Tuesday, Mar. 22, 2022
Rider Broncs (9-9) vs. Wagner Seahawks (5-14)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ – Herb & Joan Young Field
First Pitch: 2:30 p.m.
Watch Live – ESPN3
Live Stats – GoBroncs.com
Twitter – Twitter.com/SoftballRider

What You Need To Know
- The Rider Softball team plays its home-opening doubleheader Tuesday, when it welcomes Wagner to Herb & Joan Young Field.
- The doubleheader is Bark in the Park Day, with an appearance from Rookie from the Trenton Thunder.
- The Broncs have posted a 9-9 record so far this season. Outside of a pair of lopsided losses in its first three games, Rider's losses have all been within three runs or less, while seven of its nine wins have come by a five-run margin or more.
- Rider's wins so far this season have come against George Washington, Norfolk State (2), Bryant (2), Hampton, Morehead State, East Carolina and Cornell. This past weekend, Rider challenged Penn State, falling, 2-0, on Friday, before being edged, 2-1, in eight innings on Sunday.
- With a .358 team batting average, the Broncs rank fifth in the nation. Jessie Niegocki leads the way at .492, good for 10^th in the nation, while Grace Stansfield is 67^th nationally at .424.
- Elena Gonzalez has driven in 23 runs so far this season. Her 1.29 RBI's per game rank 10^th nationally.
- Niegocki is also ranked nationally in on-base percentage (.515, 56^th) and runs per game (1.12, 21^st). As a pitcher, her 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings also rank 59^th.
- Amanda Cooper and Gonzalez join Niegocki in the Top 50 nationally at 1.00 run per game (47^th).
- Rider last faced Wagner in 2019, a Seahawks sweep. Though Rider owns a 19-13 edge in the all-time series, Wagner has won the last eight games. Rider's last win over the Seahawks came on March 17, 2012.  
- The Broncs were picked to finish eighth in the MAAC Preseason Poll.
- Elena Gonzalez and Lani Moreno were picked to the Preseason All-MAAC Team.
- Gonzalez earned All-Region First Team honors last season, becoming the Broncs' first All-Region selection since 2004, when three Broncs – Heather Beintema, Amanda Tu (both First Team) and Maddy Boulden (Second Team) – earned the honor.
- Gonzalez and Moreno were each named to the All-MAAC First Team a year ago, again setting a first since 2004, as the duo was the first pair of Rider teammates to earn the honor. Courtney Weed, Amanda Tu and Heather Beintema each earned the honor in 2004.
- In an expanded eight-team field last year, Rider was made its first MAAC Championship appearance since 2006 and just the fourth for the program in 24 years in the league. Seventh-seeded Rider won its first game of a three-game series at second-seeded Canisius and pushed the Griffs to the brink, leading 5-1 after four innings in the decisive third game, before falling, 7-5.
- The Broncs are led by fifth-year Head Coach Davon Ortega. At 17-20 (.459) last season, Rider posted its best overall winning percentage since 2006 (24-28, .461) under Ortega's tutelage.