POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – The top-seeded Marist softball team (36-17) opens play in the 2024 MAAC Softball Championship on Thursday, when the Red Foxes host fourth-seeded Canisius (21-20). First pitch at Gartland Field is set for noon, with the contest being shown on ESPN+.
 

Follow Us

• All games in the championship will be shown live on ESPN+.
• For in-game updates, follow @MaristSoftball on X.

 

Notes

• Marist is 36-17 overall and went 17-6 in MAAC play. Marist was the only team in the MAAC to not drop a series to another conference team this season.
• This is Marist's fourth regular-season championship in program history. The Red Foxes also won the regular-season crown & earned the #1 seed in the championship in 2014, 2016, and 2019.
• This is Marist's third-highest win total in program history, trailing only 2016 (45) and 2017 (37).
• The Red Foxes had an 11-game winning streak from Feb. 23-March 9, their longest since 2016. Marist added a five-game winning streak in March, and had a six-game winning streak in April.
• MAAC: Marist went 3-0 vs. Quinnipiac (7-1W, 2-0W, 14-0W(5)), 2-1 vs. Niagara (7-5L, 3-2W, 6-1W), 2-1 vs. Mount St. Mary's (3-2L(8), 6-3W, 10-3W), 1-1 vs. Siena (2-1L, 10-2W(5)), 2-1 vs. Iona (6-2W, 1-0L(10), 7-1W), 3-0 vs. Saint Peter's (8-0(5), 12-8, 14-4(6)), 2-1 vs. Canisius (7-3(8)W, 7-3W, 6-4L) and 2-1 vs. Fairfield (16-5(6)W, 3-1W, 2-1L).
• MAAC major awards: Miah McDonald – Player of the Year, Anna Sidlowski – Rookie of the Year, Haley Ahr – Defensive Player of the Year, Kiley Myers – Co-Pitcher of the Year, Joe Ausanio – Coach of the Year
• MAAC awards: First Team All-MAAC – Haley Ahr, Alyssa Grupp, Miah McDonald, Kiley Myers, Maddie Pleasants. Peyton Pusey. MAAC All-Rookie Team – Anna Sidlowski, Samantha Rogers.
• MAAC awards (13 total/12 weeks playing): Anna Sidlowski – Rookie of the Week 2/20, 3/5, 3/19, 3/26 (co); Haley Ahr – Player of the Week 2/20, 3/5; Kiley Myers – Pitcher of the Week 2/20, 3/5, 4/9; Peyton Pusey – Player of the Week 2/27; Samantha Rogers – Rookie of the Week 3/12; Miah McDonald – Player of the Week 4/9, 4/30.
• MAAC All-Academic Team (11): Haley Ahr, Maddie Gore, Alyssa Grupp, Ronni Howard, Kaitlyn Husic, Miah McDonald, Lauren Morrell, Isabella Manory, Kiley Myers, Maddie Pleasants, Peyton Pusey.
• Marist has won MAAC Player of the Year in back-to-back years (Maddie Pleasants, 2023), has had six rookies of the year since 2016, including three straight (Claire Oberdorf, 2016; Caroline Baratta, 2018; Calista Phippen, 2019; Maddie Pleasants, 2022; Haley Ahr, 2023; Anna Sidlowski, 2024), and has won Defensive Player of the Year five times (Kyrsten Van Natta, 2016; Brittany Colombo, 2018; Caroline Baratta, 2021 and 2022; Haley Ahr, 2024).
• Marist has had nine games decided by the mercy rule this season, and has won all eight.
• Marist has played four extra-inning games: (12-11 L (8) at St. Mary's on March 16, 3-2 L (8) vs. Mount St. Mary's on April 6, 1-0 L (10) vs. Iona on April 20, 7-3 W (8) vs. Canisius on April 27.
• Marist went 17-5 in March (winningest month since going 20-1 in April 2016).
• Season highs: Runs – 16 (at Fairfield, May 3), Hits – 19 (at Saint Peter's, April 24).
• Marist has scored at least 10 runs in a game 11 times this season (10-1 record).
• Marist has had 10 shutouts this season, and seven additional games allowing just one run.
• As a team, Marist has hit 53 home runs this season. The program record is 54, set in 2016.

Championship History

• Marist has won four MAAC championships in its history: 2006, 2013, 2016, and 2023.
• Under head coach Joe Ausanio, Marist has made four championship rounds. Marist won in 2013, 2016, and 2023, and came in second in 2019.
• As a #1 seed, Marist won the championship in 2016, was second in 2019, and was third in 2014.
• Marist has reached the conference tournament for eight straight seasons, and 12 of the last 13.
• MAAC championships finishes in fields of at least six: 2014 – third, 2015 – did not qualify, 2016 – won, 2017 – third, 2018 – third, 2019 – second, 2021 – third, 2022 – fourth, 2023 – first.

 

Championship Field

• Marist vs. the championship field in 2024 (cumulative 7-4 record):
  • #2 Niagara (2-1, away) – Marist won the series, 2-1. Niagara took the first game, 7-5, before Marist won game two, 3-2, and game three, 6-1.
  • #3 Rider – did not play.
  • #4 Canisius (2-1, home) – Marist won the first game, 7-3, in eight on a Miah McDonald walk-off grand slam. The Red Foxes also won the second game, 7-3, before Canisius won the final game, 6-4.
  • #5 Iona (2-1, home) – Marist won the first game, 6-2, but fell 1-0 in 10 innings in game two. The Red Foxes took the third game, 7-1.
  • #6 Siena (1-1, away) – Siena took game one, 2-1, but Marist won game two by a score of 10-2 in five innings. The third game was rained out and not made up.
• Marist championship history vs. the field:
  • Marist is 3-0 all-time against Niagara.
    • The Red Foxes previously defeated the Purple Eagles in 2008, 2013, and 2019.
    • The teams have never met in a MAAC final.
  • Marist is 2-0 all-time against Rider.
    • The Red Foxes previously defeated the Broncs in 2006 and 2022.
    • The teams have never met in a MAAC final.
  • Marist is 4-5 all-time against Canisius.
    • Marist defeated Canisius twice in the 2023 championship, including in the final.
    • Canisius defeated Marist in the 2008 championship final.
  • Marist is 3-3 all-time against Iona.
    • The Gaels won the first three meetings, but Marist won the last three (2017, 2019, 2023).
    • The teams have never met in a MAAC final.
  • Marist is 1-1 against Siena.
    • Marist prevailed in 2018, while Siena won the last meeting in 2022.
    • The teams have never met in a MAAC final.