Softball Records Historic Year, Ending with Final Four Appearance

The 2025 season for Pace University softball was nothing short of historic. Under the leadership of head coach Claudia Stabile, now in her forty-fourth season, the Setters rewrote the program’s record books and reached the NCAA Division II Championship for the first time in school history.

After a solid start in late February, including early-season sweeps of Fairmont State and Shippensburg, Pace faced adversity during a tough West Coast road trip in March, dropping six straight contests. What followed, however, became the defining stretch of their season—and one of the most dominant runs in all of Division II softball this year.

Beginning with a pair of home wins over Dominican University on March 23, the Setters rattled off twenty-seven consecutive victories, a program record that stretched over five weeks. The streak featured series sweeps, walk-off wins, and shutouts, culminating in a perfect 20–0 record in Northeast-10 (NE10) Conference play. The Setters controlled games from start to finish, eventually climbing to No. 14 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) national rankings.

Pace went 31–2 at home and capped the regular season by sweeping Southern New Hampshire, Saint Anselm, and Saint Michael’s, securing the top seed in the NE10 Tournament. There, they continued their winning ways, defeating Bentley, Adelphi, and Assumption to claim the NE10 Championship.

In the NCAA East Regional, Pace dispatched D’Youville and St. Thomas Aquinas before topping Bentley again to advance to the NCAA East Super Regional. A nine-inning loss in Game 1 to Wilmington (Del.) nearly halted their momentum, but true to their mindset all spring, the Setters responded. They shut out Wilmington 8–0 in Game 2, then closed out the series with a 5–1 victory to earn their first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II Softball Championship in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Once on the national stage, the Blue and Gold proved they belonged among the country’s best. After a narrow 3–2 loss to Central Oklahoma, the Setters bounced back with a 2–0 win over Shippensburg and a thrilling 2–1, ten-inning victory over Saginaw Valley State. They ultimately fell just one game short of the national championship series, closing the year with a 4–2 semifinal loss to Tampa.

Image

Statistically, the Setters were among the nation’s elite, finishing with a 48–13 overall record and a program-best national ranking of No. 4. Ace pitcher Gisselle Garcia turned in a historic season, going 30–6 with a 0.73 ERA and 400 strikeouts. Offensively, Pace was led by Riley Jenkins (.354 BA, 32 RBIs), Willa Poplawski (.344 BA, 41 RBIs), and Brianna Shea (.293 BA, 33 RBIs). As a team, they outscored opponents 257–102 while setting a multitude of program records.

The team collected a slew of accolades, including All-American, All-Region, All-Conference, and Academic All-District honors. Garcia became the program’s first NFCA First-Team All-American and set multiple school records for both single-season and career pitching statistics.

Coach Claudia Stabile led the Setters through a year that forever transformed the program. Known for her exceptional guidance and player-first philosophy, she helped elevate the team into a national contender. In recognition of her impact, she was named NE10 Head Coach of the Year for the second time in her illustrious career. The entire coaching staff was honored as the ATEC/NFCA East Region Coaching Staff of the Year, reflecting their remarkable leadership throughout the season.

Image

The 2025 season was a milestone not only for its results but for the standard it established. A record-setting 48-win campaign, a 27-game win streak, an East Regional title, a conference championship, and a trip to the NCAA Division II semifinals cemented the Setters’ 2025 season as one of the greatest in Pace University athletics history.