POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – The Marist softball program was honored with a special graduation ceremony on Tuesday at Marist's Historic Cornell Boathouse.
 
Due to the Red Foxes qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, the team will be in Tallahassee, Florida when commencement ceremonies take place on Friday (graduate) and Saturday (undergraduate). As a result, the ceremony took place prior to the team's departure.
 
President Kevin Weinman conferred the degrees to the six graduates. Hannah Brock, Meghan Davis, Sam Freeland, and Shea Walsh earned Bachelor's degrees. Calista Phippen and assistant coach Caroline Baratta, who previously earned Bachelor's degrees at Marist in 2022 and 2021, respectively, were presented their Master's degrees.
 
Four Deans were present for the ceremony: Martin Shaffer (Liberal Arts), Alicia Slater (Science), Will Lamb (Business), and Deborah Gatins (Behavioral Sciences).
 
More on our graduates:
 
HANNAH BROCK

• Outfielder from Spokane, Washington
• Business Administration major, Economics minor
• MAAC All-Academic Team last three years, two-time Dean's List honoree
• Named to the MAAC All-Championship Team this year.

 
MEGHAN DAVIS

• Catcher from Cherry Hill, New Jersey
• Political Science major, History minor
• MAAC All-Academic Team in 2021

 
SAM FREELAND

• Infielder and outfielder from Bear, Delaware
• Biology major
• MAAC All-Academic Team last three years, two-time Dean's List honoree
• Second Team All-MAAC this season

 
SHEA WALSH

• Outfielder and catcher from Robbinsville, New Jersey
• Human Biology major, Psychology minor
• MAAC All-Academic Team last three years, six-time Dean's List honoree, three-time Academic All-District
• Second Team All-MAAC in 2022
• Team captain this year

 
CALISTA PHIPPEN

• Pitcher from Kinderhook, New York
• Master's in Software Development, previously earned Bachelor's in Computer Science;
• Seven-time Dean's List honoree, three-time Academic All-District
• Second Team All-MAAC 2021 & 2022; MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year, First Team All-MAAC, MAAC All-Rookie Team, Top 25 Freshman & Second Team All-Region in 2019; won nine MAAC weekly awards in her career.
• Three-year captain
• Marist Female Co-Sportsperson of the Year at this year's Senior Awards banquet.
• Is in the top five of every major career statistical category in our record book: wins, innings pitched, complete games, starts, strikeouts, ERA, shutouts.
• Injured her knee on Friday at the end of the win against Canisius to get us to the championship game.

 
CAROLINE BARATTA

• Assistant coach who played the previous five years at shortstop from Gladstone, New Jersey
• Master's in Business Administration, previously earned Bachelor's in Business Administration and minored in Sports Communication
• Dean's List selection in all eight semesters as an undergraduate, two-time Academic All-District, four-year MAAC All-Academic Team selection
• Member of Beta Gamma Sigma (International Business Honors Society)
• MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, 2021 & 2022 (first softball player to win this award twice in MAAC history)
• First Team All-MAAC, '18, '19, '21, '22 (first Marist softball player to be First Team All-MAAC four times in her career in over 20 years)
• MAAC Rookie of the Year, 2018
• MAAC All-Championship Team, 2021
• Marist's NCAA Woman of the Year nominee, 2022
• Program's all-time hits leader (241).
• Program's single-season record holder for assists (164, in 2018).
• Ranks in program's top four all-time in seven total categories (hits, games played, doubles, runs, assists, stolen bases, and triples).
• Three-year team captain