On Tuesday, the MAAC announced its regular season awards and All-MAAC selections for the 2026 season. Senior outfielder Peyton Pusey captured her first MAAC Player of the Year award, while Marist head coach Joe Ausanio took home his sixth MAAC Coach of the Year honor. The 2026 season represents the third consecutive year Ausanio has won the award.
Marist and Iona had a conference-high five selections to the All-MAAC teams; Pusey and graduate student infielder Haley Ahr were named to the first team and sophomore catcher/utility Sienna Kunze and freshman first baseman/outfielder Annabelle Geiser were named to the second team. Geiser and freshman utility Livia Wiltsie were also selected to the All-Rookie Team.
Pusey’s win gives Marist their fourth consecutive MAAC Player of the Year winner. She served as the tone-setter all season for the Red Foxes, slashing .395/.455/.610 with a 1.065 OPS out of the leadoff spot. Pusey—Marist’s all-time leader in games played (223) and runs scored (235)—enjoyed an incredible month of April; the senior hit .492 and scored 21 runs in 18 games. Pusey did damage against MAAC opponents; in 27 conference games, the senior hit .443 with a 1.115 OPS while playing elite defense in center field.
Ahr became the third player in program history to be named to the first team four times, hitting .366 with a .922 OPS while only striking out once in 92 at-bats in conference play. Kunze clubbed a conference-high 11 home runs to go along with a superb 1.294 OPS. Geiser led Marist in one-base percentage (.469) while Wiltsie finished second on the team in home runs (10) and tied for second in total bases (88).
In his 18th season at the helm of Marist softball, Ausanio guided the Red Foxes to their third consecutive MAAC regular season championship. Ausanio also led Marist to their third straight season with at least 30 wins, something that has never happened in program history. On April 12, the former New York Yankees relief pitcher collected his 500th career win over Rider.
The longtime head coach underwent a roster reconstruction, bringing in eight freshmen and one transfer to offset the eight seniors who graduated following the 2025 season. Marist went through growing pains in the early-going, but Ausanio and the Red Foxes finished the regular season 34-19 and are riding a 14-game winning streak heading into the MAAC Championships.
Edited by Max Rosen
Photo by Jaylen Rizzo
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