MAAC Softball Championships
May 11-14, 2022
#4 Rider Broncs (28-23-1, 11-9 MAAC)
Location: Lawrenceville, NJ – Herb & Joan Young Field
Watch Live – All Games on ESPN+ [Wednesday 1:30 p.m. vs. Marist]
Tickets – MAACSports.com
Live Stats – GoGriffs.com
Twitter – Twitter.com/SoftballRider
MAAC Softball Championship Homepage – Click Here
MAAC Championship Bracket – Click Here

What You Need To Know
- The fourth-seeded Rider Softball team travels to Buffalo, NY, to take part in the six-team MAAC Championships at Canisius.
- The Broncs open play against fifth-seeded Marist on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.
- All games will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
- A win would send the Broncs to Thursday's winner's bracket for a contest with top-seeded Canisius. With a loss, Rider would face an immediate turnaround for a 4 p.m. first pitch in an elimination game against the loser of Wednesday's 11 a.m. game between third-seeded Siena and sixth-seeded Iona.
- The Broncs earned their first-ever berth into a six-team MAAC Championship. The tournament featured four teams from the Broncs' entrance into the league for the 1998 season until 2013. With the additions of Monmouth and Quinnipiac in 2014 to expand the league from nine softball-playing institutions to 11, the tournament format expanded to six teams. The only exception came last season, when the tournament expanded to eight teams, with the opening round being a three-game series on the higher-seeded team's home field.
- Rider returns to the tournament for the fifth time, including its second-straight berth after taking the No. 7 seed in last year's eight-team tournament. Rider's last appearance prior to 2021 was in 2006. The Broncs also qualified in 2003, when they won their lone MAAC Tournament Championship, and 2004.
- Rider's 28 wins are the team's most since 2004, when the Broncs matched the program record of 35 wins (1994).
- Rider's 28 wins eclipse the most in Davon Ortega's five-year tenure at Rider by an 11-win margin (17, 2018, 2021).
- Rider finished with a .500 winning percentage or better in league play for the first time since 2010 (8-8). The Broncs finished above .500 in league play for the first time since 2006 (10-6) and just the fourth time in the program's 26 years in the MAAC.
- Against this year's tournament field, the Broncs were 6-4, including sweeps of No. 2 Fairfield and No. 5 Marist. Rider split with top-seeded Canisius and No. 6 Iona, while being swept by No. 3 Siena. The Fairfield, Canisius and Iona doubleheaders were played on the Broncs' home field, while Rider traveled to Siena and Marist.
- Rider returns to Buffalo, where they pushed second-seeded Canisius to a third game in the three-game MAAC Opening Round series and led, 5-1, heading to the fifth inning in Game 3, before the Griffs scored three runs in the sixth and seventh innings to advance.
- The Broncs swept a doubleheader at Marist in which they trailed both games heading to the sixth inning or later on May 1.
- Canisius leads the all-time series with Rider, 41-18, including five of seven meetings last season. The Broncs won the opener of their three-game MAAC Championship-opening series in Buffalo and led late into Game 3. But the Griffs pulled out the series and advanced to the semifinals. Both teams had come-from-behind victories this past April 9 in Lawrenceville, with the Griffs taking Game 1 and the Broncs walking off in Game 2.
- Fairfield leads the all-time series with Rider, 40-12. Rider snapped a streak of 17-straight Stags victories from 2011-19 with a Game 2 victory on May 3, 2019. After Fairfield took both of the teams' meetings last season, Rider responded with an April 2, 2022 sweep of the Stags.
- Siena leads the all-time series with Rider, 30-20. The two teams split a four-game series last year in Loudonville, before the Saints took both games at home this past April 30.
- Rider swept Marist on May 1 to cut the Red Foxes' lead in the all-time series to 44-23. The sweep was the Broncs' first against Marist since 2010.
- Iona leads the all-time series with Rider, 26-23, including a four-game sweep last April 17-18. The Broncs swept a doubleheader in the previous meetings, May 4, 2019. Rider and Iona split a pair of games this past April 4 in Lawrenceville.
- The Broncs had a season-long seven-game winning streak in their first seven home games of the season, March 22 – April 4. Rider is 11-3 at home this season, including a 6-2 mark in MAAC contests at Herb & Joan Young Field.
- Jessie Niegocki threw the first Rider no hitter in nearly 10 years on Apr. 2 vs. Fairfield. The five-inning no-no was the first since Rachael Matreale also threw a five-inning no-hitter on Apr. 7, 2012, against Saint Peter's. Niegocki's no hitter was the 15^th in Rider Softball history.
- For her effort, Niegocki was named MAAC Pitcher of the Week, joining teammate Anna-Marie Groskritz (Mar. 22) in earning the honor this season.  
- On March 11 vs. Bryant, Lani Moreno got her 100^th career hit and now has 133. Grace Stansfield picked up her 100^th hit on Senior Day, Apr. 10 against Niagara, and now has 120. Elena Gonzalez and Jessie Niegocki are also chasing 100, currently standing on 91 and 87, respectively.
- With a .298 team batting average, the Broncs rank 46^th in the nation and first in the MAAC.
- Elena Gonzalez has been an effective backstop for the Broncs, throwing out 13 attempted base stealers this season, good for 28^th in the nation.  
- As a pitcher, Jessie Niegocki's 8.9 strikeouts per seven innings rank 47^th, while her 2.18 ERA ranks 108^th nationally.
- At the plate, Niegocki's team-leading 65 hits are 34^th nationally and lead the MAAC.
- The Rider pitching staff's collective 2.44 earned run average ranks 39^th nationally and is tops in the MAAC.  
- 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.
- 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.