Quinnipiac Bobcats softball

Quinnipiac Bobcats
UniversityQuinnipiac University
Head coachHillary Smith (6th season)
ConferenceMAAC
LocationHamden, CT
Home stadiumQuinnipiac Softball Field
NicknameBobcats
ColorsNavy and gold
   
Regular Season Conference championships
1996*
*at Division II level

The Quinnipiac Bobcats softball team represents Quinnipiac University in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), having joined in 2014. From 1988 until 1998, Quinnipiac was a member of the Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10) at the Division II level.[1] The program transitioned to Division I in 1999, joining the Northeast Conference (NEC) where they were a member until 2013. The Bobcats are currently led by head coach Hillary Smith. The team plays its home games at Quinnipiac Softball Field, which is located on the college's campus.[2]

History[edit]

The Bobcats had some success as a NCAA Division II program, winning the Northeast-10 Conference regular season title in 1996. The team won two individual awards in the NE-10, with coach Frank Kafka winning NE-10 Coach of the Year in 1994 and Alicia Longobardi winning Freshman of the Year in 1996.[1] After the 1998 season, the athletic program transitioned to NCAA Division I.[3][4]

Since transitioning to Division I in 1999, Quinnipiac has failed to win either a conference regular season title or a conference tournament championship. In doing so, the Bobcats have also failed to reach the NCAA Division I softball tournament. Quinnipiac has finished as high as second in the Northeast Conference standings twice, doing so under coach Germaine Fairchild in the 2004 and 2012 seasons.[5]

Fairchild was replaced by Jill Karwoski on August 26, 2013.[6][7] Fairchild's firing became the subject of a lawsuit carried out by the former coach against the university, citing a violation of Title IX.[8] A previous lawsuit had been filed in 2009 against the university after the school had announced the elimination of several sports, notably women's volleyball, and the addition of a Division I cheerleading team.[9] Fairchild's lawsuit claimed that she was fired after testifying at the preliminary injunction hearing related to the 2009 lawsuit, which she was subpoenaed to testify as a witness. The hearing took place three weeks before Fairchild was fired on July 11, 2013.[10] A federal judge ruled against Quinnipiac's motion to dismiss Fairchild's claim on June 13, 2014.[11]

After spending the first 15 years of their time in Division I in the NEC, it was announced in 2012 that the Bobcats would be leaving to join the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference starting in the 2013–14 academic year.[12][13]

Coaching history[edit]

Years Coach Record %
1988–1998 Frank Kafka 258–197–3 .567[1]
1999–2000 Maribeth Clifford 40–42 .488[14]
2001–2013 Germaine Fairchild 276–322–1 .462
2013–2018 Jill Karwoski 117–188 .384[15]
2019–present Hillary Smith 56–124 .361

Roster[edit]

2024 Quinnipiac Bobcats roster
 

Pitchers

  • 54 – Jaclyn Gonzalez – Junior
  • 12 – Lauren Hilliard – Freshman
  • 1 – Sydney Horan – Junior
  • 20 – Tori McGraw – Junior
  • 17 – Taylor Walton – Junior
  • 22 – Julia Woeste – Senior

Catchers

  • 11 – Mac Davis – Sophomore
  • 9 – Hannah Davis – Graduate Student
  • 42 – Kennedy Demott – Sophomore
  • 10 – Amanda Engel – Junior
  • 38 – Abby LaClair – Freshman
  • 20 – Riley Potter – Freshman
  • 26 – Sydney Rosenkranz – Freshman
  

Infielders

  • 27 – Natalia Apatiga – Sophomore
  • 14 – Ashley Garcia – Freshman
  • 44 – Brooke Hilliard – Junior
  • 5 – Ella McGalliard –Junior
  • 2 – Sofia Vega – Sophomore

Outfielders

  • 4 – Mary Fogg – Sophomore
  • 23 – Ally Hochstadter – Sophomore
  • 16 – Gianna Palmisano – Senior
  • 3 – Noelle Reid – Sophomore
  • 34 – Karolyn Walker – Senior

Utility

  • 12 – Bridget Nasir – Graduate Student
  • 24 – Jaelyn Gonzalez – Freshman
  
Reference:[16]

Season by season results[edit]

