As the spring semester winds down, so does the athletic season for William Paterson’s four spring sports teams. While Baseball and Softball stood out as the headline programs this semester, both fell just short of clinching a spot in the NJAC playoffs—despite flashes of potential that hinted at deeper postseason runs.
Women’s Tennis and Men’s Golf also competed this Spring, continuing their unique dual-season structure spanning Fall and Spring. For the sake of reflection, we’re zeroing in on their most recent performances.
While there were moments of promise and standout individual efforts, calling this Spring underwhelming for Pioneer athletics would be generous. Several teams struggled to recover from slow starts, and momentum remained elusive. In particular, WP Baseball saw one of the most dramatic declines in recent program history, a sharp contrast to the high expectations surrounding them at the season’s onset.
Still, every setback offers a setup for a comeback. And while this Spring didn’t deliver the results Pioneer fans hoped for, the foundation is being laid for a more substantial, focused return. The story isn’t over; it’s just entering its next chapter.
Let’s see how these programs line up using a scale from A to F! Let’s start at Dr. Ginny Overdorf Tennis Court.
Women’s Tennis:
The Pioneers Women’s Tennis program did not get it going after starting 2-4 in the fall. In the Spring, the Pioneers went 0-4. Nonetheless, an injury to sophomore Isabella Paladino set them back.
Despite Paladino’s injury, seniors Sara Thomas and Kourtney Hartzel carried their weight, giving the Pioneers as much hope and optimism as possible. Both of them and Freshman Julia Menn won their singles matches against Kean University.
With help from Hannah Posser, Abigail Hayth, and Makayla Yancey throughout the season, the Pioneers could not just get the job done. The in-conference losses sting the most, but the Pioneers could edge it out in any of these outings.
In the match against TCNJ on April 9, the Pioneers did not win a set as a team getting thoroughly outplayed.
Despite injuries and hardships for the program this season, the Pioneers and coach Hisham Abaza had a tough time getting through, but as the season regroups, they return a healthy Paladino and a chance to scare the NJAC in 2026
Final Grade: D
Men’s Golf
A common theme for the Men’s Golf team here at William Paterson has been last-place finishes in events. Under first-year Head Coach Bruce Chamberlain, they’ve turned the tide.
After a second-place finish at the Preakness Invitational and a fifth-place finish at the Pioneer Spring Invitational, the program seems to have turned things around.
Junior Gavin Deekan carded a 77 at the Preakness Invitational, and Rob Egan hit 80 in back-to-back tournaments. Nicholas Petti and Lorenzo Assente hit career lows
for the Pioneers this season.
Despite playing in more tournaments rather than actual matches, WP Golf is on the rise. More players are hitting in the low-mid 80s than ever. A couple of seasons ago, this program’s lowest scores were in the high 90s.
Coach Chamberlain and company have done a phenomenal job of making this team more known throughout not only campus but all of New Jersey collegiate golf, making it one of the more positive stories of the spring.
Final Grade: B
Baseball
Where do we begin with WP Baseball? Let’s start with the positives. Out of conference, the Pioneers looked dangerous. They started off the season red-hot, taking down the University of Rochester, a team that received votes in the NCAA Division III poll.
During Spring Break in Florida, the Pioneers went 6-1, mercy-ruling three teams. When they came back, they continued to pour it on, even winning over No. 23 Keystone.
Once NJAC play was in full swing, the team did not play up to standard.
As a team, the Pioneers’ batting average went from .300 in non-conference to .268 in conference. Pitching-wise, they went from 5.81 to 6.46.
On average, games were close, but they were still getting outscored and outplayed. They made it competitive against No. 18 Rowan and TCNJ but could never get the job done.
On the bright side, new additions such as Devin Daproza, Jordan Brown, and Angel Colon played exceptional and will return next season alongside seasoned vets such as Ty Kobylakiewicz, Dylan Santos, and Stephen Kubis.
They lose key figures such as power-hitter Braden Ramirez and pitchers Ian Metzger, Chase Giesler, and Neel Telidevera, which raises the question of what the bullpen will be like?
Final Grade: C-
Softball
The Softball team turned some heads in Year 1 of the Kathy Hill regime.
The Pioneers increased their win total by double digits, but they still have a long way to go before they compete at the top of the NJAC.
With a subtle improvement in batting average, the Pioneers were streaky. There were times when the Pioneers would go on a long winning streak and follow it up with a long losing streak, which, for lack of better words, was inconsistent.
This team added nine new players throughout the offseason, and all of them made their presence known. Brandi Shortway was second in batting average, Stephenie Ciravolo became a starting pitcher, and Alli Stein became an NJAC rookie of the week.
Their inconsistencies come from their pitching. A season ago, this squad had an ERA of 5.99; this season, it was 6.56.
They do lose outfielders Lauren Hutchison and Courtney Schwark, who were also primarily their top two batters in the order, but other than that, nearly the whole roster returns.
Coach Hill and her team will be veteran-heavy, led by Lilah Guthy and Hailey Backo, but they’ve flipped a page and could enter the NJAC playoffs next season after being the first team left out.
Final Grade: C+
