After falling short in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) semifinals a year ago, the Stony Brook softball team will return to Nassau County for another crucial conference matchup.

The Seawolves (21-13, 9-6 CAA) are slated to travel back to the field where their magical 2023 season ended to take on the Hofstra Pride (13-18, 11-4 CAA). The series will open on Friday at 5 p.m. before a 1 p.m. contest on Saturday and a noon start on Sunday to round out the weekend. 

Both sides find themselves in prime positions to return to the playoffs, mainly on the strength of their respective strong pitching staffs. The Pride hold a slight upper hand as their 3.37 team earned run average (ERA) bests Stony Brook’s 3.39 figure. 

The Pride have the pleasure of claiming one of the conference’s best arms at the top of their rotation. Starting pitcher Julia Aspel has dominated opposing hitters over her 110 innings pitched this year. The southpaw has allowed next to nothing, pitching to a league-best 1.21 ERA while holding the opposition to a .233 batting average  — a clip good for fourth-best. She has won the third most games in the conference with 12 in her 17 starts.

Behind Aspel, Hofstra has struggled to find consistent success from anywhere else in their staff. 

Pitcher Annabella Pisapia figures to get some innings this weekend as her six games started are the team’s second most. Across 28 innings this year, Pisapia has gotten knocked around en route to a 6.75 ERA. Opponents have had no issue timing her up as she has surrendered a .330 batting average against (BAA). The pitcher with the second most innings is Marisa Ogden with 30 ⅔. She also holds a 3.75 ERA while allowing a .372 BAA.

While Aspel carries the pitching staff, the Seawolves’ success comes from a much more well-rounded approach.

The ace of the staff is starter Mia Haynes, who has been excellent recently. After getting off to a rough start, Haynes has lowered her ERA to 3.15 which sneaks into the CAA’s top-10. She is seventh in the conference with 93 ⅓ innings pitched while pitching to a .241 BAA. Her 80 strikeouts are eighth in the conference. Much of her success is thanks to her last 12 innings being scoreless while striking out 14 hitters. The stretch includes a pair of one-hit complete-game shutouts.

Head Coach Megan Bryant has the fortune of claiming three pitchers with sub-three ERAs. Behind Haynes in the rotation is left-handed pitcher Gabrielle Maday, who has been a major asset for Bryant in her first year at Stony Brook. Maday has won eight of her 13 starts while pitching to a 3.65 ERA. In 69 innings, the senior has limited opposing baserunners as her 1.30 walks plus hits per innings pitched (WHIP), is the best on the team. 

Pitcher Ashton Melaas has found a niche for herself as a key option out of the team’s bullpen. Second to Haynes in appearances with 19, Melaas has excelled to the tune of a 3.55 ERA in 49 ⅓ innings. In seven decisions this year, she holds a 4-3 record while also notching three saves. 

The Seawolves pitching staff will look to feast on a Pride offense which ranks next to last in the conference with a .238 batting average. 

Team struggles aside, catcher Bella Vaillancourt has put together a strong year hitting .358, good for fifth in the CAA. The backstop is also tied for the league lead with seven home runs and places fourth with a 1.025 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS). 

Designated player Olivia Malinowski has been solid for Hofstra out of the two-hole. Starting all of her team’s games, Malinowski has hit .281 while tallying the third-most hits of any Hofstra player (25). She has driven in 17 runs which is second to Vaillancourt for the team-high. 

Behind her is first baseman Aliya Catanzarita who has bashed two home runs while having 14 runs batted in (RBI) to her name. She is hitting .264 with a .794 OPS and has also knocked six doubles. 

Left fielder Kayla Wilson has been great for the Pride at the bottom of the order, hitting .281 with a .852 OPS. Wilson leads the team with three triples. Center fielder Chelsea Manto provides Hofstra with a speedster before turning the lineup card over. Hitting .280, she has been a spark plug from the bottom while also stealing 12 bases to lead the team. 

Despite being perfect in six stolen base tries, right fielder Lily Yepez has struggled, hitting just .246 without an extra-base hit on the year. Shortstop Alanna Morse has seen similar offensive problems this season as she owns a .192 batting average. Nonetheless, Morse has started every game this year for the Pride. 

On the flip side, Stony Brook’s offense has been red-hot of late as their .272 average and 19 home runs each rank third league-wide. 

The offense is spearheaded by shortstop Kyra McFarland, whose .411 average leads the CAA. The reigning CAA Player of the Week is also tied for the league lead with 46 hits and has stolen seven bases in eight tries. Her .436 on-base percentage has helped her eclipse a .900 OPS, the third-best figure on the team.

Their biggest run-producer is left fielder Catherine Anne Kupinski. Kupinski has put herself in the conversation for the conference’s player of the year ranking third in the conference in home runs (6), RBIs (27) and OPS (1.051). She has also hit for a high average as her .350 clip is seventh best in the CAA. 

Stony Brook has finally seen the resurgence of first baseman Corinne Badger. After dealing with injuries and early-season hiccups, Badger has returned to her powerful ways in the cleanup spot launching five home runs — the sixth most in the conference. Despite hitting just .233, Badger has reached base at a .447 rate thanks to 17 walks. Coupled with her .567 slugging percentage, she holds a 1.014 OPS. 

Despite recently being dropped to the nine spot in the order, right fielder Alyssa Costello has been productive for the Seawolves’ offense, hitting .284. While she is yet to go deep, Costello has collected five doubles and three triples, contributing to a .778 OPS. She is also 6-for-6 in stolen base attempts.

Naiah Ackerman has been a pleasant surprise for Bryant, solidifying the everyday role at second base. She has broken out this year to the tune of a .263 average, .793 OPS and three longballs. 

Out of the leadoff spot, center fielder Alicia Orosco has begun to swing a better bat of late, raising her average to .265. Conversely, catcher Emily Reinstein has cooled off after a hot start as she is hitting just .247.

Designated player Julianna Sanzone has been key in producing runs despite a relatively mediocre offensive season. While she has hit three home runs and driven in 19, Sanzone is hitting just .232.

Trailing the Pride by two games, Stony Brook will have a golden opportunity to jump them in the standings this weekend.