PITMAN, N.J. – The sixth-seeded William Paterson softball team (22-13-1, 7-10-1 NJAC) will open the New Jersey Athletic Conference Softball Tournament Saturday, May 6, when the Pioneers head to Glassboro, N.J., to face off against top-seeded and No. 16-ranked Rowan (34-4, 17-1 NJAC) at 4:00 p.m. Live statistics and live video of the game will be available.

WHERE:

• Rowan Softball Field: Glassboro, N.J.; Ticket prices are $5.00 for adults: $2.00 for children, and senior citizens.
• Free tickets will be granted to all William Paterson students who attend the game at Rowan with a valid WP ID courtesy of student development.

WHAT'S ON THE LINE:

• The six-team tournament uses a double-elimination format, with the opening round of competition being played on the home fields of the top three seeds on May 6.
• The NJAC champion garners an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
• The winner of the WP/Rowan game will play Tuesday, May 9, at 4:00 p.m. against the loser of Saturday's game between third-seeded Ramapo (29-10-1, 13-4-1 NJAC) and fourth-seeded Stockton (19-17, 11-7 NJAC) at the site of the highest remaining seed.
• The loser of the WP/Rowan game will play Tuesday, May 9, at 4:00 p.m. against the loser of Saturday's game between second-seeded The College of New Jersey (25-9, 15-3 NJAC) and fifth-seeded Kean (24-14, 9-9 NJAC) at the site of the highest remaining seed.

WP IN THE NJAC TOURNAMENT:

• WP is making its 22nd appearance in the NJAC Tournament (1990, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023), and the Pioneers are seeking their fifth conference crown (1999, 2003, 2005, 2009).
• It marks the Pioneers' first trip to the NJAC Tournament under second-year head coach, Jessica Jacobson.

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS:

• William Paterson finished the regular season with an overall record of 23-13-1 and 7-10-1 mark in NJAC play.
• The Pioneers enter tournament play on a three-game winning streak after picking up a pair of home wins over Rutgers-Newark on April 28 before topping John Jay, 2-1, on May 4.
• Graduate student Carly McDaniel (Lincoln Park, N.J./Boonton) paces the Pioneers at the plate with a team-best .383 average to go with a .433 on-base percentage and .533 slugging percentage. During the regular season, she recorded a team-high 41 hits with seven doubles, three triples, 23 runs, 27 RBI and 22 stolen bases.
• Fellow graduate student Jasmine Vera (Dumont, N.J./Dumont) has made her mark in her first season with the team by batting .374 with 40 hits, six doubles, two triples, a pair of homers, 27 runs and 17 RBI while going a perfect 22-for-22 on stolen base attempts this year.
• Junior Gianna Mulato (Pompton Plains, N.J./Pequannock Twp.) has logged 27 hits with six doubles, 15 RBI and 13 runs scored while batting .325 across 37 contests.
• Sophomore Jaelynn Miller (Oxford, N.J./Warren Hills) has pitched to a 10-6 record with a 1.56 ERA in 103.1 innings of work. She leads the Pioneers with 75 strikeouts and opponents are batting just .198 off of her this season.
• Freshman Lilah Guthy (East Stroudsburg, Pa./Stroudsburg) has compiled a 9-4 record inside the circle with a 1.33 ERA in 68.1 innings.

SCOUTING THE PROFS:

• No. 16-ranked Rowan went 34-4 overall and 17-1 in NJAC play this season.
• The Profs finished 10-2 at home with one of those losses coming on April 25 when Ramapo bested Rowan, 6-2.
• Eight batters are hitting over .300 for the Profs, led by sophomore Liz McCaffery. The second-year infielder is batting .385 with 45 hits, 12 doubles, 24 RBI and 42 runs.
• Junior Cat Thomas has provided the bulk of the power in the Rowan lineup, tallying a team-high eight home runs to go with 12 doubles for a .672 slugging percentage. She has driven in a team-best 40 runs on the year on 44 hits.
• Sophomore Rylee Lutz has been the team's top starter inside the circle, pitching to a 19-2 overall record with a 1.98 ERA in 131.2 innings of work. She finished second in the NJAC with 142 strikeouts.

 
LAST TIME THEY MET:

• William Paterson and Rowan last met April 2 when the Profs took both ends of a twinbill at Pioneer Softball Field. Rowan claimed a 3-0 victory in game win before securing a 6-3 win in game two.

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