INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The NCAA Division III Softball Committee has announced the field of 62 teams which will compete in the 2023 NCAA Championship and UMass Dartmouth has been matched up against Williams College in the opening double-elimination regional round, hosted by Salisbury University. It marks the first-ever match-up between the two programs. Game time will be 2pm on Thursday, May 18.
The Corsairs, who earned the automatic qualifier after winning the Little East Championship on Saturday, are making their third trip in program history to the NCAA Tournament and the first since the 1990 season. UMD is in the Salisbury Regional, hosted by the top-ranked Gulls, who enter this year's tournament with a 39-3 overall record. The #1 Gulls – who will face-off against Framingham State - enter the tournament after defeating #7 Christopher Newport for the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference title.
Led by 13th-year head coach
Amy Sasin, the Corsairs are 30-12 on the season, having gone 12-4 in conference play – which was good for second overall and a First Round bye in tournament play. UMass Dartmouth opened LEC Tournament action with a 4-3 win over third-seeded Southern Maine.
UMass Dartmouth – which has now won eight of its last 10 contests – shouldered a tough 7-3 loss to top-seeded Eastern Connecticut State, then bested fourth-seeded Castleton, 10-1 that night to advance to Championship Saturday. Needing two victories to claim the crown, UMD bested 25th-ranked Eastern Connecticut, 4-3 in game one, before pulling off a 1-0 upset in 12 innings for their first championship title in program history.
The Corsairs have continued to put forth a strong effort across the board and rank among the Little East's best in a number of categories, including first in earned run average (1.82), home runs (19), shutouts (15), stolen bases per game (1.60), total sacrifice flies (13), total stolen bases (67), and WHIP (1.13). They also rank second in fielding percentage (.965), home runs per game (.45), strike-to-walk-ratio (2.54) and win-loss percentage (.714).
Among the Division III leaders, UMD ranks eighth in shutouts, 30th in ERA and 38th in WHIP. The Corsairs currently are top-nine in 28 Little East categories both offensive and defensive.
Individually, the Corsairs are led by pitcher/right fielder
Jill Richards, who leads the team with a .284 batting average. She has recorded 38 hits in 134 at-bats, including eight doubles, a triple and three home runs. Richards owns a .425 slugging percentage with a .751 OPS on the season, having played all 42 games.
Sophomore second baseman
Larissa Piessens – the 2023 Little East Tournament Most Outstanding Player – is batting .282 on the season, having played all 42 games. She has 35 hits in 124 at-bats with seven doubles and two home runs. Additionally, catcher/designated player
Dyonna Rodas owns a .281 batting average, posting 34 hits in 121 at-bats. Of her 34 hits, six have been doubles, while three have been home runs.
In the circle, the Corsairs have been paced by two outstanding starting pitchers in Richards and junior
Kaitlyn Shirshac. The pair have combined for 29 of the team's victories and 254 strikeouts. Collectively, opponents are batting just .207 against Corsairs pitchers this season.
Shirshac owns the league's top mark with 15 victories. Having gone 15-4 so far, she owns a 1.66 earned run average with 23 appearances. In addition to 12 complete games, she has thrown six shutouts over 130.2 innings of work. Allowing just 35 runs (31 earned), Shirshac has surrendered 97 hits, while striking out 106 and walking just 36. Shirshac was named the Little East Pitcher of the Week on May 15th for the third after throwing 12.0 innings in a 1-0 shutout of Eastern Connecticut State to win the LEC title.
Richards, who is second in the conference in wins at 14-7, owns a 1.68 ERA having started all 22 games she's appeared in the circle. The LEC leader in complete games with 17, she has thrown for 142.0 innings, allowing 50 runs (34 earned) on 104 hits. With 148 strikeouts and 57 walks recorded, Richards is allowing just a .199 opponent batting average.
Williams earned its ticket into the NCAA Tournament on Sunday with a 3-1 win over sixth-ranked Tufts in the NESCAC Championship. It marked the seventh conference title for the Ephs, backed by NESCAC Pitcher of the Week, Sadie Leonard – who struck out 35 batters in 21 innings during the conference tournament.
Under the direction of 33rd-year head coach Kris Herman, Williams enters the NCAA Tournament with a 22-15 overall record. The Ephs went 12-6 in NESCAC action, led by Kelly McGulgan, who is batting .388 through 37 games. She has recorded 50 hits in 129 at-bats with 23 runs scored and 29 runs batted in. Of her 50 hits, 10 have been doubles, two were triples and four have been home runs.
In the circle, Leonard has been outstanding, going 16-4 with a .68 earned run average – which ranks fourth among all Division III pitchers. In 133.0 innings pitched, she has allowed just 29 runs (13 earned) on 76 hits. In addition to 220 strikeouts, she has walked just 37 batters, allowing 14 doubles and a triple. Opponents are batting .156 against her.
The winner of Thursday's game advances to Friday's 12pm game to face the winner of the other Thursday contest between Salisbury and Framingham State. The losing team from each game on Thursday will meet on Friday at 2:30pm.
