Matt O’Connor: Editor-In-Chief
The regular season for Merrimack’s softball team came to a close with a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference standing of 10 – 16 and an overall standing of 12 – 29. During the team’s 2026 run, Merrimack made some showstopping plays and game defining runs throughout the conference. On both Warrior Diamond and on the road, Merrimack’s season was nothing but eventful. This is a recap of the players, coaches and moments that defined Merrimack Softball’s 2026 season.
A New Face For The Warriors
After Elaine Schwager retired following the completion of her 18th season, Merrimack alumni Jill Gagnon was announced to be taking over as the head coach for the Warriors. Gagnon graduated from Merrimack in 2009 and played for the team as a pitcher. In addition, she earned both all-conference and all-championship honors in the NE10. Gagnon made the transfer to Merrimack after 12 seasons with Saint Anselm. In a statement announcing the naming of Gagnon as head coach, Director of Merrimack Athletics Joe Foley described Gagnon fondly.
“Her leadership, and deep understanding of the Merrimack culture make her uniquely qualified to guide our program. Her track record at Saint Anselm, coupled with her passion for our values and mission, aligns perfectly with where we want this program to go.” Furthermore, Gagnon spoke with enthusiasm about the team and their upcoming season. “The culture of athletics when I was at Merrimack was hard working and every team was trying to be something great. And I think Merrimack softball has the chance to really compete.” Gagnon said.
The Season’s Highlights
After beginning the season with a strong showing in the UNLV tournament, the Warriors picked up their first wins with a 10 -1 victory over the Morgan State Bears and an 8 – 4 victory over the Cornell Big red in Towson Tournament Splits, with Caity Lemay’s incredible grand slam being a major highlight. The team would get their first home wins in a victorious double header against the Canisius Griffins with two three run homers from Madeline Arvai.
With nine shutout innings from Anna Gedacht, the Warriors clutched a win over the Sacred Heart Pioneers with Sam Ryan’s one out triple and Emma Prahin’s sacrifice fly in extra innings. Gedacht continued her pitching momentum as her strikeout and a two run double from Caity Lemay led to a 3 -2 win over the Iona Gales. The following week, the Warriors would take a 3- 2 series win over the Saint Peter’s Peacock’s with standout swings from Abby Choquette and Emma Prahin.
The Warriors would get their final wins of the season with victories over the Niagara Purple Eagles and the Siena Saints. Merrimack swept against Niagara with 9 -6 and 1 – 0 wins. Brandi Neil dominated on the mound in the second game of the double header against Niagara with a complete game shutout and Anna Mitrou scored a single run for Merrimack. Against Siena, the Warriors took both a 4 – 2 and 9 -7 win with Sam Ryan getting her third relief pitch win after seven straight innings.
Spotlights and Sendoffs
The Warriors honed their skills this season with their players earning some incredibly noteworthy achievements. In 2026, seven seniors completed their final undergraduate season for Merrimack. #00 Sydney Samuel earned a hit at UNLV and batted in a run at UMaine. #2 Alex Miller scored 2 runs at Siena and got 3 hits at Mount St. Marys. #7 Madison Metcalf got a hit at Manhattan and batted in a run at Quinnipiac. #9 Sam Russalessi scored 4 runs at Saint Peter’s and stole a base at Siena. #15 Thiana Brito shined in the UNLV Tournament. Finally, #20 Caity Lemay scored a home run at Siena and got 4 hits at Morgan State.
In addition to their seniors, the Warriors made significant strides both at home and on the road. #31 Anna Gedacht and #16 Brandi Neil were both the talk of the town on the mound as they both got multiple strikeouts. #23 Madeline Arvai and #46 Jamie Calkins both earned themselves doubles, with the latter getting a triple against Iona. Overall, it was a developmental and important season for Warrior Softball with the team earning some amazing achievements throughout the year.
Coaches and Conclusion
Jill Gagnon had big shoes to fill after the departure of Elaine Schwager, and she certainly exceeded any and all expectations. Under Gagnon and assistant coach Alyssa DiMauro, the Warriors took themselves to new heights and screamed their name loud and proud in the MAAC conference like never before. Although the Warriors just fell short of qualifying for the post season, the team still excelled throughout the year and ended things off with a monumental success for Jill Gagnon and her first year as head coach.
After the conclusion to the regular season, 13 players were named to the MAAC All-Academic Softball Team. #1, Emma Prahin, #2 Alex Miller, #3 Abby Choquette, #5 Kiele Coleman, #7 Madison Metcalf, #9 Sam Russalessi, #16 Brandi Neil, #17 Jordan Theriault, #20 Caity Lemay, #22 Madi Gibeault, #23 Madeline Arvai, #25 Samantha Sosnovich and #31 Anna Gedacht all received this honor. In 2026, the Merrimack Warriors succeeded tremendously during their softball season, and Jill Gagnon will continue at the helm in 2027.
