GARDEN CITY, N.J. -- Caldwell University softball (35-17), seeded #5 in the 2023 NCAA Division II Championship East Region, will take on #4 Bentley (28-14-1) in the opening round of the four-team double elimination East 1 Bracket hosted by Adelphi University. No. 1 Adelphi (43-6) battles #8 St. Thomas Aquinas (31-16) at noon in the first game.

Johnson Gains 900th: Cougars Head Coach Dean Johnson earned his 900th career victory in Caldwell's 18-0 triumph over Dominican on March 29. Now in his 29th year at the helm, his record of 924-430 places him in the top 15 among all active Division II softball coaches.

Courtney Nearly Cycles Twice: Senior 2B Courtney Grundhauser hit for the cycle vs. STAC on April 14 (see game note below) and nearly did the same against Bloomfield in the CACC Tournament on May 2. In Game 2, she blasted two doubles, a triple and home run, coming an "extra" base shy of completing the rare feat for a second time in two weeks.

Sweet 16th: The Cougars will be making their 16th appearance in the NCAA DII Championship in 19 opportunities since joining NCAA Division II in 2004 and a repeat trip to Adelphi, where last year the Cougars advanced to the Championship game, falling in a heartbreaking walk-off, 4-3, to the hosts. CU last advanced to the Women's College World Series in 2004 and last reached the Super Regional in 2014.

Regionally Represent: Senior 2B Courtney Grundhauser (First Team), senior 1B Maya Rodriguez (Second Team) and sophomore SS Ashleigh Tavaska (Second Team) were named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-East Region team.

Against the Field: The Cougars are 6-5 against the East field. Here are the results vs. the East 1 Region foes:

vs. #1 Adelphi (0-0, scheduled doubleheader April 23 canceled/rain)

vs. #4 Bentley (1-1):
April 28 at Caldwell, Game 1: Bentley 5, Caldwell 4. Trailing, 4-0, Caldwell rallied with a run in the fifth and three in the seventh on a dramatic one-out three run home run by senior 2B Courtney Grundhauser (Easton, Pa.). The Cougars nearly won it when sophomore DP Allison Winters (Blairstown, N.J.) doubled with two outs, but the Falcons cut down the would-be winning run at the plate to send it to extra innings, where the visitors scored the automatic runner but the Cougars could not.
CU Pitcher: Mariah Culver, 8 innings, 2 earned runs, 7 strikeouts, no walks

April 28 at Caldwell, Game 2: Caldwell 8, Bentley 0: Freshman catcher Delaney Ridgell (Mt. Airy, Md.) ripped a three-run double as the key blow in a five-run third inning and graduate Kayla Daly (Babylon, N.Y.) fired a one-hit shutout. The Cougars got working quickly on offense, plating single runs in the first on second on RBI singles by senior center fielder Emma Cooney (Livingston, N.J.) and Grundhauser, then broke the game open with the five-run third that featured RBi by freshman 3B Alexa Lee (Blackwood, N.J.) and freshman center fielder Olivia Magliacano (Berkeley Heights, N.J.) wrapped around Ridgell's bases-clearing two-bagger. Lee then singled in the capping run in the sixth to give the Cougars the eight-run rule win.
CU Pitcher: Kayla Daly, 6 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, five strikeouts, 1 walk

vs. #8 STAC (2-0):
April 14 at Caldwell, Game 1: Caldwell 5, STAC 4: The Cougars rallied from deficits of 3-0 and 4-2, scoring two in the fifth on an RBI triple by sophomore RF Jessica Klein (Trevose, Pa.) followed by an RBI single by soph DP Allison Winters (Blairstown, N.J.), then two more in the sixth on an RBI triple by freshman catcher Delaney Ridgell and pinch hit run scoring single by sophomore Brooke Martin (Oakland, Maine) to tie the game. Ridgell then delivered a walk-off, RBI double down the left field line, scoring freshman 3B Alexa Lee (Blackwood, N.J.) who had hit a two-out double, for the 5-4 win. Burns (7-2) was credited with the win with two frames in relief of graduate Kayla Daly (Babylon, N.Y.). Ridgell had three hits in the game and four other Cougars had two knocks apiece.
CU Pitchers: Kayla Daly, 5 innings, 8 hits, 2 ER, 3 strikeouts, 0 walks; Madison Burns, 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R

April 14 at Caldwell, Game 2: Caldwell 8, STAC 4: Senior 2B Courtney Grundhauser went 4-for-4, hitting for the cycle as the Cougars completed the sweep. Grundhauser's sixth-inning triple over the head of the center fielder completed the feat after she had singled in the first, hit a solo home run in the second and doubled in the fourth. It was part of a 14-hit Cougars attack that made a winner of freshman righthander Olivia Kennedy (Chenango Forks, N.Y.), who allowed three hits and two runs in six-plus innings, relieved in the seventh by graduate righthander Madison Burns (East Greenbush, N.Y.). Lee had three hits and three other Cougars recorded two each in the nightcap.
CU Pitchers: Olivia Kennedy, 6 innings, 3 hits, 2 ER, 3 strikouts; Madison Burns, 1 inning, 0 hits, 1 strikeout