Manhattan softball looks to get back to making history
RIVERDALE, N.Y. (BVM) — Despite not having a winning season since 2017, the Manhattan College softball program is exactly where they need to be. Looking at this team’s history reveals how far they’ve come.
The Jaspers finished with a 21-29 record in 2019, after having some of their most successful seasons in the years prior. Coming off their most successful run as a program, Manhattan has come a long way since their low points.
In 2007, the Jaspers finished the year with an unbelievable 4-42 record. The team only managed to win four out of the nearly 50 games they played, going 0-16 against teams not in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).
The next couple of seasons for the Jaspers wouldn’t go much better as they finished with records of 11-35 and 20-27. It was obvious that this program needed a major structural change, and it would come from new head coach, Tom Pardalis.
Paraldis came to Manhattan with a history of winning. Prior to the Jaspers, he was an assistant with Marist and Western Connecticut State University. In both those stints, he helped the programs get to the NCAA Tournament. The former high school physical education teacher and coach of over 30 years, presided over winning teams in softball, football, and basketball.
To little surprise, Manhattan softball made exponential improvements upon Pardalis’ arrival. In his inaugural 2010 season, the Jaspers managed to break .500 and go 25-23 after winning less than 10 percent of their games three seasons ago.
Fast forward to 2014, the Jaspers would get their closest chance to the NCAA Tournament since 1999, making it all the way to the championship round as the sixth seed.
Manhattan would make history in 2016 by winning 30 games for the first time in 23 years and a school record 14 MAAC wins. They would also eclipse their most runs, stolen bases, and RBIs for a single season. They would follow up this iconic season by winning 34 games the very next year.
The turnaround under Pardalis has been admirable, but what makes it even more special is how he has his athletes performing off the field. His players have received a total of 84 MAAC All-Academic Selections, many of them featuring the team’s star players. Take Elena Bowman as an example, the 2015 MAAC Player of the Year would also be selected to the Academic All-America First Team in the same season.
Incoming junior Annie Moore looks to be following in these same footsteps. She was named to the MAAC All-Academic Team last season while dominating on the field.
In her 2019 freshman year, Moore hit for a .397 AVG, .454 OBP, .638 SLG, five home runs, and 38 RBIs in 34 games. She somehow improved all these numbers as a sophomore, hitting for an astounding .476 AVG, .500 OBP, .857 SLG, two home runs, and 17 RBIs. The Jaspers’ star infielder was on pace to be a MAAC Player of the Year candidate, but the season was cancelled after 12 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moore’s production from the past two years should raise Manhattan fans’ hopes for the potential 2021 season. They can attribute the recent losing seasons to roster turnover from numerous seniors graduating. With a deep incoming freshman class arriving under the guidance of Pardalis, a return to 30 win seasons and a MAAC Tournament appearance may be imminent.
