The Middlebury softball team has earned the second seed in the upcoming NESCAC Tournament and will take on seventh-seeded Bowdoin on Friday at 4:00 p.m. in the single-elimination weekend format. 
 
ABOUT MIDDLEBURY

• Middlebury is making its 13 appearance in the conference tournament and is seeking the program's second crown.
• The Panthers have advanced to the championship game three times, having won the program's lone title in 2011.
• Middlebury enters the tournament riding a nine-game winning streak, and has recorded its most wins in a season (23) since 2013.
• The Panthers are third in the conference with 281 hits, while ranking fourth in home runs (nine) and batting average (.304).

PANTHERS TO WATCH

• Kristyn Carroll has been dominant for Middlebury this spring, and is one of just two players in the NESCAC averaging .500 or above. The Panther is second in the conference in that category, as well as hits (55), runs (43) and stolen bases (32). Carroll became the program's record holder in both career (38) and single-season stolen bases, while ranking second all-time in single-season hits and runs. Carroll has drawn a conference-leading 24 walks this year.
• Also a powerhouse at the plate this season is Megan Fox who ranks fourth in the league with 34 runs batted in (RBI). With three round-trippers this spring, Fox is tied for fourth on Middlebury's all-time list with 11 in her career. The Panther eclipsed the 100-career hit plateau earlier this year, with 105 entering the weekend to go along with 96 RBI.
• Nina Schroeder has been impactful both hitting and fielding this year. At first base, the Panther is fourth in the league with 205 putouts. She is third on the team averaging .329 at the plate, is tied for third with 16 RBI and has collected 11 runs on 27 hits this spring.
• Dual-threat McKenna Lont has been outstanding both at the plate and in the circle this season. The Panther is first on the team with 11 doubles, second in RBI (25) and runs (20), and third in hits with 34. In the circle, Lont owns the most wins on the squad (11-3), which ties for sixth all-time on Middlebury's career list. 
• Jewel Ashbrook paces the squad with a 3.33 earned run average (ERA) and in strikeouts (30). The seniors has won five-straight contests in the circle to improve to 8-3 overall this spring.  

ABOUT BOWDOIN

• Bowdoin is making its 14th appearance in the NESCAC Tournament and has earned the seventh seed overall.
• The Polar Bears have advanced to the title tilt four times and are seeking the program's first league crown.
• Bowdoin sits atop the NESCAC rankings in batting average (.333), hits (353), runs (227), RBI (201) and stolen bases (89).

POLAR BEARS TO WATCH

• The only player aside from Carroll who is batting above .500 in the NESCAC is Anika Ewert at .553. The Polar Bear also leads the league in hits (73), runs scored (61) and stolen bases (48).
• Sydney Lang is tied for first in the conference lead with 37 RBI, while ranking third on the team with 37 hits. The junior also paces the squad with five homers and has blasted seven doubles throughout the spring.
• Also contributing at the plate is Elise Siciliano who ranks second on the team in hits (41) and RBI (31). 
• Kathleen Hester sits atop the Bowdoin rankings with a 2.40 ERA, while Maddie Current owns the most wins in the circle (eight) on the team, has pitched the most innings (88.0) and is first with 65 strikeouts.  

SERIES HISTORY

• Middlebury and Bowdoin play for the 19th time in a series where the Polar Bears own a slight edge (9-8).
• The Panthers swept Bowdoin by scores of 5-3 and 7-0 at home this spring.
• If Middlebury were to advance on Friday, it would take on either third-seeded Williams or sixth-seeded Hamilton on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. with a trip to championship Sunday on the line. The Panthers took both doubleheaders from the Ephs (4-3, 6-3) and the Continentals (6-2, 3-0) earlier this year. 

ABOUT THE COMPETITION

• Tufts, the top seed of the tournament, paces the NESCAC with 12 crowns and has advanced to the championship round in 18 of the 22 editions. The #17 Jumbos earned the highest seed for the 19th time in program history, and are looking to avenge their 2023 loss in the title tilt.
• Williams is the reigning champion from a year ago, and owns the second-most titles in the league (seven). 

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

• The top eight teams will qualify for the single-elimination NESCAC Softball Championship, which will be hosted by the No. 1 seed. Quarterfinal games will be conducted on Friday, May 10 with the semifinals and championship games conducted on Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12, respectively.
• Championship Central 

The NESCAC Champions earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, with the at-large selections being announced on Monday, May 13.