BUFFALO, New York – The third-seeded Marist softball team opens play in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship on Wednesday morning, when the Red Foxes face sixth-seeded Iona at the Demske Sports Complex on the campus of Canisius College.
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First pitch is set for 11 a.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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- The MAAC Championship is double elimination.
- If Marist prevailed on Wednesday, the Red Foxes will next play on Thursday against second-seeded Mount St. Mary's at 11 a.m.
- If the Red Foxes fall on Wednesday, they will play in an elimination game at 4 p.m.
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- Marist is 25-28 overall and went 12-8 in the MAAC regular season, earning the #3 seed.
- This is Marist's best seed in the MAAC Championships since earning the top seed in 2019.
- Marist swept MAAC doubleheaders against Iona, Saint Peter's, Quinnipiac and Niagara; split with Canisius, Siena, Rider, and Manhattan; and were swept by Mount St. Mary's and Fairfield.
- Marist has 107 stolen bases as a team this year. This is the Red Foxes' highest total in seven years and second most in program history. Marist is 22nd in the nation in stolen bases per game.
- Of Marist's 25 wins this season, 11 came by the mercy rule, including five in MAAC play.
- MAAC awards: Maddie Pleasants – Player of the Year, First Team All-MAAC; Haley Ahr – Rookie of the Year, First Team All-MAAC, MAAC All-Rookie Team; Peyton Pusey – Second Team All-MAAC, MAAC All-Rookie Team; Sam Freeland – Second Team All-MAAC; Kiley Myers – Second Team All-MAAC
- MAAC All-Academic Team (12): Haley Ahr, Hannah Brock, Sam Freeland, Alyssa Grupp, Ronni Howard, Kaitlyn Husic, Miah McDonald, Lauren Morrell, Kiley Myers, Maddie Pleasants, Calista Phippen, Shea Walsh
- MAAC weekly awards (16 total in 11 weeks of playing): Haley Ahr (MAAC Player & Rookie of the Week) – 2/21, 3/7, 3/21; (Rookie of the Week) – 4/11, 4/18; Calista Phippen (MAAC Pitcher of the Week) – 2/21, 4/11; Kiley Myers (MAAC Pitcher of the Week) – 3/14, 4/4, 5/2; Maddie Pleasants (Player of the Week) – 4/4, 5/2; Peyton Pusey (Rookie of the Week) – 4/4
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- Marist has won three MAAC championships in its history: 2006, 2013, and 2016.
- Marist has reached the conference tournament for seven straight seasons, and 11 of the last 12.
- Last six MAAC championships finishes: 2016 – won, 2017 – third, 2018 – third, 2019 – second, 2021 – third, 2022 – fourth.
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- Marist vs. the championship field in 2022 (4-6 record – played everyone on the road except for Canisius):
- #1 Canisius – Marist opened MAAC play at home against the Golden Griffins on April 2. Both games were decided by the mercy rule in five innings, as Canisius won game one 12-3, and Marist took game two 8-0.
- #2 Mount St. Mary's – The Red Foxes were swept on the road on April 24. The Mount won game one 7-3 in eight innings on a walk-off grand slam, and prevailed 5-2 in game two.
- #4 Fairfield – Marist was swept in the regular-season finale on the road on May 6. Fairfield prevailed 3-2 in 10 innings in game one and 5-3 in game two.
- #5 Siena – Marist split the doubleheader on the road on April 15. The Saints won game one on a walk-off homer by a score of 5-3 in 11 innings in game one, and the Red Foxes bounced back for an 8-5 win in game two.
- Marist championship history vs. the field:
- Marist is 2-5 all-time against Canisius in MAAC Championship play.
- Canisius defeated Marist in last year's championship.
- Canisius defeated Marist in the 2008 championship final.
- Marist has never faced Mount St. Mary's in a MAAC Championship.
- Marist is 7-4 all-time against Fairfield in MAAC Championship play.
- Fairfield has won the last three meetings, with the last ones coming in 2018 (two).
- Marist defeated Fairfield in the championship finals in 2006 and 2013.
- Marist is 1-1 against Siena.
- Marist prevailed in 2018.
- Siena won the last meeting in 2022.
- Marist is 2-3 all-time against Iona.
- The Gaels won the first three meetings, but Marist won the last two.
- The last championship meeting came in 2019, and was won by Marist.
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