2019 MAAC Softball Championship Preview

5/7/2019 6:15:00 PM

Poughkeepsie, NY – The 2019 MAAC Softball Championship is set to begin Wednesday, May 8 at the Softball Park at Gartland Athletic Field of Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York. The first matchups of the championship will feature No. 3 Siena College taking on No. 6 Fairfield University and No. 4 Iona College taking on No. 5 Niagara University.

The opening game featuring the No. 3 Saints of Siena (21-23, 13-7 MAAC) and the No. 6 Stags of Fairfield (26-22, 10-10) is slated for 11:00 a.m. The Saints begin their title chase after finishing 13-7 in MAAC play for the second-straight year, entering as the No. 3 seed similar to last year’s championship. Siena is led by senior infielder Madysen Cossack, who leads the MAAC with a .457 batting average and a .767 slugging percentage. The Saints will face the Fairfield Stags, who enter the championship at an even .500 record in conference play. Fairfield has shown consistency, making the championship game in six of the last eight years. The Stags will seek their third MAAC title in five years.

The winner of game one will move on to face the No. 2 seed and Co-Regular Season Champions Monmouth Hawks Thursday at 11:30 a.m. The Hawks are no strangers to the MAAC Championship, winning it all in 2018 and making it to the championship game the three years prior. This year’s team is led by newcomers Alyssa Irons, a sophomore pitcher, and Lindsey Baron, a freshman outfielder. Irons is the only MAAC pitcher to eclipse 200 innings pitched this season, throwing a total of 238.1 frames. Irons owns the third-best ERA in the MAAC at 1.41 through 39 appearances. On the offensive side, Baron leads all players in runs scored (48), doubles (21), total bases (116), and home runs (11). The Hawks will look to defend their title and capture the school’s second ever MAAC Softball Championship.

The second game of the championship will feature No. 4 Iona (18-25, 12-8) and No. 5 Niagara (15-30, 11-9) at 1:30 p.m. The Gaels will be chasing their seventh MAAC title and first since 2014. Leading the Gaels is freshman pitcher Kara Zazzaro, who had a MAAC best 1.19 ERA in 158.1 innings pitched in her rookie campaign. Iona will face the No. 5 seeded Purple Eagles of Niagara, who return to the MAAC Championship for the first time since 2013. Niagara will bring momentum with them to this year’s championship, finishing 8-2 in their last 10 conference games.

The winner of game two will move on to face the top seeded and Co-Regular Season Champions Marist Red Foxes Thursday at 2:00 p.m. Marist finished the regular season 16-4 in conference play, the same as in 2016 when the Red Foxes claimed their most recent MAAC title. This year’s record marked a seven-game improvement in MAAC contests compared to last year. The Red Foxes are led by junior outfielder Ali Milam and freshman pitcher Calista Phippen. Milam hit a team-leading .373 with 59 hits and 47 RBI, while Phippen pitched her way to a 1.38 ERA and an 18-4 record. Marist will be looking for their third MAAC title under head coach Joe Ausanio.

The 2019 MAAC Softball Championship takes place May 8-11 and is hosted by top seeded Marist. For more information on the 2019 Softball Championship, visit maacsports.com/softball. Championship tickets can be purchased at maacsports.com/tickets and will also be sold on-site during the championship.

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 38^th year of competition during the 2018-19 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.