By: Caleb Philips, Director of Athletic Communications
2025 Schedule
2025 Roster
2025 Stats
CORTLAND, N.Y. - The 2025 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) Softball Tournament is set to begin on Thursday, May 8, at Oneonta, as the host site Cortland moved the first day to Oneonta, with the rest of the tournament set to be at Cortland. The sixth-seeded Plattsburgh State Softball team (10-25, 7-11 SUNYAC) will take on the third-seeded Buffalo State (20-16, 14-4 SUNYAC) in the first game of the tournament on Thursday, May 8, at 10 a.m. Below is a link to the tournament homepage with information on ticketing, streaming, and game times, as well as tournament history and other pertinent links.
2025 SUNYAC Softball Tournament Homepage and Information
ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT: The SUNYAC Softball Tournament is a six-team playoff, with a format making its debut in the SUNYAC this season. The bottom four seeds in the tournament will play to enter the double-elimination bracket, as the winners will advance. The winner of the Buffalo State and Plattsburgh game will play second-seeded New Paltz, while the winner of the fourth-seeded Fredonia and fifth-seeded Oneonta game will play top-seeded and host Cortland. From there, the tournament will enter a four-team double-elimination format. More information on the format and game times can be found on the tournament host page.
TICKET PRICING: Daily ticket prices are $5, while all SUNYAC-member school students with ID, and children four and under are admitted free. NO PETS ARE ALLOWED AT THE FIELD (other than service dogs).
#6 Seed, Plattsburgh State Cardinals, 10-25 Overall, 7-11 SUNYAC
The Plattsburgh State Cardinals return to SUNYAC Tournament action, as first-year head coach
Jessica Miller has led a young Cardinal team to the playoffs for the first time since the team appeared in both the 2022 and 2023 postseason tournaments.
The team is built around a strong top of the order and solid pitching, led by staff ace senior
Carly Gemmett (Colonie, N.Y./Colonie Central). Gemmett, who is in her second season with the Cardinals, rounded into form this season, as she has been one of the top strikeout artists in the SUNYAC. She ranks second in the league with 139 strikeouts and is second in the league in K/7 with a mark of 8.82. Her season has been highlighted by three complete-game shutouts, one of which was the second perfect game in program history. She has compiled 110.1 IP this season and is 7-12 with 11 complete games and a 3.87 ERA. Junior
Morgan Ormerod (Valatie, N.Y./Ichabod Crane) has been a solid arm for the Cards this season as well, posting a 4.70 ERA in 70 innings, while
Cadey Wheat (Edwards, N.Y./Edwards-Knox) has also been a helpful arm for the Cardinals staff, totaling 40 innings this season.
The Cardinals' lineup has been led by junior
Megan Pillus (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Spackenkill), who is amidst a breakout campaign, carrying a team-best .364 batting average, ranking tops on the team with eight doubles and 39 hits. She has been supported by sophomore
Sara Isaacs (Malta, N.Y./Shenendehowa), the team's lone returning All-SUNYAC selection, who leads the team with 18 RBI and has compiled a .315 AVG, as well as 35 hits, which include six doubles, a triple, and a homer. Junior
Gwen Noll (Massapequa, N.Y./St. Anthony's) has been a catalyst at the top of the Plattsburgh order, scoring a team-best 24 runs and stealing 25 bases, also a team-high mark. First-years
Bella Toleman (Stillwater, N.Y/Stillwater) and
Meghan Stork (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) have had strong seasons hitting at the top of the lineup for the Cards as well, with Toleman tying for the team lead with eight doubles and holding a .283 AVG, and Stork compiling 26 hits and 11 RBI.
The Cardinals will vie for their third SUNYAC title in program history, as they last won in 2012 and 2006, and they will look for their first SUNYAC Tournament win since defeating Fredonia in an elimination game in 2022.
#3 Seed, Buffalo State Bengals, 20-16 Overall, 14-4 SUNYAC
The Bengals have had a fantastic season in SUNYAC play and will look to use the league's best pitching staff to carry them to their first SUNYAC title since 2009.
The Buffalo State pitching staff is led by Izzy Pezdek, who carries a 1.97 ERA over 106.1 innings this year, compiling a 9-7 record with 84 strikeouts. Madison Lucas has also been a very good arm for the Bengals, as she carries a 2.44 ERA in 71.2 innings pitched, holding a 6-6 record.
