MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Rivier softball team, selected to finish fourth in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) North Division according to the Preseason Poll, is set to begin its 40-game campaign on Monday, March 3 at the Space Coast Spring Games in Viera, Fla. in a matchup against Concordia M'Head at 2:30 p.m.
This will be the second consecutive season that the Raiders will face off against the Cobbers in the season-opener, kicking off a 10-game week in the Sunshine State to compete against non-regional competition.
The Raiders hosted the Play-In Round of last season's Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament as the fourth seed in the North Division, ultimately falling to No. 5 New England Col. by a final score of 3-1.
Rivier concluded its 2024 schedule with a 15-18 record while going .500 through 16 conference contests, while going 6-6 against divisional opponents.
The team looks to get back into the postseason and compete for a GNAC crown once again under the direction of second-year head coach Noelle Sass.
Rivier returns three of its GNAC All-Conference Team members this season as junior Olivia Couto, and sophomores Hayleigh Silva and Hailey Berube look to be major contributors in 2025.
Couto was a Third Team All-Conference selection after playing in all 33 games for the Raiders, recording 38 hits with nine doubles, three triples, and 10 walks with 20 RBI while slashing .362/.417/.505. Her three triples are eighth best amongst GNAC student-athletes. In the center field, Couto posted a .955 fielding percentage with 58 putouts.
Berube served as the team's ace in the circle, pitching 113.2 innings on 14 starts over 23 appearances. She posted a 10-6 record with a 2.83 earned-run average along with a 1.51 WHIP. Berube struck out 62 batters, the 12th most in the GNAC, to record 3.82 k/7. Her 1.68 ERA against conference opponents was fifth best in the GNAC.
Silva played in all 33 games at first base, registering 33 hits with one triple while walking 20 times (fourth most in GNAC). She slashed .311./.421/.330 while knocking in three runs. In the field, she recorded a .978 fielding percentage with 216 putouts on 225 total chances.
Senior pitcher Courtney Marioles will see a considerable amount of time in the circle and will also look to make an impact at the plate. In 2024, she appeared 21 times with eight starts on the rubber, recording five wins, three complete games, one save, and 18 strikeouts.
Middle infielder Kylee Caetano and catcher Avry Nelson look to add a spark at the plate and in the field yet again during their junior campaigns.
The team will be led by captains Sarah Frazier and Kayla Miles. Frazier, now a senior, played in 30 games for the Raiders a season ago, notching 16 hits with five RBI while scoring 14 runs. Miles enters her grad year after producing 18 hits in 20 appearances in 2024.
The team welcomes four first-year student-athletes as well as a graduate newcomer to round out the squad of 16.
Rivier will host a Mental Health Awareness Day when facing off against Thomas (Me.) on Saturday, March 29, an NFCA Strikeout Cancer Day on Sunday, Apr. 13 in a doubleheader against Mitchell, and a Diabetes Awareness Day in a matchup against Saint Joseph's (Conn.) on Saturday, Apr. 19. The team is set to cap off the regular season with a Senior Day celebration against Norwich on Sunday, Apr. 27.
