About ESU: The Warriors benefitted from their top spot in the region, cruising past Bowie State (6-2) and West Chester, (8-0), before a pitcher’s duel in the pod 1 final, as Paige Zigmund posted a shutout and Brooke McKeown drove in the game’s only run in the bottom of the 2nd to lift the Warriors to a 1-0 victory and earn the right to host the NCAA Super Regional. The Warriors look to punch its ticket to its first-ever NCAA Championship with two wins.
National Rankings: The Warriors rank among the top-20 teams in NCAA Division II in doubles (14th), hits (17th), stolen bases (10th) and sacrifice flies (15th). Reilly Vicendese ranks 30th in total hits this season with 73 and is the fourth toughest batter to strike out according to the NCAA. Paige Zigmund ranks eighth in the country in wins with a school-record 24.
ESU NCAA Tournament History: The Warriors are in the midst of its fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament, after previous selection in 2006, 2007 and 2021. ESU holds a record of 9-6, posting three wins in the NCAA Atlantic Region pod 1. The Warriors look to advance to the NCAA Championships for the first time in program history with two wins against Charleston. 2023 is ESU’s first season reaching the NCAA Super Regional, but reached the equivalent of the Super Regional during the 2021 campaign that was shortened to one regional site. The Warriors finished as the runner-up in the region to West Chester.
No Place Like Home: ESU was happy to hear its name called as the No. 1 seed, securing hosting rights at Creekview Park for the first-time during the NCAA Tournament. ESU has been nearly unbeatable when playing in the Poconos the past few seasons since the Warriors moved its home off-campus. On its all-turf field since 2019, the Warriors hold an impressive 68-15 record, including a 26-5 record this season for an 83.8 winning percentage.
Big Game Paige: Since the start of the NCAA Tournament, two-time all-region first team selection Paige Zigmund complete game victories, including a pair of shutouts in her last two outings against West Chester and West Virginia Wesleyan. She has held opponents to a .179 batting average.
Paige at the Creek: Along with her postseason success, Zigmund has found her stride at Creekview Park, boasting a 1.02 ERA in 16 starts and posting a 15-1 record. She has struck out 102 batters in 103 innings in Stroudsburg, allowing just 16 walks and is holding foes to a .177 batting average.
Warriors Get It Done in the Classroom: On Tuesday, College Sports Communicators announced that Leigh Ann Jenkins, Molly Nies and Reilly Vicendese were selected to the NCAA Division II Academic All-District Team. To qualify, student-athletes must have at least 3.5 GPA and be a starter or important reserve.
Know the Foe: Charleston served as the other host site of the Atlantic Region, falling to Kutztown, 2-0, before bouncing back against Davis & Elkins (4-0), Kutztown (6-3) and defeated Shippensburg twice (4-3, 7-2) to advance to the NCAA Super Regional. The squad rarely strikes out, ranking third in the country in strikeout to walk ratio. The strong pitching staff of Brianna McCown, Danielle Bauer and Addison Mass have led UC to a top-15 ranking in ERA (13th), WHIP (1.00). McCown has totoaled 226 strikeouts to date, with the Marshall transfer ranking 13th nationally in the category. Her 27 victories ranks fifth among all NCAA Division II pitchers. At shortstop, Hannah Rose leads the nation in batting average, sixth in slugging percentage and third in total bases as one of the top hitters in the country. Isabella Andujar is another player to watch, who ranks eighth in the country in home runs with 19 round trippers on the season and also ranks 19th in RBIs with 60 on the season.
A Look Ahead: The winner of the best-of-three series will hoist the Atlantic Region Championship trophy and earn a trip to Chattanooga, Tenn. as one of eight regional champions. The NCAA Softball Championships begin on May 25 and lasts through Mon., May 29 at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Frost Stadium.
