The storybook season of 天涯海角社区鈥檚 Softball team keeps adding chapters of unforgettable memories.
The Spartans, now 38-12, extended its impressive win streak to 23 games by winning two exciting, extra-inning games against highly regarded Assumption University in the best-of-three Super East Regional. The victories earned STAC its first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II Softball World Series this week in Chattanooga, Tennessee. By almost every measure, this is the most successful season in the program鈥檚 47-year history and vaults the Spartans into the national spotlight. In Thursday鈥檚 opening-round World Series game, STAC will face the No. 1 ranked team in the nation – Saint Leo (Fla.) University.
The path to a matchup with the nation鈥檚 top team has been nothing short of remarkable. Entering the season with no proven starting pitchers and then losing their first six games, the Spartans regrouped and found a formula of consistent pitching, sound defense and the best offensive team in school history.
鈥淚鈥檓 so proud of the way we鈥檝e improved and this team has a very special chemistry that has fueled our success,鈥� said Head Coach Kristen Sullivan, who was unanimously voted the East Coast Conference Coach of the Year for the fifth consecutive season. 鈥淲e鈥檝e shown tremendous resiliency in the postseason and many different players have played key roles in our wins.鈥�
The team鈥檚 list of superlatives is striking.
鈥� The victories over Assumption captured the title of the NCAA鈥檚 East Region, which includes 26 teams in seven states. The World Series features the top eight teams in Division 2, which includes 300 teams from across the country.
鈥� The 23-game win streak is the longest current run in Division 2.
鈥� The team鈥檚 38 wins, .760 winning percentage and 18 ECC regular-season wins are all new program records.
Sullivan has built a roster with players from Puerto Rico and six states, some coming from as far as California and Colorado. The foundation of the team鈥檚 prosperity has been its two first-year pitchers. Transfer Lauren Falk (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) seized possession of the No. 1 starter role and never looked back. She鈥檚 currently 19-8 and was named the Most Outstanding Player in the ECC post-season tourney after twirling a no-hitter in the semifinals. Freshman Emma Popp (Buffalo, N.Y.) is 19-1 and has been excellent as both a starter and a late-inning reliever. She was named the ECC’s Co-Rookie of the Year.
The offense, featuring Sullivan’s trademark uptempo style, is one of the best in the nation. Sophomore Sofia Marella (Cranston, R.I.) has compiled startling statistics and leads the team in batting average (.424), homers (17) and RBI (61). Her on-base-percentage is .495.
The senior tandem of second baseman Elyse Marcano (Middletown, N.Y.) and shortstop Adrianna Coira (San Juan, Puerto Rico) has been exceptional. Playing together as starters for four years, their teams have a combined record of 135-75 with their up-the-middle defense and dynamic offense playing major roles. They bat first and second in the STAC lineup. Marcano leads the team in hits, steals and runs while hitting at a .398 clip and sparkling defensively at second base. She is the only player in program history to amass 200 career hits. Coira is hitting .329 and is second on the team in steals and doubles.
Catcher Olivia Leon (Stony Point, N.Y.) and third baseman Trinadey Santiago (Cheshire, Conn.) have also excelled at the plate. Leon is hitting .356 with an on-base-percentage of .428 and has sparkled defensively. Santiago has been a post-season star with the bat and glove. She is batting .383. Both players were named first team All ECC and Leon was picked to the All-Region team. First baseman Alyssa Haberstroh (Thornton, Colo.) homered in both Super Regional games, clinching the deciding game with an eighth-inning grand slam. Outfielders Jordyn Gautier (Fords, N.J.), Nayah Diaz (Bayonne, N.J.) and Yazmine Garcia (Corona, Calif.) have all made key contributions.
Among the reserve players that make up a very deep and talented Spartans’ roster are Maristella Coira (San Juan, Puerto Rico), Heather Ghussin (Port Jervis, N.Y.), Elora Wilmot (Cazenovia, N.Y.), Alyssa Liguori (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) and Isabella Hurst (Bayport, N.Y.).
鈥淥ur lineup is deep and we score runs in a lot of different ways,鈥� said Sullivan, who has led the Spartans to four straight 30-win seasons. 鈥淲e鈥檝e never had this combination of power and speed.鈥�
The Spartans will need to be firing on all cylinders in their opening-round game against Saint Leo, located 35 miles north of Tampa. The Lions are currently 49-3-1 and have been the nation鈥檚 No. 1 ranked team since early April. They are the top-seeded team in the eight-team, double-elimination World Series and are making their second appearance in the World Series. STAC is seeded eighth. Outstanding pitching helped the Lions compile a 38-win streak earlier this season. Tierney Hocquard heads the staff with a 22-1 record and teammate Alex Wright owns a 13-0 record. Both have ERAs lower than 1.50. Izzy LaRoche, Briana Neal and Abigail Hynes are the team鈥檚 top offensive players.
2026 NCAA Division II Softball Championship — World Series (May 28-June 3)
at Frost Stadium at Warner Park – Chattanooga, Tennessee
Thursday, May 28
Game 1: No. 1 Saint Leo (49-3-1) vs. No. 8 St. Thomas Aquinas (38-12) – 11:00 a.m.
Game 2: No. 4 Cal State San Marcos (55-10) vs. No. 5 West Texas A&M (52-8) – 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: No. 2 Missouri Southern State (53-8) vs. No. 7 Glenville St. (51-16) – 4:00 p.m.
Game 4: No. 3 North Georgia (51-9) vs. No. 6 McKendree (48-15) – 6:30 p.m.
Friday, May 29
Game 5: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 – 12:00 p.m.
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 – 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 30
Game 7: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 – 11:00 a.m.
Game 8: Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 – 1:30 p.m.
Game 9: Loser of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 7 – 4:00 p.m.
Game 10: Loser of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 8 – 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 31
Game 11: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 9 – 11:00 a.m.
Game 12: Winner of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 10 – 1:30 p.m.
Game 13 (If Necessary) – 4:00 p.m.
Game 14 (If Necessary) – 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, June 1
Finals (Best of Three Series: Game One) – 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, June 3
Finals (Best of Three Series: Game Two) – 3:00 p.m.
Finals (Best of Three Series: Game Three – If Necessary) – 5:30 p.m.
All Games Broadcast on NCAA.com.