Softball | 4/16/2026 12:29:00 PM

FIRST PITCH
Heading into another three-game conference series against FDU this weekend, Saint Francis looks to keep its bats hot. Last weekend, the Red Flash rallied multiple times to keep things interesting against Stonehill and secured their fourth win of the season. Saint Francis aims to add to that total when it visits the Knights on Friday, April 17, for a doubleheader at FDU Softball Field in Teaneck, N.J., beginning at 1 p.m.

FDU SCOUTING REPORT 

Following the 2024-25 season, in which the Knights finished 24-26 overall and 13-8 in NEC play, FDU was picked third in the 2026 NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Head coach Chris Foye returns a lineup featuring a large share of last season's players, highlighted by three returning All-NEC selections.

Madison Rishel will look to build on a standout freshman campaign in Hackensack. In 2025, she hit .398 with 70 hits, with both marks setting FDU single-season records. Her eye-popping numbers earned her the 2025 NEC Rookie of the Year award, as well as spots on the All-NEC First Team and NEC All-Rookie Team.

Joining Rishel from last season's NEC All-Rookie Team are sophomores Kailee O'Sullivan and Brianna Holguin. O'Sullivan led FDU with 36 runs batted in last season while hitting .356 and posted a .527 slugging percentage, tops among all Knights. Holguin anchored second base for FDU in 2025, hitting .319 and leading the Knights with 22 walks.

LAST TIME WE PLAYED THE KNIGHTS  
The last time these two teams faced off was just last season, when Saint Francis run-ruled the Knights in five innings in the opening round of the NEC tournament, 10-2. In that game, junior Aliya Garroway recorded one hit and an RBI.

HEAD TO HEAD
In a rivalry dating back to the 2008 season, these two programs have met 38 times. Saint Francis currently leads the all-time series with 23 wins.

NEXT ON DECK
The Saint Francis softball team returns to action on Tuesday, April 21, traveling to University Park, PA, for a midweek clash at Nittany Lion Softball Park, with a 6 pm. start.

AT THE HELM 
Entering his first season at Loretto, Head Coach Bill Vasko aims to maintain the program's winning tradition as he becomes the 14th head coach in its history. He takes over a program that has won seven of the last eight NEC Tournament titles and appeared in seven NCAA Division I regionals. Vasko brings 15 years of collegiate softball coaching experience, including 10 years as a head coach, and 31 years in college athletics.

Upon his hiring, Vasko said, "I'm incredibly honored to be named the softball head coach at Saint Francis. This program has a strong tradition of excellence, and I'm excited to build on that legacy while helping our student-athletes grow both on and off the field. Saint Francis is a special place, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to lead this program into its next chapter. Our focus will be on developing leaders, continuing the championship culture, and competing with pride every time we take the field."

NEW TO THE LO' 
Late last year, Coach Vasko began building a winning-caliber team capable of competing against any opponent, both inside and outside the NEC. This effort started with the hiring of Abby Doerr and Ryan Bushey to his coaching staff. Coach Doerr brings extensive experience, having played at the highest level for programs including the University of Alabama and Oregon State University. Joining her is Coach Bushey, a graduate assistant who was a four-year infielder on the Mount Aloysius College baseball team, where he played a key role for a Mounties program that consistently competed at the top of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference.

BY THE NUMBERS 
Throughout the season, the Red Flash have demonstrated their prowess with the long ball, ranking second in the NEC with 33 home runs. Saint Francis also ranks among the conference's top five in several offensive categories: hits (fourth, 259), runs (third, 156), RBIs (third, 144), total bases (tied for second, 406), and slugging percentage (second, .414).

THE ACE AT FIRST BASE
At the center of the Saint Francis offensive attack is sophomore Sofia Zielinski, who currently leads the team in six categories: batting average (.455), hits (46), home runs (10), total bases (84), slugging percentage (.888), and runs scored (29). Earlier this season, she broke her personal single-season best of nine home runs and became just the 19th player in program history to hit 10 or more homers in a season, dating back to 1999.

PRE-SEASON POLL
Entering the 2026 season as the reigning champions after winning their second consecutive NEC title, Saint Francis was selected to finish sixth out of nine teams in the NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll.

THE RETURNERS 
Saint Francis begins the 2026 season with six returners from last year's championship-winning squad, including three CSC Academic All-District award winners: senior Annabelle Farmer, junior Aliya Garroway, and junior Olivia Kolowitz. They are joined by sophomore Morgan Pasternak, senior Haley Brag, and sophomore Sofia Zielinski, all of whom were vital to last year's championship team.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK 
Despite the key contributions of last year's championship-winning team, Coach Vasko made several additions to the lineup to make a difference. Saint Francis welcomes a strong freshman class, including Olivia Holtzman (York, Pennsylvania, Central York), Sophia Rabatin (Lilly, Pennsylvania, Penn Cambria), Olivia Hood (New Castle, Pennsylvania, New Castle), Ella Zoss, and Zoe Kesterson (Charles Town, West Virginia, Washington).