FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairfield University softball team will play its next eight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) games on the road, beginning with this weekend's doubleheaders with Quinnipiac University on Friday and Manhattan College on Saturday. The Stags opened MAAC play last weekend at home, posting a 2-2 mark against Mount St. Mary's University and Rider University.

The team finds itself in the middle of the pack with Quinnipiac after the first MAAC weekend of the 2023 campaign as the two schools split their first two twin bills. Siena College is the only remaining unbeaten team in conference play after while four teams stand with one loss. Four teams are still looking for their win in conference play.

The Stags received solid play from Charli Warren, Delaney Whieldon, and Sam Lindsay last week, a trio which continues to put impressive numbers. Warren extended her hitting streak to eight games with her single against UConn on Wednesday after batting .533 last week with eight hits in 15 at-bats through the team's five games played. She currently owns a team-best .358 batting average in addition to leading her teammates with 11 walks and 11 stolen bases. 

Whieldon improved her numbers with another solid week that saw the freshman drive home five runs in the team's come-from-behind win against Rider University including her first collegiate home run. She batted .312 over five games last week and was one of four Stags to register a hit on Wednesday against UConn, bringing her season hitting percentage to .339 along with her team-leading 11 RBI through her 21 starts.

Lindsay saw time as a starter and as a reliever last week, picking up a win and a save in the Rider doubleheader. Earlier in the week she tossed six shutout innings before Mount St. Mary's University broke up scoreless game with a single run in the seventh inning. For the season, Lindsay owns a 2-5 record with a 3.29 ERA and one save through her team-best 49 innings pitched this season

Like Fairfield, Quinnipiac swept a doubleheader and dropped a doubleheader on the opening weekend of MAAC play, sweeping Niagara University but falling short versus Canisius College. The Bobcats bring a 13-11 overall record into the weekend, winning four of six games in February and splitting the 14 games played in March. 

Brooke Hilliard, Lala Pascual, and Bridget Nasir represent the team's top run producers with each holding an RBI total in double figures. Hilliard has also bundled her 11 walks with  her 16 hits to reach base enough times to score 12 runs. Pascual holds the top spot on the stats sheet with her .375 batting average with seven of her 15 hits leading to extra bases - four doubles, one triple, and one home run.

Nasir has hovered around the .300 mark for most of the season and checks into this weekend with a .290 batting average. Sydney Horan (8-6 record, 2.03 ERA) and Jaclyn Gonzalez (5-5, 1.95 ERA) have handled most of the innings on the pitching staff, combining for all but 10 innings pitched this season.

Manhattan starts the week with a 3-22 overall record which does not include today's doubleheader at Wagner College this afternoon. Two of the team's victories have come against Nutmeg State teams, edging both the University of Hartford (3-1 score) and Central Connecticut State University (7-6 score). Marika Deemer paces the offense with her .319 batting average as well as with her three home runs and 12 RBI. Kaitlyn Flood has also brought home her share of runs with 11 RBI in addition to her seven extra base hits - five doubles and two homers. Sophia Kiseloski, Makayla Veneziale, and Mollie Charest each have registered a win in the pitching circle this season.

Following this weekend's road trip, the Stags will continue the road trip with Columbia next Wednesday followed by the upstate New York run to Canisius College and Niagara University over the weekend.