LUBBOCK, Texas – The Marist University softball team is set open NCAA Regional play on Friday afternoon, when the Red Foxes take on host Texas Tech in the Lubbock Regional.
 
First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m. Eastern, and the game will be shown on ESPN+.
 

Schedule

Friday, May 15

• Game One: Boston University at Ole Miss, 2 p.m. Eastern
• Game Two: Marist at Texas Tech, 4:30 p.m. Eastern

Saturday, May 16

• Game Three: Winners of Games One & Two, 3 p.m. Eastern
• Game Four: Losers of Games One & Two, 5:35 p.m. Eastern
• Game Five: Winner of Game Four vs. Loser of Game Three, 8:05 p.m. Eastern

Sunday, May 17

• Game Six: Winner of Game Three vs. Winner of Game 5, 4 p.m. Eastern
• Game Seven: Winner of Game Six vs. Loser of Game Six (if necessary), 6:30 p.m. Eastern

 

NCAA History

• This is Marist's sixth trip to NCAA Regionals, fifth in head coach Joe Ausanio's tenure, and third in the last four years.
• Last year, as the first #3 seed in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference history, Marist earned its first win at Regionals with an 8-0 triumph over Saint Francis.

 

Overview

• Marist is 37-19 overall. The Red Foxes won their second straight MAAC championship, third in four years, fifth under head coach Joe Ausanio, and sixth in program history. Marist won its third straight MAAC regular-season title this season with a 24-3 mark in conference play.  
• Haley Ahr, Bella Manory, and Peyton Pusey have been part of all three of Marist's MAAC championship teams (2023, 2025, 2026) the last four years. Ahr, Manory, and Pusey will become the first three Marist softball players to play in three NCAA Tournaments.
• Marist enters NCAA play with 17 straight wins, having last lost on April 11. It is the second straight year the Red Foxes take a 17-game winning streak into Regionals. This is tied for the second-longest winning streak in program history, and the third time Marist has had a winning streak of at least 17 games the last two years, following runs of 19 and 17 last year.
• Marist has won at least 30 games in three straight seasons, marking the first time in program history that the Red Foxes have accomplished this feat. The Red Foxes' total of 37 wins is tied for the third-best mark in program history.
• Marist won all 10 MAAC series this season. The Red Foxes have won 15 straight MAAC series dating back to last season.
• Marist is 13-3 this season in one-run games, with 12 straight victories in these contests. The Red Foxes were 10-0 in conference games decided by one run.

 

vs. Field

• Marist is 0-3 against Texas Tech all-time, with previous meetings in 2004, 2013, and 2020. The last meeting (March 7, 2020) was a 2-1 win for Texas Tech in nine innings.
• Marist has never faced Ole Miss.
• Marist is 4-2 all-time against Boston University. The last meeting took place on Feb. 21, 2020, with BU earning a 2-0 victory. The teams previously met in 1998 (BU win), 2016 (Marist swept a home doubleheader), and 2017 (Marist swept a road doubleheader).

 

MAAC Recap

• Marist won all three of its games in the MAAC Championship:
  • In its first game, Marist scored the game's final seven runs in an 8-3 victory over Sacred Heart.
  • In the winners' bracket final, Marist prevailed over Iona, 12-7, as the Red Foxes scored runs in five innings.
  • In the championship game, Marist defeated Iona 4-0, breaking open a scoreless tie in the fourth and tacking on three in the fifth.
• Marist became the first repeat MAAC champion since Monmouth (2018 and 2019).
• Marist is the first MAAC team to win three conference championships in four years since Iona won four in five years from 2010-14.
• Prior to this year, the last time the #1 seed won the MAAC Championship in back-to-back years was Canisius in 2007 & 2008. The Golden Griffins beat Marist in the final in both years.
• The following were selected to the MAAC All-Championship Team:
  • Peyton Pusey (Most Outstanding Player): Hit .545 with two homers, seven RBIs, and six runs scored. Hit three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth in winners' bracket final over Iona to extend Marist's lead to five, and two-run homer in the fifth of the championship game to extend Marist's lead to three. Was named to the All-Championship Team for the second straight year.
  • Ava Metzger: Did not allow a run in 12.2 innings in two appearances vs. Sacred Heart and Iona. Won both games, and pitched a three-hit shutout in the championship game.
  • Haley Ahr: Hit .444 with one home run, four runs batted in, and a slugging percentage of .889. Was named to the MAAC All-Championship Team in all three of Marist's championships in the last four years (2023, 2025, 2026).
  • Sienna Kunze: Hit .545 with a home run, two RBIs, and three runs scored. Went 3-for-3 in the championship game against Iona.
  • Sam Rogers: Hit .429 with two RBIs and two doubles. Drove in the game's first run in the fourth inning of the championship game. Named to the All-Championship Team for the second straight year.
• Pusey became the first position player to be named Most Outstanding Player in the MAAC Championship since 2015.
• In the championship game, Pusey and Ahr both homered in their final at bats at Gartland Field.