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The losses sting, surely. But for the Marist University softball team, there is quite the silver lining.
Despite falling in each of its two games in the NCAA Tournament's Lubbock Regional, Marist softball had yet another historic season on the diamond. Winning the MAAC championship for the third time in the past four seasons, the Red Foxes are making a name for themselves on the national stage.
On the national stage, Marist has gained recognition. It is a bit of a name brand in the softball world after squaring off with a national power like Texas Tech.
"I've gotten more emails from Texas kids in the past month than I had in the past 18 years," said Red Foxes head coach Joe Ausanio, whose team played the 2025 regional in College Station, Texas. "It's definitely a testament to the current kids on the team that they're representing Marist University well and that, when they're on that big stage, they're competing.
Reaching the NCAA Tournament so regularly has helped the school and the program's marketability, although to Marist's coach, advertising the institution has never seemed like a hard task.
"Honestly, I think it's pretty easy to sell Marist. When you look at all the accolades Marist gets, they're rated in the Princeton Review as one of the best colleges in the northeast," he said. "Ther aree so many things where Marist kind of sells itself ... for me, this is about preparing kids for the next 40 years and not just the next four."
More: Metzger and Murray guide Marist to next round in NCAA Tournament
Before the postseason run, the program was impressing in front of large audiences all year. That includes a 2-1 victory over then-No. 22 South Carolina back in February.
Overall, the Red Foxes followed an all-time 2025 season (48-9-1 with one NCAA tourney victory) with a lesser, but albeit still impressive 2026 campaign. Marist finished the season with a 37-21 record, going 24-3 in MAAC play and boasting a 17-2 home record.
Peyton Pusey earned herself a MAAC Player of the Year award and All-MAAC first-team selection. Senior Haley Ahr earned All-MAAC first team honors as well, while underclassmen Sienna Kunze and Annabelle Geiser were tabbed to the second team. Marist also saw Livia Wiltsie grab a spot on the All-Rookie team.
"Last year we had an all-star team, we were so talented across the board and such a senior-laden team ... to continue what we've built with seven freshman and a transfer, I think that was a pleasant surprise," Ausanio said. "We almost didn't skip a beat."
Adding to the accolades, Ausanio was named MAAC Coach of the Year for the third straight season and the sixth time in his career at Marist. While incredibly grateful for the individual honor, he wants to make sure it's known that he doesn't win the award without the effort the whole program has put in.
"It may sound cliché but, to me, a coach of the year award is a team award," he said. "I have assistant coaches who help do a lot and we have great players that make us good coaches. When they buy in to what you're trying to do and they do all the right things, not only on the field but in the classroom as well, it just makes my job so much easier and this year was by far the most fun to coach that I've had."
More: NY school district calls for separate playoffs for public, non-public teams
Ausanio has assembled character- and personality-driven teams in his time with the Red Foxes. It doesn't hurt that they also collect some wins along the way.
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Marist softball looks to build off exposure of another NCAA Tournament
Continue reading...
Despite falling in each of its two games in the NCAA Tournament's Lubbock Regional, Marist softball had yet another historic season on the diamond. Winning the MAAC championship for the third time in the past four seasons, the Red Foxes are making a name for themselves on the national stage.
On the national stage, Marist has gained recognition. It is a bit of a name brand in the softball world after squaring off with a national power like Texas Tech.
"I've gotten more emails from Texas kids in the past month than I had in the past 18 years," said Red Foxes head coach Joe Ausanio, whose team played the 2025 regional in College Station, Texas. "It's definitely a testament to the current kids on the team that they're representing Marist University well and that, when they're on that big stage, they're competing.
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Reaching the NCAA Tournament so regularly has helped the school and the program's marketability, although to Marist's coach, advertising the institution has never seemed like a hard task.
"Honestly, I think it's pretty easy to sell Marist. When you look at all the accolades Marist gets, they're rated in the Princeton Review as one of the best colleges in the northeast," he said. "Ther aree so many things where Marist kind of sells itself ... for me, this is about preparing kids for the next 40 years and not just the next four."
More: Metzger and Murray guide Marist to next round in NCAA Tournament
Before the postseason run, the program was impressing in front of large audiences all year. That includes a 2-1 victory over then-No. 22 South Carolina back in February.
Overall, the Red Foxes followed an all-time 2025 season (48-9-1 with one NCAA tourney victory) with a lesser, but albeit still impressive 2026 campaign. Marist finished the season with a 37-21 record, going 24-3 in MAAC play and boasting a 17-2 home record.
You must be registered for see images attach
Peyton Pusey earned herself a MAAC Player of the Year award and All-MAAC first-team selection. Senior Haley Ahr earned All-MAAC first team honors as well, while underclassmen Sienna Kunze and Annabelle Geiser were tabbed to the second team. Marist also saw Livia Wiltsie grab a spot on the All-Rookie team.
"Last year we had an all-star team, we were so talented across the board and such a senior-laden team ... to continue what we've built with seven freshman and a transfer, I think that was a pleasant surprise," Ausanio said. "We almost didn't skip a beat."
Adding to the accolades, Ausanio was named MAAC Coach of the Year for the third straight season and the sixth time in his career at Marist. While incredibly grateful for the individual honor, he wants to make sure it's known that he doesn't win the award without the effort the whole program has put in.
You must be registered for see images attach
"It may sound cliché but, to me, a coach of the year award is a team award," he said. "I have assistant coaches who help do a lot and we have great players that make us good coaches. When they buy in to what you're trying to do and they do all the right things, not only on the field but in the classroom as well, it just makes my job so much easier and this year was by far the most fun to coach that I've had."
More: NY school district calls for separate playoffs for public, non-public teams
Ausanio has assembled character- and personality-driven teams in his time with the Red Foxes. It doesn't hurt that they also collect some wins along the way.
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Marist softball looks to build off exposure of another NCAA Tournament
Continue reading...
