Husson University head softball coach Rick Roberts says this year’s team is the best he’s ever coached.
After sweeping a double header against the University of New England Saturday, the Eagles (30-4) have now won 25 consecutive games — the longest winning streak of any women’s athletic program in school history.
Pitching not one, but two complete game shutouts versus UNE at home in Bangor — winning 3-0 and then 2-0 — it was business as usual for the Eagles, who have outscored their opponents 225 to 93 this season and gone undefeated since March 7.
In game one versus the Nor’Easters, sophomore Dani Masterson of Hampden allowed just four hits and threw seven strikeouts, lowering her ERA this season to 1.58 (15 starts, 79.2 innings). In game two, 2023 Miss Maine Softball Ana Lang of Searsport conceded just five hits and struck out a dozen batters, lowering her ERA to 1.22 (15 starts, 97.2 innings).
In the batter’s box, senior leadoff hitter Katie Raymond got on base six total times, stealing four bases and scoring two runs, and junior Tori Exel of North Berwick drove in three runs from the cleanup spot. In total, 10 different Eagles reached base.
“One through 25, everyone has a role on this team, and could step up at any time,” Exel said. “This year’s team is different from any other I’ve been on here — we’re loose, we have fun, we’re serious and we get the job done. We didn’t even know about the streak for a while.”
The Eagles take the adage ‘one game at a time’ to a whole new level.
“I wasn’t even counting until people started telling us about the streak. We haven’t won anything yet — we’re going to have to fight hard to win our conference [tournament],” Roberts said. “But I’m pretty pleased with the season. It seems like no matter who I put in there, they get it done. They’ve just been getting it done.”
Husson is playing way beyond its years, with 16 underclassmen on its roster.
Fourteen different players have started at least 15 games this year, and as a team, Husson is batting .299, with an on-base percentage of .386 and a slugging percentage of .428. Meanwhile, their opponents are slashing just .218/.277/.272.
“We all worked really hard in high school to get here, and now that we’re here, we push each other and push ourselves. We do it all for the team,” Lang said. “Being a freshman it was intimidating at first, but everybody was really welcoming. It’s a family.”
Lang’s class of 2027 joined a program with a rich tradition of excellence, boasting five straight North Atlantic Conference championships and staffing one of the premier pitching coaches in the state in Roberts.
The conference championship is Husson’s only ticket to the NCAA Division III championships later this May, a tournament they’ve qualified for 12 times since 2009. But despite all the hardware, Husson is yet to advance through their region to the super regional in June.
If you ask the Eagles, they’ll say that this unprecedented winning streak could be a sign of what’s to come.
“I’m excited to see how our team does,” Masterson said. “I think this is the team that’s gonna take it far.”
