FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The Fairfield University returns to non-conference play midweek before continuing through Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play over the weekend. The Stags begin their-four-game week by hosting Yale University on Wednesday afternoon with first pitch slated for 3:30 pm. The week continues with a three-game series at Rider University beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday and ending with a single game on Sunday.

Fairfield remains in the midst of making a run to the MAAC tournament after winning five of the its last nine conference games including series wins against Siena College and Manhattan College. The team looks to continue its offensive renaissance which sparked the Stags into scoring 47 runs in its their last nine games (5.2 runs per game). During this current stretch, Fairfield tallied seven or more runs three times highlighted by a 10-7 win over Siena on April 7.

Charli Warren has been the catalyst at the top of the order, batting .406 over the nine-game run with 13 runs scored and seven stolen bases. And with her finding her way onto the base paths, Allie Bridgman and Morgan Sylvestre have been successful at getting her and other teammates across home plate. Bridgman paces her teammates in the month of April, posting team-highs for batting average (.438), hits (14), and RBI (11). Infielder Martina Guitierrez has also emerged as an offensive threat during the month, owning a .375 batting average with a team-leading four doubles over the last nine outings.

In the pitching circle, Bailey Taylor won three of the team's five games this month, tossing a team-best 23.2 innings with 11 strikeouts over her five appearances. Chela Kovar and Alyssa Weinberg also have registered a win during this current stretch with Weinberg also chipping in with a save.

Yale University comes into Wednesday's matinee with a 17 wins and the best record in Ivy League play at 12-3. The 12 Ivy League victories already set a school standard for wins with in the league, eclipsing the previous school standard of 11 recorded in 2009 and 2023. The Bulldogs have won seven straight games coming into this week's action including three-game sweeps of Cornell and Penn.. Wednesday's game will represent the third meeting between Fairfield and Yale with the visiting team winning both previous games - a 7-2 decision at the Fullerton (Calif.) tournament and an 8-6 final in New Haven.

Willa Ferrer is the heart of the Yale offense this season, already accumulating a .371 batting average with six home runs and 22 RBI through her 35 appearances. Libby Peoples and Carolyn Skotz are also above the .300 mark this season, checking into the week with a .319 and a .309 batting average, respectively. Emma Taylor has presented a bulk of the innings within the pitching circle, sporting 126 innings pitched with team-bests in wins (11), complete games (11), and ERA (3.00).

Rider University travels to Morgan State University for a doubleheader on Wednesday before returning home to host the Stags over the weekend. The Broncs are 6-6 in MAAC play this season, slightly ahead of Fairfield with their .500 winning percentage. The team won four of its last nine MAAC games which began with a series win over Manhattan on April 5-6.

The Broncs have five student-athletes who are hitting above the .300 mark this season with Jessie Niegocki (.336 batting average), Kierstan Buchanan (.333), and Jadeyn Merrill (.326) sitting atop the quintet. Anne-Marie Groskritz has enjoyed a solid season with a 4-4 overall record with two shutouts and two saves over her 18 appearances this year. 

The Rider series will end the Stags' road schedule for the year as the team plays its final eight games at home. The run begins with a three-game series against Quinnipiac starting on April 23.