On the heels of an eight-game winning streak that included wins over the University of Maryland, Yale, and two victories over 2018 NCAA postseason participant Bethune-Cookman, Fairfield University Softball is surging toward the start of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference schedule. The Stags currently own a 12-5 record as they near the beginning of their quest for a third MAAC Championship in five years.

Leading the way for the Stags has been Courtney Hankins ’21 – the 2018 MAAC Player of the Year and 2019 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year.  The Stags’ first baseman shares the conference lead with 21 runs batted in this season, running her career total to 123. Hankins is just one RBI short of tying Fairfield’s all-time record currently shared by Erin Frank ’08 and Lauren Liseth ’14, who each drove in 124 runs during their standout careers with the Stags.

This spring, Hankins also ranks second in the MAAC — and paces the Stags — with four home runs. She slots third in the conference with a .500 on-base percentage.

Head Coach Julie Brzezinski’s team has also been led offensively by a team-leading .417 batting average out of the leadoff spot from Amanda Ulzheimer and a .411 clip from Mikayla Rubin. A well-rounded pitching staff has been headed by Karisa Hughen’s 2.86 earned run average and a 6-1 start in the circle for Katie Kudlacik to begin her rookie campaign with the Stags.

Fairfield will play four games at Stony Brook this weekend – two against the host Seawolves and two against Bryant University – before taking to Alumni Softball Field on campus for the first time for a Tuesday, March 26 visit from Seton Hall.

The 2015 and 2017 MAAC Champions, who also reached the MAAC Championship Final last season, begin the 2019 edition of the conference schedule next weekend with doubleheaders at Marist and Siena.