With the regular season coming to an end, the MAAC Baseball Championship is set to begin on Wednesday at Heritage Financial Park in Wappinger Falls, New York. This marks the 14th time the tournament will be hosted at Heritage, marking the most in MAAC history.
This year’s tournament will feature six teams, a decrease from last year’s eight after a temporary increase with the addition of Sacred Heart and Merrimack to the MAAC. Unlike last year, the entire tournament this year will follow a double-elimination format, guaranteeing at least two games for each team.
Below is a look at the six teams that are set to face off in the tournament:
No. 1 Seed—Rider Broncs (30-17, 22-8 MAAC)
The Broncs clinched their second consecutive MAAC regular season title after defeating Saint Peter’s 11-2. Rider was a well-rounded ball club all season, remaining dominant in every category. The Broncs ranked at the top of the MAAC in batting average (.299), fielding percentage (.978) and stood in second place in ERA (5.12).
Junior catcher Nick Shuhet was recently named Rider’s MVP after being a dominant force at the plate all season. Shuhet hit .343 with five home runs, led the team in triples (5) and doubles (15) and finished second on the team with 45 RBIs. Shuhet’s five triples led the MAAC and ranked 19th in the country.
Meanwhile, senior pitcher Christian Aiello posted a dazzling 3.38 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 48 innings. In conference play, Aiello was 6-1 with a 2.77 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 39 innings. He led the MAAC at 11.81 strikeouts per nine innings, was second with his seven wins and 1.19 WHIP and third in the league with his 3.38 ERA.
No. 2 Seed—Niagara Purple Eagles (26-19-1, 20-10 MAAC)
Niagara has had its share of ups and downs over the past three seasons. The Purple Eagles dropped to the No. 8 seed last season and lost in the first round of the tournament after winning it all the season prior. They managed to turn things around this year, clinching the No. 2 seed, only two conference wins behind Rider.
The ball club has quietly put together one of the best seasons in the conference. The Purple Eagles won 20 league games and consistently played competitive baseball against the top half of the MAAC.
Niagara had five batters hit above .300 and developed into one of the most balanced teams offensively in the MAAC. Their overall production was not just based on average—junior catcher/outfielder Rees Kozar added power with six home runs and 40 RBIs, while senior infielder Jacob Brooks contributed speed with 15 stolen bases and nine extra base hits.
No. 3 Seed—Fairfield Stags (27-21, 20-10 MAAC)
After winning the MAAC tournament in 2025, Fairfield enters as the defending champions. The 2026 regular season looked relatively similar to the previous year for the Stags. They were just one loss off from last year’s MAAC record and rank only a seed lower.
MAAC Player of the Year senior outfielder Matt Buccerio carried the Stags to a playoff berth in the 2026 season after winning tournament MVP honors last season. Buccerio led the team in batting average (.335), OPS (1.196), hits (62) and RBIs (54). He also led the MAAC with 12 home runs.
On the pitching side, the Stags posted a 4.18 ERA in conference play—one of the best in the MAAC—while also recording a .972 fielding percentage in league games, near the top of the conference. Their defense rarely gave opponents extra life, and their pitching staff consistently kept games in reach. MAAC Pitcher of the Year junior right-hander Ben Alekson led the way for the Stags’ staff; he posted a MAAC-best 2.74 ERA in 13 starts.
No. 4 Seed—Merrimack Warriors (26-27, 20-10 MAAC)
After missing the playoffs last season, the Warriors clinched the No. 4 seed in just their second season competing in the MAAC. The Warriors enter the playoffs having swept Quinnipiac in their final series of the regular season, which marked a third consecutive sweep as well as a fourth straight series win against an in-conference opponent.
Merrimack finished just above .500 in conference play but dipped below .500 overall. Statistically, the Warriors were solid offensively but struggled on the mound. As a team, they hit .276 with 54 home runs and 393 runs scored—the most in the conference. However, they finished the regular season with a 6.67 team ERA, the fourth-highest in the MAAC, while allowing 342 ER and 497 hits across 54 games played.
No. 5 Seed—Canisius Golden Griffins (21-25, 17-13 MAAC)
Canisius returns to postseason play for the 18th time in the last 19 seasons after a rare playoff miss last season. Their playoff berth comes after sweeping the Siena Saints in the final series of the regular season, coupled with Quinnipiac’s 12-11 loss to Merrimack.
Entering the championship, redshirt junior utility player Thomas Zwirecki has been a problem at the plate for opposing teams. In the final series against Siena, Zwirecki finished the weekend 8-for-13, tallying 11 RBI, seven runs scored, three doubles and a grand slam. The utility player ranks second in the MAAC in batting average (.374) and first in on-base percentage (0.482).
Zwirecki leads an offense that ranks in the bottom half of the MAAC in most major categories. Only Iona scored fewer runs than the Golden Griffins in the regular season, but senior pitcher Felix Morin led Canisius’ solid pitching staff. The left-hander posted a 2.88 ERA in 14 starts, the second-best mark in the MAAC.
No. 6 Seed—Marist Red Foxes (23-28, 17-13 MAAC)
Following Quinnipiac’s crucial loss to Merrimack, the Marist Red Foxes clinched a playoff berth for the 11th consecutive year. Marist began 13-5 in MAAC play, finding themselves in the race for first place, but after a few missteps late in the year they finished 4-8 and slid down to sixth place.
The lineup was potent all year as Marist had nine batters hit over .250 in the regular season. Graduate student outfielder Nathan Lincoln and sophomore infielder Noel Rivera have hit back-to-back in the lineup and consistently strung together big at-bats for the Red Foxes. MAAC All-Rookie Teamer TJ Baer also played a major role with a .283 batting average and five home runs.
Marist does not hit for a ton of power—only Iona hit fewer home runs in the regular season—but the Red Foxes seldom strike out and make things happen on the basepaths, as evidenced by their 92 steals.
The pitching was shaky throughout the entire season and finished near the middle of the MAAC with an ERA of 6.56. Marist has been without redshirt junior left-hander Will Taylor, who pitched to a 3.36 ERA last year, since mid-April.
The Red Foxes have made the playoffs every year since 2015 and most recently won the MAAC title in 2017. Marist opens tournament play at 11 a.m. on Wednesday against Fairfield.
Edited by Max Rosen
Graphic by Isabel Cortese
Photos From Marist Athletics
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