FLUSHING, N.Y. - John Jay has been selected first in the 2025 CUNY Athletic Conference softball preseason coaches' poll announced Tuesday morning. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
The Bloodhounds, won won their second straight CUNYAC softball crown in 2024, picked up five of the six first place votes and totaled 25 points. Hunter, who earned the other first place vote, and Baruch tied for second with 18 points.
Brooklyn (15), Lehman (9) and York (5) rounded out the poll.
The 2025 CUNYAC softball preseason Players to Watch and Pitchers to Watch were also announced.
The 2025 CUNYAC Softball Championship is set for Thursday, May 8 and Friday, May 9. The four-team double elimination tournament will be held on the Brooklyn College campus.
2025 CUNYAC Softball Preseason Poll
(first place votes in parentheses)
1) John Jay – 25 (5)
T2) Hunter – 18 (1)
T2) Baruch – 18
4) Brooklyn – 15
5) Lehman – 9
6) York - 5
CUNYAC Softball Players to Watch
Mia Faddah, Baruch - A 2024 CUNYAC All-Star, Faddah batted .364 in 36 games for the Bearcats, finishing with four home runs, 23 RBI and 23 runs scored.
Dasha Goodman, Brooklyn - Goodman appeared in 25 games last season and batted .328 with 12 runs scored and eight runs batted in. She also had four doubles and four triples, slugging .435.
Jessica Fowler, Hunter - A senior utility player, Fowler has appeared in 105 games for Hunter over her first three seasons. She batted .337 as a sophomore in 2023 and is a career .274 hitter.
Rylea Sandel, John Jay - Sandel earned CUNYAC All-Star honors in 2024 after ranking second in the conference in batting average. She batted .483 with three home runs and 42 runs batted in.
LIzbeth Perez, Lehman - A three-time CUNYAC All-Star, Perez led the CUNYAC in batting average (.554) and slugging percentage (.602) in 2024. She finished the season with four home runs and 33 runs driven in and was 54-54 in stolen base attempts, ranking among the national leaders.
Samantha Panameno, York - As a freshman in 2024, Panameno appeared in 17 games and batted .250 with seven runs batted in. She collected three hits in a win over Yeshiva.
CUNYAC Softball Pitchers to Watch
Leilani Jimenez, Baruch - A two-time Rookie of the Week, Jimenez pitched in a pair of contests last season, including tossing six innings against St. Joseph's Brooklyn. She batted .366 in 28 games at the plate.
Danielle Guzzardi, Brooklyn - A two-time CUNYAC All-Star, including last season, Guzzardi struck out 117 batters last season, second in the conference, and recorded 11 wins, including four shutouts.
Grace Basil, Hunter - Basil pitched in 11 contests last season and tossed a season-high 5.1 innings against NYU. Basil appeared in 26 games as a freshman at the plate for the Hawks in 2024, batitng .284 with nine runs driven in.
Lindsay Ogden, John Jay - A CUNYAC All-Star last spring, Ogden struck out 115 batters in 2024 and held opponents to a conference-low .230 batting average. She went 16-5 with a 2.65 ERA.
Jirah Espinah, Lehman - The 2024 CUNYAC Sportsmanship Award winner, Espina appeared in 19 games in the circle for the Lightning. Her 104 strikeouts ranked No. 4 in the conference.
Ayana Saavedra, York - Saavedra made eight appearances in the circle. She had a season-high six strikeouts in a win over Yeshiva.
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