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.

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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.

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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.

Appointed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, President Krislov will help expand college access and affordability statewide

Pace University President Marvin Krislov has been appointed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and confirmed by the New York State Senate to serve on the Board of Trustees of the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), the state’s higher education student financial aid agency. The appointment reflects Pace University’s commitment to expanding college access and affordability for students across New York.

HESC awards nearly $1 billion in financial aid to more than 330,000 students each year. HESC helps New Yorkers attain their higher education through the administration of programs such as New York’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), Veterans Tuition Awards, as well as financial aid outreach and education programs for students and families.

“Higher education is one of the most powerful forces for equity and mobility—but only if it is accessible to all,” said President Krislov. “Financial aid makes that opportunity real. I’m honored by Governor Hochul’s appointment and look forward to serving on the HESC Board to help expand access to higher education for students and families across New York—and to ensure that no one is held back by financial barriers.”

Pace University has long been a leader in promoting educational access and economic mobility. Ninety-eight percent of first-year students receive financial aid, and the University awarded more than $424 million in financial aid, scholarships, and institutional support during the 2023–2024 award year.

In announcing a series of appointments and confirmations across New York State, Gov. Hochul said: “New Yorkers deserve to be served by our state’s best and brightest.”

“These dedicated public servants are leaders in their fields and have made countless contributions to their local communities,” she said. “I am confident they will now use their many talents to benefit residents across the state.”

The average annual institutional aid offered to new undergraduate students is currently $30,400. Pace is ranked among the top 10 percent of private U.S. colleges that provide the best return on tuition investment and in the top 11 percent of U.S. colleges with the highest-earning alumni, according to PayScale—underscoring the long-term value of a Pace education.

Krislov has served as president of Pace University since 2017. He is deeply committed to Pace’s mission ofOpportunitas—providing all students, regardless of economic background, access to the transformative power of education. Under his leadership, Pace is developing innovative new interdisciplinary programs, continuing the transformation of its New York City Campus, and delivering on an experiential education model that produces superior career outcomes. He is personally committed to initiatives supporting student mental health and wellbeing, ensuring college access for all students, and advancing priorities for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.

Before coming to Pace, Krislov spent 10 years as the president of Oberlin College. Earlier, he was vice president and general counsel at the University of Michigan, where he led the legal defense of the University’s admission policies that resulted in the 2003 Supreme Court decision recognizing the importance of student body diversity.

Prior to entering academic life, he served as associate counsel in the Office of Counsel to the President under President Bill Clinton and later as acting solicitor and then deputy solicitor of national operations in the US Department of Labor. In 2009, President Barack Obama nominated, and the Senate confirmed, Krislov to serve on the National Council on the Humanities, where served until the summer of 2019.

Krislov earned a bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, at Yale University in 1982, and he was named a Rhodes Scholar. He earned master’s degrees at Oxford University and Yale and a juris doctor degree at Yale Law School in 1988.

About Pace University

Since 1906, Pace University has been transforming the lives of its diverse students—academically, professionally, and socioeconomically. With campuses in New York City and Westchester County, Pace offers bachelor, master, and doctoral degree programs to 13,600 students in its College of Health Professions, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Elisabeth Haub School of Law, Lubin School of Business, Sands College of Performing Arts, School of Education, and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.