If you went to the James J. McCann Center at Marist University and polled people on the best Division I athletic team the school offers, the Marist softball team would undoubtedly be a common response.
In a world of athletes never afraid to enter the transfer portal, softball continues to build off of a four to five-year talent cycle. A never-ending pool of talent at the fingertips of a mastermind of both bat and ball sports stems from their head coach.
Joe Ausanio grew up a baseball junkie. The native of nearby Kingston, N.Y., was a relief pitcher for nearly all of his playing days. The 6-foot-1 right-handed pitcher was best known for his near-spinless knuckleball with a fair level of effectiveness at all levels of baseball.
That knuckleball-centric repertoire earned him two draft selections., The Atlanta Braves selected him in the 30th round of the 1984 MLB Draft out of Catholic High School. Ausanio turned down that pick, landing at Jacksonville University for college baseball. He cemented himself with the Dolphins, leading the program in all-time appearances and saves during his four years.
After graduation, the Pittsburgh Pirates picked him in the 11th round. Ausanio spent three and a half years in Pittsburgh’s minor league system, but he never exceeded Triple-A.
He exited the organization via waivers before the Montreal Expos picked him up. An exceptional run in Double-A with the Harrisburg Senators helped the squad claim the Eastern League championship. Despite the success, the Expos possessed an influx of near-MLB-ready pitching talent with the Triple-A Ottawa Lynx. 18 pitchers who passed through Ottawa in 1993 reached the MLB in their careers.
This led Ausanio to the Rule 5 Draft, where he began his time with the organization that eventually gave him his big league opportunity.
After a brief stint with Triple-A Columbus, the New York Yankees brought him up to get his first taste of major league baseball just prior to the 1994 work stoppage. Coming out of the work stoppage, he accumulated 28 appearances before two more stops in Triple-A with the New York Mets and Colorado Rockies.
Despite only having limited time spent in the MLB, Ausanio believes his view of baseball provided the now Marist softball coach with an insightful perspective into the game.
“I got so many different perspectives from what different organizations wanted out of their players to what different managers wanted,” said Ausanio. “I took the best of everything that I liked from each organization and molded it into the way I want to coach and give our kids a great experience.”
Not every athlete gets a great experience. Many athletes love their sport and have the will to play it, but it is never always fun to make it to the field every day.
Graduate student infielder Haley Ahr, however, made it to the field every day over the past five years. Despite being the 2025 NCAA softball batting champion, she honored her commitment to finishing out her college career at Marist.
“[Ausanio] says that he wants practice to be the best two hours of our day,” said Ahr. “I would say based on the people he recruited and the fact that it’s not too serious, he is able to do that.”
It’s evident on the field, during games and even in passing on campus. The group combines talent, winning and fun to create a strong college experience – one their coach feeds off.
“He wants to have fun too. That’s part of the cooler aspect,” said Ahr.
Another notable perk of the “fun” aspect of this team is a lack of the dreaded early schedule. A former player under Ausanio herself, assistant coach Alyssa Grupp, understands the balance between life, school, academics, and athletics.
“We don’t do 6 a.m. lifts. We do everything in the afternoon because we want you to have a great balance of school, social life, softball and academics. The hard part in all of this is to have a balance,” said Grupp.
With all the program’s fun, the expectation of winning never wavers, and the team continues to answer the bell. On April 12, Ausanio notched his 500th career win over Rider, further cementing his legacy in Poughkeepsie.
Ausanio brings certain skills to the table that not many other coaches across the NCAA, less so the MAAC, do. His background of purely baseball brings a unique perspective, especially in the circle. Stemming from all of his professional baseball stops, Ausanio’s instinct stands out, according to the girls in his dugout.
“It’s special how he thinks,” said Grupp. “He’s known for pitching, and the way that he can pick pitches is mind-boggling. It’s amazing to witness.”
Many coaches – amateur, college and pro – display that knowledge through game management. Ausanio’s insights and knowledge trickled down into the minds of his players and coaches.
“I’ve been able to learn on my end. Even little plays that he brings over from baseball in his experience with the Yankees. He brings over a softball, tweaks it, spins off a little, but it still works,” said Grupp.
All of the little details that make Ausanio a mastermind persist most through one of his strongest coaching talents: recruitment.
One of the most overlooked parts of modern-day recruiting is the interpersonal connection between a coach and the recruit. Any Marist softball player will discuss their amazement with how much effort and time Ausanio put into getting to know a prospective recruit.
“His first and foremost [goal] is to make sure that we’re good students,” said Ahr. “I think he really does try to get to know you beyond the game when he’s watching you.”
In her five years, Ahr has experienced Ausanio’s targets and how he views prospective athletes firsthand.
“He’s not looking at who got out,” said Ahr. “He’s looking at what you’re doing after you get out. He wants to see that you’re going to fit into the team culture and the positive outlook on the game. He wants to see you coming into the dugout and picking up your teammates.”
In today’s world, the program’s talent begs the question of how a mid-major school retains these players year after year. Some of the team’s talent has grown far beyond the MAAC, with Ahr being a prime example of that talent, but Ausanio still retains them.
“The fact that Joe wants us to have fun, but he also wants you to have a life outside of softball,” said Ahr. “It really helps and gives us the chance to grow as a person, and he encourages that.”
A mastermind’s master vision came into fruition. He created an environment where his players can grow as softball players and people of society, while also having the ability to apply their growth outside of softball, have fun and enjoy the life of a college student.
Edited by Mike Duda and Mike Schiavone
Graphic by Xavier Angel
Photo from Marist Athletics
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