Statistics overview
Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Quinnipiac Bobcats (Northeast-10 Conference) (1988–1998)
1988 Frank Kafka 23–23 10–6 4th
1989 Frank Kafka 17–21 8–8 T–5th
1990 Frank Kafka 25–18 10–8 4th
1991 Frank Kafka 19–22 10–8 5th
1992 Frank Kafka 18–16 9–9 5th
1993 Frank Kafka 18–19 12–6 3rd
1994 Frank Kafka 30–20 11–7 4th
1995 Frank Kafka 33–11–1 15–3 3rd
1996 Frank Kafka 30–15 13–3 1st
1997 Frank Kafka 24–13 12–6 T–4th
1998 Frank Kafka 21–19–2 13–6–1 4th
Quinnipiac Bobcats (Northeast Conference) (1999–2013)
1999 Maribeth Clifford 23–21 9–9 6th
2000 Maribeth Clifford 17–21 10–10 T–6th
2001 Germaine Fairchild 17–26 10–12 8th
2002 Germaine Fairchild 16–22 9–11 7th
2003 Germaine Fairchild 34–19 13–8 3rd
2004 Germaine Fairchild 23–28 16–4 2nd
2005 Germaine Fairchild 19–29–1 12–8 4th
2006 Germaine Fairchild 19–37 11–8 5th
2007 Germaine Fairchild 18–27 12–6 4th
2008 Germaine Fairchild 20–36 5–13 8th
2009 Germaine Fairchild 18–30 8–10 6th
2010 Germaine Fairchild 28–24 15–5 3rd
2011 Germaine Fairchild 32–26 13–7 4th
2012 Germaine Fairchild 32–18 13–7 T–2nd
2013 Jill Karwoski 16–34 9–11 8th
Quinnipiac Bobcats (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) (2014–present)
2014 Jill Karwoski 11–36 6–14 9th
2015 Jill Karwoski 17–33 8–12 8th
2016 Jill Karwoski 28–29 11–9 6th
2017 Jill Karwoski 23–27 9–11 9th
2018 Jill Karwoski 22–29 9–11 T–6th
2019 Hillary Smith 17–33 8–12 8th
2020 Hillary Smith 2–9 0–0 N/A

Season cut short due to COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 Hillary Smith 8–28 8–28 10th
2022 Hillary Smith 12–29 5–15 11th
2023 Hillary Smith 17–25 5–15 10th
2024 Hillary Smith 0–0 0–0
Total: 747–873–1 (.461)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

[17][18]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Northeast 10 Athletics" (PDF).
  2. ^ "Facilities". Quinnipiac University Athletics.
  3. ^ Fornabaio, Michael. "How Quinnipiac hockey went from Division II to a national title". Ct Insider.
  4. ^ "PLUS: COLLEGES -- QUINNIPIAC COLLEGE; School Enters Division I Ranks". The New York Times. 3 September 1998.
  5. ^ "2012 Quinnipiac Softball Schedule - Northeast Conference". northeastconference.org.
  6. ^ Staff Reports (August 28, 2013). "New softball coach announced; Fairchild out".
  7. ^ "Quinnipiac Softball's Jill Karwoski Promoted to Head Coach". gobobcats.com.
  8. ^ "Fairchild v. Quinnipiac University". Connecticut Law Tribune.
  9. ^ "BIEDIGER V. QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY | Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse". clearinghouse.net.
  10. ^ "Quinnipiac Comes up Empty Again in Title IX Litigation | Sports Litigation Alert".
  11. ^ "UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT". ecf.ctd.uscourts.gov.
  12. ^ Staff Reports (December 14, 2012). "Quinnipiac moves to MAAC".
  13. ^ Columnist, Chip Malafronte, Register Sports (December 14, 2012). "Quinnipiac accepts invitation to join MAAC". New Haven Register.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ "Quinnipiac Softball's Jill Karwoski Promoted to Head Coach". Quinnipiac University Athletics.
  15. ^ "Jill Karwoski - Softball Coach". Providence College Athletics.
  16. ^ "2024 Softball Roster". Quinnipiac University Athletics.
  17. ^ "NEC Softball Standings (1998-2022)". northeastconference.org.
  18. ^ "Softball Standings 1986-2022". maacsports.com.

External links[edit]

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