BROOKLYN, N.Y. — No. 3 Wagner softball will compete in the NEC Softball Tournament starting on Thursday, May 7. The Seahawks will take on No. 2 CCSU in their first game at 3 p.m.
NEC Tournament Format:
The 2026 NEC Softball Tournament is a double-elimination tournament, consisting of the top four teams in the conference. If Wagner wins its first game, it will play the winner of the No. 1 LIU/No. 4 Le Moyne game on Friday, May 8 at 10 a.m.; if it loses, it will play the loser of the other game at 1 p.m. Wagner will continue playing in the tournament until it loses two games.
Last Time Out:
The Seahawks ended the regular season by taking two of three from Saint Francis on their home field. The first win of the series, an 11-3 run-rule victory, helped them clinch their spot in the NEC Tournament. Junior third baseman
Sydnie Trujillo led the way with five hits and five RBIs in the three-game set, while senior
Payton Janicki tacked on four hits and four RBIs of her own.
Regular Season Recap:
Wagner finished the season 14-10 in the NEC, and 19-26 overall. During the conference season, the Seahawks took five of eight series, including a sweep of New Haven. They also picked up a win each against CCSU and LIU, the latter ending the Shark's 12-game NEC win streak on April 7.
In the non-conference slate, Wagner picked up wins against Montana, Florida A&M, Iona, and Saint Peter's. Additionally, they played an extra-inning game against Big Ten member Rutgers, before ultimately losing in eight innings.
All-NEC Seahawks:
Six Wagner players made All-NEC softball teams in 2026, led by NEC Pitcher of the Year, junior
Karson Zavala. She also made All-NEC first team with Trujillo, and sophomore designated player
Alayna Giampolo, the first time Wagner has had three players on the first team since 2009. Trujillo finished top-10 in the NEC in batting average (.377), OPS (.933), hits (49), and RBIs (34); Giampolo finished the season with the most stolen bases on the team (11), and the most at-bats (138).
Junior second baseman
Leilani Gonzales earned a spot on the All-NEC second team, recording six multi-hit games on the year, while only committing two defensive errors in 32 games.
Rounding out the All-NEC selections were pitcher
Samantha Lotus and center fielder
Ava Nawrocki, who made the NEC All-Rookie team. Lotus ended the year with lowest ERA in the NEC (3.10), and led the team with 126.1 innings pitched in 26 games. Nawrocki became the only Wagner freshman to play in over 40 games this season, finishing the year with a .230 batting average and .724 OPS.
Tournament History:
This is the 13th time Wagner has made the NEC Softball Tournament, and the first since 2017. The last time Wagner made the NEC Tournament, they earned the No. 3 seed and advanced all the way to the championship game against Saint Francis, where they fell 11-2 in Loretto, PA. The Seahawks are searching for their first NEC Title in program history.
Scouting CCSU:
The Blue Devils are searching for their third NEC Softball Title in program history, and their first since 2015. This season, CCSU earned the No. 2 seed in the tournament with a 20-4 record in the NEC, six games ahead of Wagner, and a game behind conference-leading LIU. This is CCSU's fourth consecutive NEC Tournament appearance and its 10th all time.
CCSU took two of three from Wagner on Staten Island in their only series of the season from April 3-4.
The Blue Devils sent seven players to the All-NEC first team, including seniors Grace Lawton and Ava Cino. Cino ended the season with the most doubles in the NEC (15), while Lawton led the conference in RBIs (43). CCSU also earned the NEC Coaching Staff of the Year, led by head coach Breanne Gleason and assistant coach Pat Holden.
How to Watch:
All NEC Tournament games will be played at the LIU Softball Complex, and will stream on ESPN+. The Seahawk's first game will start at 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 7.
