The Iona baseball and softball teams are preparing for the 2023 season which starts on Feb. 17 and Feb. 24 respectively for the two teams. 

The softball team will be looking to go one step further in 2023 after reaching the playoffs as the sixth and last seed into the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship tournament in 2022.  

The Gaels were a game away from the final, but ultimately lost 7-4 to Siena College in the elimination bracket after winning their first two-games at the championships. Iona also nearly beat the eventual winners Canisius College in the tournament to reach the final, but they lost a tight game 2-1.  

Iona finished with an overall record of 23-24 and 10-10 in MAAC play. The Gaels return 14 from the roster that was a game away from the MAAC Championship last season, while also adding five freshmen to the squad.  

Both Kara Zazzaro and Jamie Sheeran who were named to the Softball All-Championship team are amongst those returning for the team.  

The Gaels begin their season at the Wings ETC Classic in Spartanburg, South Carolina, before playing at the Liberty Invitational in Lynchburg, Virginia.  

They will then travel to Florida to play in The Spring Games on March 10-12 before playing at the Rutgers Tournament starting on March 17-19.  

After that the Gaels play predominantly MAAC opponents with games mixed in against Sacred Heart University, Fordham University, Columbia University, Wagner College and Hofstra University.  

The MAAC softball championships will be held on May 10-13 should the Gaels qualify.  

The Iona baseball team will also be looking to improve in the 2023 season after a terrible 2022 campaign which saw them finish bottom of the MAAC with a 6-41 overall record and 6-18 in MAAC play. Their season also saw them begin the season by going 0-28, before they finally got their first win on April 14 against Saint Peter’s University.  

The Gaels did however play some tough opponents in their opening matches, as they began against Old Dominion University and then played the ranked University of Tennessee in their first two series.   

However, the team will have renewed optimism for the upcoming season as they have added nine freshmen to the roster to bolster the team.  

Jake Field, one of Iona’s best players last season, returns to the team for the upcoming season. Field had a batting average of .319 and a team-high 53 hits, as well as 2 homeruns and 22 RBIs.
 

The baseball team opens this season with a trip to Radford, Virginia to play Radford University in a three-game series from Feb.17-19, before travelling to Wilmington, North Carolina to play Georgetown University on Feb. 24 and Feb. 26, and University of North –Carolina-Wilmington on Feb. 24. and Feb. 25.  

The MAAC Championships for the team will be played from May 24-27, should the Gaels qualify.