Marist College announces Marist Softball Opens Maac Championship Against Iona
From May 9, 2023 post.
BUFFALO, New York – The third-seeded Marist softball team opens play in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship on Wednesday morning, when the Red Foxes face sixth-seeded Iona at the Demske Sports Complex on the campus of Canisius College.
First pitch is set for 11 a.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
The MAAC Championship is double elimination.
If Marist prevailed on Wednesday, the Red Foxes will next play on Thursday against second-seeded Mount St. Mary's at 11 a.m.
If the Red Foxes fall on Wednesday, they will play in an elimination game at 4 p.m.
FACTS & FIGURES
Marist is 25-28 overall and went 12-8 in the MAAC regular season, earning the #3 seed.
This is Marist's best seed in the MAAC Championships since earning the top seed in 2019.
Marist swept MAAC doubleheaders against Iona, Saint Peter's, Quinnipiac and Niagara; split with Canisius, Siena, Rider, and Manhattan; and were swept by Mount St. Mary's and Fairfield.
Marist has 107 stolen bases as a team this year. This is the Red Foxes' highest total in seven years and second most in program history. Marist is 22nd in the nation in stolen bases per game.
Of Marist's 25 wins this season, 11 came by the mercy rule, including five in MAAC play.
MAAC awards: Maddie Pleasants – Player of the Year, First Team All-MAAC; Haley Ahr – Rookie of the Year, First Team All-MAAC, MAAC All-Rookie Team; Peyton Pusey – Second Team All-MAAC, MAAC All-Rookie Team; Sam Freeland – Second Team All-MAAC; Kiley Myers – Second Team All-MAAC
MAAC All-Academic Team (12): Haley Ahr, Hannah Brock, Sam Freeland, Alyssa Grupp, Ronni Howard, Kaitlyn Husic, Miah McDonald, Lauren Morrell, Kiley Myers, Maddie Pleasants, Calista Phippen, Shea Walsh
MAAC weekly awards (16 total in 11 weeks of playing): Haley Ahr (MAAC Player & Rookie of the Week) – 2/21, 3/7, 3/21; (Rookie of the Week) – 4/11, 4/18; Calista Phippen (MAAC Pitcher of the Week) – 2/21, 4/11; Kiley Myers (MAAC Pitcher of the Week) – 3/14, 4/4, 5/2; Maddie Pleasants (Player of the Week) – 4/4, 5/2; Peyton Pusey (Rookie of the Week) – 4/4
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
Marist has won three MAAC championships in its history: 2006, 2013, and 2016.
Marist has reached the conference tournament for seven straight seasons, and 11 of the last 12.
Last six MAAC championships finishes: 2016 – won, 2017 – third, 2018 – third, 2019 – second, 2021 – third, 2022 – fourth.
CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD
Marist vs. the championship field in 2022 (4-6 record – played everyone on the road except for Canisius):
#1 Canisius – Marist opened MAAC play at home against the Golden Griffins on April 2. Both games were decided by the mercy rule in five innings, as Canisius won game one 12-3, and Marist took game two 8-0.
#2 Mount St. Mary's – The Red Foxes were swept on the road on April 24. The Mount won game one 7-3 in eight innings on a walk-off grand slam, and prevailed 5-2 in game two.
#4 Fairfield – Marist was swept in the regular-season finale on the road on May 6. Fairfield prevailed 3-2 in 10innings in game one and 5-3 in game two.
#5 Siena – Marist split the doubleheader on the road on April 15. The Saints won game one on a walk-off homer by a score of 5-3 in 11 innings in game one, and the Red Foxes bounced back for an 8-5 win in game two.
Marist championship history vs. the field:
Marist is 2-5 all-time against Canisius in MAAC Championship play.
Canisius defeated Marist in last year's championship.
Canisius defeated Marist in the 2008 championship final.
Marist has never faced Mount St. Mary's in a MAAC Championship.
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 1-1 against Siena.
Marist prevailed in 2018.
Siena won the last meeting in 2022.
Marist is 2-3 all-time against Iona.
The Gaels won the first three meetings, but Marist won the last two.
The last championship meeting came in 2019, and was won by Marist.
Original post can be found here.