The Husson University softball and baseball teams will be the top seeds for the North Atlantic Conference tournaments which get underway on Thursday. They will be seeking to extend their NAC title streaks.
The softball team, which will travel to SUNY Cobleskill for the six-team double-elimination tournament, will be gunning for its seventh consecutive NAC championship while the baseball team will be looking for its sixth and will host the four-team double-elimination affair.
The tournament champs will advance to the NCAA Division III Regionals.
The Husson softball team, 8-0 in the NAC and 24-10 overall, will play the winner of the 10 a.m. tourney opener between fourth seed UMaine-Farmington (4-4, 14-16) and No. 5 SUNY-Delhi (7-5, 14-18) at 2 p.m. on Thursday.
At 4 p.m., second seed SUNY Cobleskill (12-0, 19-10-1) will take on the winner of the noon game between No. 3 Thomas College (6-2, 15-18) and No. 6 Vermont State University-Lyndon (3-9, 6-23).
The top three teams in the East and West divisions qualify for the tournament and the seedings are based on the NCAA Power Index.
In baseball, Husson (13-4, 21-14) will open the tourney at the Dr. John Winkin Sports Complex against No. 4 SUNY Cobleskill (8-4, 9-22) at noon; No. 2 Lesley University from Cambridge, Massachusetts (11-5, 19-16), and No. 3 Thomas College (12-6, 18-20) will square off at 3 and the losers bracket game will follow at 6.
Head coach Rick Roberts’ softball team has hit a lofty .321 as a team and has a sparkling 1.87 earned-run average.
Graduate student pitcher Sky Johnson, a transfer from Tufts University in Massachusetts who pitched in the NCAA Division III World Series for the Jumbos last season and was a third team All-American, has posted a 12-3 record and a 1.35 ERA with 115 strikeouts and just 19 walks over 104 innings for Husson this season.
Between Tufts and Husson, she has compiled a 53-11 record with 445 strikeouts in 434 ⅓ innings.
Searsport sophomore Ana Lang, chosen to the All-NAC and All-NCAA Regional teams a year ago, is 7-4 with a 1.71 ERA and 94 strikeouts and 26 walks over 77 ⅔ innings.
The offensive catalysts have been Lyman graduate student third baseman Julia Gregoire (.458 average, 2 homers, 25 runs batted in), senior first baseman Tori Exel from North Berwick (.396-3-14), senior right field Kiara McLeod from Harrison (.379-0-18), sophomore shortstop-center fielder Camryn King from Corinna (.376-3-11, 36 runs, 27 stolen bases), Hawaiian senior designated player Bulla McCabe (.347-4-33, 12 doubles) and Gorham senior left fielder Tatyanna Biamby (.305-0-15) along with Winthrop junior shortstop Lydia Rice (.302-0-11).
McCabe was chosen to the All-Regional team a year ago.
Head coach Chris Morris’ baseball team has been paced by a pair of graduate students and a sophomore.
The Eagles are hitting .298 as a team and have a 4.27 ERA.
First baseman Jackson Curtis from Ellsworth, who hit for the cyle and drove in seven runs in a rare 12-9 victory over Division I UMaine, is hitting .392 with seven homers and a team-high 42 RBIs. He also has 13 doubles. Left fielder Akira Warren from Hallowell is hitting .357 with three homers and 31 RBIs and leads the team in runs scored (44) and stolen bases (21).
Sophomore right fielder Matt Holmes from Bangor leads the team in homers (10) and triples (3) and is second in RBIs (41). He is hitting .315.
Other important offensive contributors include senior third baseman Tanner Evans from Greenbush (.303-0 homers-21 RBIs), junior center fielder Hunter Curtis (.294-2-22), Jackson’s brother; Nova Scotian junior designated hitter Cam Rendell (.264-2-12) and junior second baseman Colin Marshall from New Hampshire (.253-1-16).
The pitching staff features senior righty Matt Wallingford from Greene (3-1, 1.78 ERA) and graduate student Alex Smith (3-2, 2.45) from Northborough, Massachusetts, along with freshman Avery Lawrence from Portland (2-1, 2.66) and senior Connor Abood from New Hampshire (3-3, 4.53).