Lucas has been a lethal bat for Buffalo State, leading the team with a .378 batting average, 45 hits, 11 doubles, and 28 RBI. Ella Stewart is second on the team with a .337 batting average, also slugging two homers, while Deme Kellogg is hitting .322 and has driven in 20 runs. Grace Albano leads the team with 14 XBH and 26 runs scored, while power for the team has come from Cam O'Hara has three homers, and Pezdek leads the team with four home runs this year. The team also returns two-time All-SUNYAC and one-time NFCA All-Region selection Sarah Congelosi just in time for the tournament.
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#1 Seed, Cortland Red Dragons, 20-14 Overall, 16-2 SUNYAC
The top-seeded Red Dragons are searching for their first title since 2019, as they have the top offense in the SUNYAC by batting average and second second-best pitching staff by ERA.
The league's top offense is led by Halle Wright, who is hitting .409 this season with 45 hits, 33 RBI, eight doubles, three triples, and two homers. She also has 21 walks this year, helping her on-base percentage to .511. Maggie Cummings has been nearly as good as Wright this year, as she is hitting .405 and has a .515 on-base, thanks primarily to 13 HBP. Kaeli McAnnally boasts a .396 AVG for Cortland, and two-way player McKenna Barry leads the team with a 1.114 OPS and has a .381 AVG in 63 at-bats.
Barry and Gianna Endieveri make up a lethal 1-2 punch in the circle for Cortland, with the pair both holding ERAs under 2.50 this season. Barry has a 2.47 ERA this season in 79.1 innings pitched and has a 9-5 record this year. Endieveri has a 2.27 ERA in 77 innings and has 73 strikeouts to go with a 9-4 record.
#2 Seed, New Paltz Hawks, 22-16 Overall, 15-3 SUNYAC
The defending SUNYAC champs will look to for back-to-back titles after their first in program history last season.
The Hawks are led by two strong pitchers at the top of their rotation, as Sydney Waldon leads the conference with 148 strikeouts, and Leah Gunsett has boasted a 2.54 ERA this year. Waldon has achieved the league-best mark in just 117.1 innings pitched this year, as she also has a 2.80 ERA and six shutouts. Gunsett totaled 110.1 innings this season, striking out 85 batters and posting an 11-7 record as the two will look to lead their team to their second straight conference title.
Offensively, New Paltz has an offense that has slugged 17 home runs this season, led by Kelsey O'Brien, who has a team-best six homers. O'Brien also leads the team with a .390 AVG, 48 hits, 22 stolen bases, and 27 RBI, while also totaling eight doubles and three triples. Sohpia D'Arcangelis has hit .348 this year for the Hawks, and Ella Sharrock has been another important power bat, with five homers, three triples, and four doubles, while hitting .325. Power has also come from Mallory Rohon, who has four homers and nine doubles this year.
#4 Seed, Fredonia Blue Devils, 13-17 Overall, 10-6 SUNYAC
The Blue Devils return to the SUNYAC Tournament for the second straight season and will look for their first playoff win since 2011 this week. The Blue Devils will take on fifth-seeded Oneonta, with the winner drawing top-seeded Cortland.
Fredonia is led by arguably the best pitching in the SUNYAC this year as Kendall Phillips has been lights out all season long, posting a .94 ERA in 89 innings pitched and striking out 116 batters for a league-best K/7 mark of 9.12. With Phillips, the Blue Devils could easily play spoiler as she has won eight of their 13 games this year.
Madison Lowe leads the Blue Devil offense with a.361 batting average this season, totaling 10 XBH. Avery Hill has homered a team-best three times and has a team-high 10 doubles, while also hitting .352 and driving in 23 runs to lead the team. Allie Wandell has totaled a .337 AVG while leading the team with 31 hits, also compiling two homers.
#5 Seed, Oneonta Red Dragons, 17-17 Overall, 10-6 SUNYAC
The Red Dragons return to the postseason in 2025, looking for their fifth title in program history, as they take on the Fredonia Blue Devils in round one of the six-team playoff.
The team is led by one of the best hitters in the SUNYAC in Julia Serena, who is hitting .450 this season, a league-best mark. Serena also leads the conference with 50 hits, 35 RBI, 13 doubles, and eight homers as she will look to power the Red Dragons through the tournament. Ava Thys and Emily Brown have been excellent in support of Serena this year, with Thys hitting .362 and compiling 42 hits, while Brown has a .360 AVG and 10 doubles. Brown has been a solid arm in the circle, posting a 3.38 ERA in 87 innings, striking out 105 batters, while Tanner Smith has a 2.59 ERA in 56.2 innings for the Red Dragons.
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