Princeton University Athletics
Softball Coaching Records & Program Facts
Updated Following the 2026 Season
First Game: March 24, 1982, at Temple
All-Time Record: 1,135-837-6 (.575)
Head Coaching Register
| Coach | Years | W | L | T | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diane Schumacher | 1982 | 12 | 7 | 0 | .632 |
| Cindy Cohen | 1983-2000 | 559 | 278 | 3 | .667 |
| Maureen (Davies) Barron | 2001-07 | 196 | 149 | 1 | .568 |
| Trina Salcido | 2008-12 | 81 | 136 | 0 | .373 |
| Lisa (Sweeney) Van Ackeren | 2013-present | 287 | 267 | 2 | .518 |
Ivy League Championships
24: 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
Ivy League Major Award Winners
Player of the Year
14: Margaret Niemann (1985), Angela Tucci (1986, 1988), Suzanne Fiske (1987), Linda Smolka (1989), Leslie Silverman (1992), Karen Drill (1993), Stacy Thurber (1994), Mandy Pfeiffer (1995, 1997), Brianne M. Galicinao (2001), Melissa Finley (2003), Jamie Lettire (2008), Serena Starks (2023)
Pitcher of the Year
12: Karen Drill (1994), Kristi Jelinek (1995), Maureen Davies (1996), Brianne M. Galicinao (2001, 2002), Erin Snyder (2005, 2006), Kristen Schaus (2008), Claire Klausner (2017), Alexis Laudenslager (2022, 2023), Brielle Wright (2025)
Rookie of the Year
9: Angela Tucci (1985), Dawn Roberts (1988), Lisa Moore (1991), Maureen Davies (1994), Erin Snyder (2003), Kristen Schaus (2005), Kathryn Welch (2006), Allison Harvey (2017), Sophia Marsalo (2022)
Coach/Coaching Staff of the Year
7: Lisa Van Ackeren/Princeton (2016, 2017, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026)
Quick Facts
Princeton softball began varsity competition in 1982 and quickly became one of the Ivy League’s most successful programs. After finishing second in its first varsity season, the Tigers won seven consecutive Ivy League championships from 1983 through 1989.
Princeton became the first Ivy League team to win 12 league games in a season in 1995, when the conference expanded to seven competing teams. The Tigers later set the Ivy record with an 18-2 league mark in 2008, the second season of an expanded schedule, and matched the 18-win mark in 2026 with an 18-3 Ivy record.
Brianne Galicinao became the first player in Ivy League history to be named both Ivy League Player of the Year and Ivy League Pitcher of the Year in the same season, earning both honors in 2001.
Former head coach Cindy Cohen was named Speedline/NFCA Northeast Region Coach of the Year four times, earning the honor in 1988, 1994, 1995 and 1996.
The 1996 team finished the year ranked No. 1 in the Northeast Region for the second consecutive season. Princeton had previously held the region’s top ranking in 1985 and finished the 1994 season ranked No. 2 in the region.
The 1996 Tigers set a then-NCAA Division I record with 37 consecutive wins, surpassing the previous mark of 35 set by Canisius in 1993. Princeton won every game it played from March 20 through April 28 before falling to Brown, 3-1.
Linda Smolka ’89 became Princeton softball’s first All-America selection, earning second-team honors following the 1988 season. Stacy Thurber ’96 was named third-team All-America in 1994, while Jen Babik ’95 and Mandy Pfeiffer ’97 earned third-team honors in 1995.
Princeton has also had a strong Academic All-America tradition. In 1994, Jen Babik ’95 became the program’s first first-team Academic All-America selection, while Stacy Thurber ’96 earned second-team honors. Both Babik and Thurber were named first-team Academic All-Americas in 1995, and Thurber was selected to the second team again in 1996.
Princeton has made 13 NCAA tournament appearances, highlighted by back-to-back trips to the Women’s College World Series in 1995 and 1996. The Tigers are 14-29 all-time in NCAA tournament play and 0-4 at the Women’s College World Series.
The Tigers also competed in the National Invitational Championship in Macomb, Ill., in 1987, 1992 and 1993. Princeton went 0-2 in 1987, finished second in 1992, and tied for third in the rain-shortened 1993 event.
Maureen Barron and Jennifer Sewell were named the 2002 Northeast Region Coaching Staff of the Year. The Ivy League Coach of the Year award began in 2015, and Lisa Van Ackeren earned the honor in 2016, 2017, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The award later became Ivy League Coaching Staff of the Year, with Princeton receiving the honor in 2025 and 2026.
Alexis Laudenslager won Ivy League Pitcher of the Year honors in 2022 and 2023, joining Erin Snyder (2005, 2006) and Brianne Galicinao (2001, 2002) as Princeton’s two-time winners. Princeton players have won 12 Ivy Pitcher of the Year awards, 14 Ivy Player of the Year awards and nine Ivy Rookie of the Year awards. The Player and Rookie of the Year awards have been presented annually since 1985, while Pitcher of the Year has been awarded since 1994.