EDISON, NJ (Feb. 4, 2025) – Marist University has been selected as the favorites in the 2025 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll, while the Red Foxes infielder, Miah McDonald was named Preseason Player of the Year, as voted on by the league's 13 head coaches.
Marist earned 167 points in the poll, garnering 11 first-place votes to lead all MAAC teams for the second straight season. 2024 MAAC Regular Season Champion, the Red Foxes went 36-19 overall and 17-6 in conference contests last season. Marist clinched their program’s fourth MAAC regular season crown last year and led the league with five major award winners at the conclusion of the regular season.
Defending MAAC Champion, Siena College, was picked second in the poll, collecting 146 points and one first place vote. Coming in a three-way tie for third place with 120 points each were 2024 runner-up Canisius University, Niagara University, and Rider University. Canisius also received the final first place vote in the poll.
McDonald was named MAAC Preseason Player of the Year and was the lone unanimous Preseason All-MAAC Team selection, earning a spot as an infielder. A graduate student from Camp Hill, PA who split time at shortstop and third base, is coming off of a career season for Marist in which she set single-season program records for home runs (20), runs batted in (70), hits (77), and assists (166). Her homers, RBIs and hits each led the MAAC and ranked top 20 nationally, finishing tied for fifth in the NCAA in RBIs, tied for ninth in home runs, and tied for 19th in hits. McDonald was the MAAC leader in triples (seven), slugging percentage (.824), and OPS (1.238) during the 2024 season as well. Additionally, she posted a .387 batting average, with 13 doubles and 62 runs scored, while successfully stealing 17 bases. McDonald would conclude the 2024 campaign with several postseason honors which included, MAAC Player of the Year, All-MAAC First Team, MAAC All-Championship Team, Second Team NFCA All-Region, and All-ECAC.
The remainder of the Preseason All-MAAC Team and full Preseason Coaches’ Poll can be found below.
| 2025 Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll |
| 1 |
Marist |
167 (11) |
| 2 |
Siena |
146 (1) |
| T3 |
Canisius |
120 (1) |
| T3 |
Niagara |
120 |
| T3 |
Rider |
120 |
| 6 |
Iona |
96 |
| T7 |
Fairfield |
94 |
| T7 |
Sacred Heart |
94 |
| T9 |
Merrimack |
55 |
| T9 |
Quinnipiac |
55 |
| 11 |
Mount St. Mary’s |
47 |
| 12 |
Manhattan |
43 |
| 13 |
Saint Peter’s |
26 |
| Preseason Player of the Year |
| Miah McDonald – Marist |
| Preseason All-MAAC Team |
| Player |
Position |
Year |
Institution |
| Isabella Manory |
Catcher |
Jr. |
Marist |
| Morgan Sylvestre |
Infielder |
Sr. |
Fairfield |
| Harley Ahr |
Infielder |
R-Jr. |
Marist |
| Miah McDonald* |
Infielder |
Gr. |
Marist |
| Maddie Pleasants |
Infielder |
Sr. |
Marist |
| Charli Warren |
Outfielder |
Sr. |
Fairfield |
| Peyton Pusey |
Outfielder |
Jr. |
Marist |
| Lindsay Mayo |
Outfielder |
Sr. |
Niagara |
| Anna Sidlowski |
Utility |
So. |
Marist |
| Kiley Myers |
Pitcher |
Gr. |
Marist |
| Alissa Eimont |
Pitcher |
R-Jr. |
Siena |
*Denotes Unanimous Selection
The 2025 MAAC Softball Championship is an eight-team single and double elimination championship taking place between May 6-10, 2025. Games 1 and 2 will be single elimination and games 3-12 will be double elimination. The championship will be hosted by the highest seed. For all information regarding the 2025 MAAC Softball Championship, please visit
http://maacsports.com/softball.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 13 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 44th year of competition during the 2024-25 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan University, Marist University, Merrimack College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Sacred Heart University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.
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