2018 MAAC Softball Championship Preview
EDISON, NJ - The 2018 MAAC Softball Championship gets underway on Wednesday, May 9 at MU Softball Park on the campus of Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey.
The two doubleheaders on Wednesday feature No. 3 seed Siena against No. 6 seed Marist in game one at 11 a.m. and No. 4 seed Iona versus No. 5 Manhattan at 1:30 p.m. Full schedule of the championship is below.
All action on Wednesday and Thursday can be watched on MAAC.TV. The games on Friday and Saturday can be watched on ESPN+.
FOR THE FIRST TIME
The Monmouth Hawks host this weekend's championship after winning the program's first MAAC Softball Regular Season Title. The Hawks finished at 19-1 in MAAC play.
JUST ONE BLEMISH
The Hawks became the third team since 2000 to lose only once in MAAC play and are the first to suffer just one loss in the current 20-game league format. Canisius went 15-1 in 2008 and Iona went 15-1 back in 2005.
EVERYONE LOOKS FAMILIAR
The 2018 championship features the same six teams as 2017, except on different seed lines.
2017 Seeds: 1) Iona, 2) Siena, 3) Marist, 4) Manhattan, 5) Monmouth, 6) Fairfield.
2018: 1) Monmouth, 2) Fairfield, 3) Siena, 4) Iona, 5) Manhattan, 6) Marist
POSTSEASON SUCCESS
Iona has claimed the most championships of the six teams in the field with a half-dozen. Fairfield and Marist have each won three titles, and Manhattan has one. Monmouth is seeking its first MAAC Championship.
RUNNERS-UP
Monmouth has made each of the last four championship games in the MAAC Championship and has lost all four. The Hawks fell to Iona in 2014, Fairfield in 2015 and 2017, and Marist in 2016. Fairfield had been the runner-up the three years before Monmouth's current run of four.
BACK-TO-BACK & THREE in FOUR
The Fairfield Stags seek to repeat as champions after topping Monmouth a season ago. The Stags also beat the Hawks for the 2015 title. Fairfield would be the third team since 2004 to win three titles in a four-year span. Iona won four from 2010-14. Canisius won five over six years from 2004-2009.
EXTRA-BASE HITS
Monmouth and Quinnipiac both rank in the Top 12 of Division I in extra-base hits. Monmouth ranks eighth as a team in triples per game at 0.674. Quinnipiac is 11th in doubles per game at 1.61.
TURN 2!
Marist led the MAAC in fielding percentage at .971. The Red Foxes also led the league in double plays turned with 27 and were 14th in Division I in double plays per game at 0.50.
GOOD FORM
Monmouth enters the championship 21-1 in their last 22 games and has won 10 straight. Fairfield has won nine consecutive games coming into the weekend. Manhattan is also winners of its last nine games to close the regular season.
| Bracket |
Game |
Match-up |
Date |
Time |
| Winner’s Bracket |
Game 1 |
#3 Siena vs #6 Marist |
May 9 |
11 a.m. |
| Winner’s Bracket |
Game 2 |
#4 Iona vs #5 Manhattan |
May 9 |
1:30 p.m. |
| Winner’s Bracket |
Game 3 |
#2 Fairfield vs Game 1 Winner |
May 10 |
9 a.m. |
| Winner’s Bracket |
Game 4 |
#1 Monmouth vs Game 2 Winner |
May 10 |
11:30 a.m. |
| Elimination Bracket |
Game 5 |
Game 2 Loser vs Game 3 Loser |
May 10 |
2 p.m. |
| Elimination Bracket |
Game 6 |
Game 1 Loser vs Game 4 Loser |
May 10 |
4:30 p.m. |
| Winner’s Bracket |
Game 7 |
Game 3 Winner vs Game 4 Winner |
May 11 |
11 a.m. |
| Elimination Bracket |
Game 8 |
Game 5 Winner vs Game 6 Winner |
May 11 |
1:30 p.m. |
| Elimination Bracket |
Game 9 |
Game 7 Loser vs Game 8 Winner |
May 11 |
4 p.m. |
| Winner’s Bracket |
Game 10 |
Game 7 Winner vs Game 9 Winner |
May 12 |
12 p.m. |
| Winner’s Bracket |
Game 11* |
Game 10 Winner vs. Game 10 Loser |
May 12 |
2:30 p.m.* |
*Game 11 is if necessary
For more information on the 2018 MAAC Softball Championship, fans can visit
maacsports.com/softball. Tickets for the 2018 MAAC Softball Championship can be purchased at
maac.ticketleap.com and on-site during the event.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 37th year of competition during the 2017-18 academic year. Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter's University, and Siena College.