Right in Bangor’s backyard, the Husson University softball team is blossoming into a regional powerhouse.
Since 2009, the Eagles have won the North Atlantic Conference title and qualified for the NCAA Division-III championships 12 times, including each of the last five seasons — compiling a 153-58 record since 2018.
Yet this year’s Husson squad is aiming to surpass its predecessors, laser focused on reaching heights the program has never reached before.
With a young and talented pitching staff, depth at the plate and strong veteran leadership, the 2024 Eagles are locked in on winning not just the NAC, but also going historically deep into the Division-III championships this May.
“I’ve never coached a team this talented, one through 25,” longtime pitching coach and interim head coach Rick Roberts said. “It’s been a magical season. They’re playing with a tremendous amount of heart, and they take care of business one game at a time.”
Roberts has coached softball in Maine since 1998, and took over for Diann Ramsey (Husson class of 2011) this offseason, who had served as the head coach since 2018. Together, their shared goal has been to win Husson’s first regional championship, and Roberts believes the Eagles are closer than ever to bringing one home to Bangor.
“Diann left the program in a really good spot,” Roberts said. “We have a tradition of excellence, and we’re in a tremendous spot moving forward. Since day one, the girls have all been bought in.”
As of Tuesday morning, the Eagles are 20-4, outscoring their opponents 172-81 and riding a 15-game winning streak, with a team batting average of .319 and a team earned run average of 2.25.
The Eagles have also been incredibly clutch this year, erasing three-run, seventh-inning deficits on two separate occasions — against Colby College on April 9, and Roger Williams (Rhode Island) on March 8.
Leading the charge for Husson is a youthful core of Maine-raised stars, with some veteran power hitters mixed in.
In the pitching circle, freshman Ana Lang of Searsport (62.2 innings, 1.56 ERA, 91 strikeouts) and sophomore Dani Masterson of Hampden (46.2 innings, 2.10 ERA, 51 strikeouts) have been exceptional, each starting 10 games for the Eagles. Freshman Jazmin Johnson of Clinton has also appeared in five games, pitching 15.0 innings with an ERA of 2.33.
Lang — 2023 Miss Maine Softball — is in the running for NAC pitcher of the year, twirling five complete games and also locking down two saves. She has 10 wins and only 17 walks.
“We have a tremendous pitching staff, and an incredible freshman class,” Roberts said. “We have five star pitchers, and the oldest is a sophomore.”
In the batter’s box, the Eagles are led by freshman Camryn King of Corinna (.439 batting, 1.110 on-base plus slugging percentage, 18 stolen bases in 18 attempts), junior Tori Exel of North Berwick (.438 batting, 1.246 OPS, 24 RBIs), sophomore Lydia Rice of Winthrop (.480 batting, 1.296 OPS) and senior Julia Gregoire of Lyman (.325 batting, .965 OPS, 13 RBIs).
Meanwhile, two-time All-American senior Kenzie Dore of Brewer has absolutely crushed the ball since returning from injury (.591 batting, 1.296 OPS, 14 RBI, nine starts), and freshman Josie Cornell of Big Rapids, Michigan is hitting .400 (11 RBIs, three strikeouts) through 17 games.
“We’ve always had good pitching, and this year we’re really hitting the ball well too,” Roberts said. “No matter who I put in, they got the job done. We have a ton of speed, as well. It’s never a playing time nightmare.”
Most importantly, this year’s Eagles have the intangibles to make an unprecedented playoff run.
“They’re very hungry. If they could, they wouldn’t take any days off,” Roberts said. “Our leaders have been incredible, and there’s really a great atmosphere on the team. This club finds a way to win.”
