MAAC Softball Publishes Preseason Coaches’ Poll, Individual Awards
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) announced its softball preseason coaches' poll and preseason All-MAAC team on Wednesday.
The Marist Red Foxes not only garnered the number one spot, selected by the league's 13 head coaches, but they also picked up the Preseason Player of the Year, Haley Ahr.
Marist is the back-to-back regular season MAAC Champion and has now secured the preseason front-runner honors for the third straight year.
In 2025, Marist collected a single-season program-best 48 wins with just nine losses overall, and went 21-2 in conference play. The Red Foxes swept the MAAC Championship Tournament (3-0), earning a bid to the College Station Regional. The 8-0 run-rule victory over Saint Francis added to the historic campaign as the program's first-ever NCAA Regional triumph.
2026 MAAC Softball Preseason Poll
1. Marist (11)
2. Fairfield (1)
3. Siena (1)
4. Iona
5. Sacred Heart
6. Rider
7. Quinnipiac
8. Canisius
9. Merrimack
10. Manhattan
11. Mount St. Mary's
12. Niagara
13. Saint Peter's
The 2026 MAAC Softball Preseason results are here‼️
— MAACSports (@MAACSports) January 28, 2026
🥎Preseason Player of the year: Haley Ahr @MaristSoftball
📰 https://t.co/6y2OfIzLIY#MAACSB pic.twitter.com/0VaC4MAKNg
MAAC Preseason Player of the Year
Haley Ahr, entering her graduate year in 2026, was voted as the unanimous MAAC Preseason Player of the Year.
The Union Beach, N.J., native led the entire nation in batting average (.508) last season, checking in at seventh in hits (90) and 11th in on-base percentage (.556). In 177 at-bats, she only struck out five times, making her the 14th-toughest to punch out in the country.
Starting all 53 games for the Red Foxes, Ahr saw time primarily at second base, also making appearances at first base and shortstop. For her notable performances, especially offensively, she earned a 2025 First Team NFCA All-Region selection and First Team All-MAAC honors.
THE MAAC Preseason Player of the Year 🦊 pic.twitter.com/eHRpfwUSZM
— Marist Softball (@MaristSoftball) January 28, 2026
2026 Preseason All-MAAC Team
The preseason All-MAAC roster consists of 12 athletes scattered across eight of the 13 total programs. Marist led the way with three recipients, followed by Iona and Siena, each with a pair. Rider, Canisius, Quinnipiac, Fairfield, and Sacred Heart all placed one individual on the watch list. In addition to Ahr's unanimous vote, teammate Peyton Pusey was also a consensus pick.
Infielders
Hailey Guerrero - Sr. (Iona)
Haley Ahr - Gr. (Marist)
Kendall Reda-Fehsal - Jr. (Rider)
Emma Petersen - Sr. (Siena)
Outfielders
Ella Johel - Jr. (Canisius)
Peyton Pusey - Sr. (Marist)
Mary Fogg - Sr. (Quinnipiac)
Pitchers
Alyssa Weinberg - Sr. (Fairfield)
Sam Kowalski - Sr. (Sacred Heart)
Utility / Designated Players
Sienna Kunze - So. (Marist)
Gracie Goewey - Jr. (Siena)
Catchers
Brooke Acker - Sr. (Iona)
The 2026 slate begins Feb. 6 with three MAAC teams competing in two separate away tournaments. Marist and Siena head to Charleston for the Charleston Southern Tournament, while Fairfield travels to Houston for the University of Houston Tournament.
A full list of the MAAC schedule can be found on the conference website.
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Maddy Lewis was a four-year starting infielder for UC San Diego Softball (2015–19), helping lead the Tritons to two conference championships, a West Region title, and a trip to the Division II National Championship in her senior season. She graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in Communication, where she also wrote for the student newspaper, The Guardian. After college, Maddy spent two years as a Sports Information Director, working closely with the softball, basketball and running programs, deepening her appreciation for the stories behind the stats. She has continued her playing career on the international stage as a member and captain of the Israeli Women’s National Softball Team for the past four years, facing top talent at European Championships, Canada Cups, and the Maccabi Games. Beyond competing, Maddy remains deeply committed to growing the game. She co-hosts the Jewish Softball: More Than A Game podcast, offers private instruction in the Bay Area and has coached teams at the Triple Crown Sports International Challenge and the JCC Maccabi Games. With a passion for storytelling and softball, she is dedicated to giving back to the sport that has shaped her both on and off the field and making an impact on the next generation in any way she can.
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