POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – The Marist University softball team is set to open play in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship on Thursday, when the Red Foxes face fourth-seeded Siena at Gartland Field. The listed first pitch has been moved up to 1:30.
 

Record

• Marist is the top seed in this year's championship.
• The Red Foxes went 44-7-1 in the regular season with a 21-2-1 record in MAAC play.
• Marist is currently riding a 14-game winning streak, and is 33-2-1 since March 1.

 

Follow Us

• All games in the championship will be carried live on ESPN+.
• Follow on X for in-game updates (@MaristSoftball).

 

Notes

• Marist has its second-highest win total in program history, trailing only its 45 wins in 2016.
• Marist is ranked #17 in the most recent D1Softball Mid-Major Poll. The Red Foxes were ranked in the poll in all 13 weeks of the regular season.
• Marist has three MAAC major award winners this year:
  • Miah McDonald: Player of the Year. It's the second straight year McDonald has won the award, and third straight year a Red Fox has won it following Maddie Pleasants' selection in 2023.
  • Maddie Pleasants: Pitcher of the Year. Pleasants is the first player in MAAC history to win Rookie, Player, and Pitcher of the Year in her career.
  • Joe Ausanio: Coach of the Year. Ausanio won for the fifth time in his career (2011, 2016, 2019, 2024, 2025), which is the second most of any coach in MAAC history.
• Miah McDonald, Haley Ahr, Peyton Pusey, and Kiley Myers were named First Team All-MAAC.
• Samantha Rogers, Maddie Pleasants, and Sienna Kunze were named Second Team All-MAAC.
• Sienna Kunze was named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team.
• A total of 14 Red Foxes were named to the MAAC All-Academic Team: Haley Ahr, Taylor Anderson, Stella Blanchard, Maddie Gore, Ronni Howard, Kaitlyn Husic, Isabella Manory, Miah McDonald, Isabella Milazzo, Kiley Myers, Maddie Pleasants, Peyton Pusey, Samantha Rogers, Anna Sidlowski.

 

NCAA Rankings

As a team, Marist is ranked in the top 10 in:

• Home Runs (3^rd, 98)
• Shutouts (3^rd, 19)
• Win-Loss Percentage (4^th, .856)
• ERA (5^th, 2.07)
• Hits (6^th, 498)
• Slugging Percentage (7^th, .612)
• Sacrifice Flies (7^th, 25)

 
The following individuals are ranked in the top 10:

• Miah McDonald: Total Bases (1^st, 174), Runs (2^nd, 72), Home Runs (3^rd, 24), Slugging Percentage (4^th, 1.006), Hits (7^th, 79)
• Haley Ahr: Batting Average (1^st, .516), Hits (4^th, 82)
• Peyton Pusey: Runs (1^st, 75), Hits (8^th, 78)
• Maddie Pleasants: Fewest Hit Batters (1^st, 1), Sacrifice Flies (3^rd, 8), Maddie Pleasants (4^th, 10.5), Home Runs (9^th, 21)
• Kiley Myers: Shutouts (2^nd, 9), Walks Allowed Per Seven Innings (0.82), Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio (5^th, 6.73)

 

vs. Field

• Against the teams remaining this year's championship, Marist's record against them this season was:
  • Fairfield: 2-0
  • Iona: 3-0
  • Siena: 0-1-1
  • Canisius: 2-0
  • Rider: 1-1

 

• Marist championship history vs. the remaining field:
  • 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 3-3 all-time against Iona.
    • The Gaels won the first three meetings.
    • Marist won the last three (2017, 2019, 2023).
  • Marist is 1-1 against Siena.
    • Marist prevailed in 2018.
    • Siena won the last meeting in 2022.
  • Marist is 4-6 all-time against Canisius.
    • Canisius defeated Marist last season in the first round.
    • Marist defeated Canisius twice in the 2023 championship, including in the final.
    • Canisius defeated Marist in the 2008 championship final.
  • Marist is 2-0 all-time against Rider (wins in 2006 and 2022)

 

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, was third in 2014, and was fourth in 2024.
• Marist has reached the conference tournament for nine straight seasons, and 13 of the last 14.
• 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, 2024 – fourth.