FARMINGTON, Maine - The University of Maine at Farmington softball team will enter this week's North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Tournament as the No. 4 seed in the six-team, double-elimination tournament hosted by Husson University. The NAC Tournament will begin Thursday morning and run through Saturday at Robert & Frances O'Keefe Softball Field.
The Beavers will square off against the fifth-seeded Broncos from SUNY Delhi in a rematch of last season's opening-round matchup, where Farmington earned a 7-1 victory.
2026 NAC Softball Tournament Seeds:
- Husson University (33-4 Overall, 16-0 NAC)
- Thomas College (19-18 Overall, 12-4 NAC)
- SUNY Cobleskill (21-19 Overall, 10-6 NAC)
- UMaine-Farmington (14-17 Overall, 9-6 NAC)
- SUNY Delhi (14-19 Overall, 9-7 NAC)
- UMaine-Presque Isle (15-18 Overall, 9-7 NAC)
Tournament Schedule:
Thursday, May 7th
Game 1: #4 UMF vs. #5 SUNY Delhi - 10:00 AM
Game 2: #3 SUNY Cobleskill vs. #6 UMaine-Presque Isle - 12:00 PM
Game 3: #1 Husson vs. Winner of Game 1 - 2:00 PM
Game 4: #2 Thomas vs. Winner of Game 2 - 4:00 PM
Friday, May 8th
Game 5: Loser of Game 2 vs. Loser of Game 3 - 9:00 AM
Game 6: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 4 - 11:00 AM
Game 7: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 - 1:00 PM
Game 8: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6 - 3:00 PM
Game 9: Winner of Game 8 vs. Loser of Game 7 - 5:00 PM
Saturday, May 9th
Game 10: Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 9 - 1:00 PM
Game 11: Winner of Game 10 vs. Loser of Game 10 (if necessary) - 3:00 PM
Season in Review
The Beavers entered the season with a roster that featured plenty of new faces, returning just five starters from the 2025 squad. Farmington brought back three experienced outfielders in juniors Jessica Dow (Saco, Maine), Melissa Mayo (Bridgton, Maine), and senior Emily Collins (Moscow, Maine), all of whom saw significant playing time in 2025. In the infield, senior Maddie Pike (Kennebunk, Maine) returned to the hot corner, while fellow senior Bella Miller (Lewiston, Maine) once again anchored the defense behind the plate.
Junior Reilly Russell (Windham, Maine) took over as the team's everyday second baseman this season, while sophomore Angelina Ventullo (Salem, N.H.) earned the starting shortstop role. Lisa Truchin (Torrance, Calif.) served as the team's starting first baseman when she was not in the circle. First-year Ava Paglianite (Upper Black Eddy, Pa.) has served as the team's designated player for the majority of the season, hitting anywhere from first to third in the lineup.
In the circle, Farmington has been led by the one-two punch of junior Emma DeBoer (Saint Leonard, Md.) and first-year Natalie Simpson (Bucksport, Maine). DeBoer, a transfer from the University of Maine, posted a 4-6 record with a pair of shutouts to go along with a 3.17 ERA. She struck out a team-high 67 batters in 66 ? innings pitched while holding opponents to a .239 batting average. Simpson finished the regular season with a 5-5 record and a 3.01 ERA. In 67 ? innings pitched, Simpson struck out 53 batters while holding opposing hitters to just a .260 batting average.
Offensively, Farmington has been led by the Dow-Pike duo in the middle of the lineup. Pike finished the regular season batting .438, totaling 42 hits, 10 doubles, two home runs, and 20 runs scored, while tying for the team lead with 24 RBIs. Pike recorded 12 multi-hit games this season and enters the postseason on a 12-game hitting streak. Dow hit .374 this season while leading, or tying for the team lead, in several offensive categories, including slugging percentage (.703), doubles (10), triples (4), home runs (4), runs scored (28), and RBIs (24).
Mayo has served as the team's leadoff hitter for the majority of the season, posting a .288 batting average and a .348 on-base percentage. Mayo scored 15 runs, drove in eight, and added two doubles this season. Paglianite finished the regular season tied for the team lead in walks with 11, posting a .392 on-base percentage along with a .284 batting average. Truchin and Miller have also provided power in the bottom half of the lineup for the Beavers this season. Miller finished the regular season with two doubles, two triples, and two home runs while driving in 14 runs. Truchin added two doubles, one triple, one home run, and 12 RBIs.
In their first season as co-head coaches, Callie Hammer and Kiana Thompson led the Beavers to a 14-17 overall record and a strong 9-6 mark in NAC play. After traveling to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for spring trips in each of the past two seasons, the Beavers returned to Central Florida in 2026 to compete in THE Spring Games. Farmington went 2-6 during the trip, picking up victories over Ursinus College and Alverno College.
The Beavers opened conference play with four straight wins, earning a road victory over Lesley before sweeping SUNY Delhi and then taking one of two games from SUNY Cobleskill. Farmington has competed closely with every conference opponent this season, including a narrow loss to Cobleskill, a pair of tight battles with top-seeded Husson, two nail-biters against UMaine-Presque Isle, and a one-run loss to second-seeded Thomas in game two of their doubleheader.
Historically Speaking
The Beavers will look to build on last season's postseason experience, where they earned a pair of playoff victories over SUNY Delhi and VTSU Lyndon. Husson captured its fifth straight NAC title last season and enters this week's tournament ranked No. 20 in the nation.
