy, 54 (2016)
• Pitching
  • Wins: Megan Rigos, 22 (2006)
  • Strikeouts: Megan Rigos, 240 (2008)
  • Earned Run Average: Megan Rigos, 1.11 (2006)
  • Innings Pitched: Megan Rigos, 214.1 (2005)
  • Shutouts: Melanie Kasack, 9 (2000)
  • Complete Games: Melanie Kasack, 29 (1998 & 1999)
  • Appearances: Megan Rigos, 39 (2005 & 2007)

 
Career

• Hitting
  • Average: Melissa Giordano, .371 (2006-09)
  • Runs: Maureen Duddy, 168 (2013-16)
  • RBIs: Kyrsten Van Natta, 145 (2013-16)
  • Hits: Maureen Duddy, 236 (2013-16); Melissa Giordano, 236 (2006-09)
  • Home Runs: Amanda Koldjeski, 33 (1998-2001)
  • Doubles: Janna Korak, 52 (2014-17)
  • Stolen Bases: Maureen Duddy, 120 (2013-16)
• Pitching
  • Wins: Megan Rigos, 71 (2005-08)
  • Strikeouts: Megan Rigos, 765 (2005-08)
  • Earned Run Average: Calista Phippen, 1.73 (2019-present)
  • Innings Pitched: Megan Rigos, 801.2 (2005-08)
  • Shutouts: Melanie Kasack, 19 (1998-2001)
  • Complete Games: Melanie Kasack, 109 (1998-2001)
  • Appearances: Megan Rigos, 153 (2005-08)