Thursday, May 8
Princeton, N.J.
12:30 p.m.
Columbia University
vs
Harvard
Columbia Softball Begins Postseason Play Thursday
5/7/2025 12:08:00 PM | Softball
Lions set to take on the best of the Ivy League for a spot in the NCAA Tournament
NEW YORK – The Columbia softball team returns to the postseason for the third time under head coach Jennifer Teague when the Lions take on Harvard on Thursday on the opening day of the Ivy League Softball Tournament hosted by Princeton.
Columbia (23-16, 15-6 Ivy) and the Crimson (26-11, 15-6 Ivy) are slated to begin at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. Harvard captured the No. 2 seed thanks to its head-to-head record against the Lions, who earned the No. 3 seed. Top-seed Princeton (26-16, 17-4 Ivy) will battle Brown 30-15, 13-8 Ivy) in game one of the tournament at Noon.
Every game in this week's tournament will feature live stats and can be watched live on ESPN+.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, May 8
Game 1: Princeton vs. Brown – Noon (Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)
Game 2: Harvard vs. Columbia – 2:30 p.m. (Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)
Friday, May 9
Game 3: 10 a.m. – Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 (Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)
Game 4: 12:30 p.m. – Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 (Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)
Game 5: 3 p.m. - Winner of Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 3 (Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)
Saturday, May 10
Game 6: 12 p.m. – Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5 (Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)
Game 7: If necessary – 35 minutes following the conclusion of game 6 (Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)
LAST TIME OUT
The Lions paid tribute to their stellar 2025 senior class on Senior Day before the start of the regular season finale. Columbia completed the sweep over visiting Dartmouth with a 2-1 win over the Big Green in a tight pitcher's duel. Jordan Hill went the distance for the second time in the three-game tilt to go 2-0 on the weekend. Olivia Madkins got the Lions on the board, smashing her second home run of the season in the bottom of the third, and Payton Shimansky broke the 1-1 tie with a one-out single in the bottom of the fifth that scored Caroline Palys from second. The run by Palys proved to be the game winner.
STAT LEADERS
Columbia continues to swing a hot bat, hitting .313 as a team, which is tied for second in the Ivy League and ranks 45th in the nation. Cami Neal leads the squad with a single-season record average of .405.
In the circle, the Lions staff boasts an ERA of 5.09, fifth in the Ivy League. However, over the last three weeks, Columbia boasts a staff ERA of 2.52. Senior Jordan Hill has asserted herself as the staff ace. She is 10-7 with a 4.17 ERA. In 18 starts, she has tossed nine complete games. Caylene Nguyen has been a revelation for the Lions coming out of the pen. She is 4-0 with a 3.68 ERA – in 11 appearances, she has two saves.
WEEKLY AWARDS
For the third consecutive week, the Lions have had a player earn one of the Ivy League weekly awards. This week, sophomore Olivia Madkins was named the Player of the Week, while freshman Juju O'Brien took home Rookie of the Week. It is the first career weekly award for Madkins, who led the Lions with a blistering .700 average (7-for-10) with two runs scored, a solo home run, and three driven in.
This week marks the second time O'Brien has been named the Rookie of the Week. She was also named Rookie of the Week on March 17 this season. The Southern California native hit .500 last week, going 4-for-8 with two runs scored and three driven in. She slugged .875 and boasted a .600 on-base percentage. Moreover, she was flawless in the field, boasting a 1.000 fielding percentage with seven putouts and seven assists at short.
STREAKING LIONS
Columbia is currently riding an eight-game winning streak. It is the second-longest winning streak in program history, bested only by the 10-game winning streak that the 2014 team enjoyed between March 21 to April 1. The Lions' current run is the best in the Teague Era and the longest winning streak the Lions have enjoyed in Ivy League play. During the Lions' run, Columbia is hitting .356, averaging six runs per game. In the circle, Columbia is boasting a 2.29 ERA. Jordan Hill is 5-0 with a 1.58 ERA in this eight-game stretch.
LIONS TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Thursday marks the third time the Lions have advanced to the Ivy League Tournament. The tournament/playoff series dates back to 2007, with the Lions reaching the postseason in 2019 and 2022. All-time, Columbia is 1-4 in the Ivy League Tournament. They are 0-3 against Harvard and 1-1 against Princeton. In 2019, Columbia was swept in a best-of-three series by the Crimson at Soldiers Field in Cambridge, Mass. In 2023, the No. 4 seed Lions defeated host Princeton 3-1 in game one before falling to Harvard 4-2 in game three and 8-4 to the Tigers in game five.
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
Stay up to date on all things Columbia Softball by following the Lions on X (@CULionsSoftball), Instagram (@culionssoftball) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaSoftball).
Columbia (23-16, 15-6 Ivy) and the Crimson (26-11, 15-6 Ivy) are slated to begin at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday. Harvard captured the No. 2 seed thanks to its head-to-head record against the Lions, who earned the No. 3 seed. Top-seed Princeton (26-16, 17-4 Ivy) will battle Brown 30-15, 13-8 Ivy) in game one of the tournament at Noon.
Every game in this week's tournament will feature live stats and can be watched live on ESPN+.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, May 8
Game 1: Princeton vs. Brown – Noon (Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)
Game 2: Harvard vs. Columbia – 2:30 p.m. (Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)
Friday, May 9
Game 3: 10 a.m. – Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 (Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)
Game 4: 12:30 p.m. – Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 (Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)
Game 5: 3 p.m. - Winner of Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 3 (Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)
Saturday, May 10
Game 6: 12 p.m. – Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5 (Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)
Game 7: If necessary – 35 minutes following the conclusion of game 6 (Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+)
LAST TIME OUT
The Lions paid tribute to their stellar 2025 senior class on Senior Day before the start of the regular season finale. Columbia completed the sweep over visiting Dartmouth with a 2-1 win over the Big Green in a tight pitcher's duel. Jordan Hill went the distance for the second time in the three-game tilt to go 2-0 on the weekend. Olivia Madkins got the Lions on the board, smashing her second home run of the season in the bottom of the third, and Payton Shimansky broke the 1-1 tie with a one-out single in the bottom of the fifth that scored Caroline Palys from second. The run by Palys proved to be the game winner.
STAT LEADERS
Columbia continues to swing a hot bat, hitting .313 as a team, which is tied for second in the Ivy League and ranks 45th in the nation. Cami Neal leads the squad with a single-season record average of .405.
In the circle, the Lions staff boasts an ERA of 5.09, fifth in the Ivy League. However, over the last three weeks, Columbia boasts a staff ERA of 2.52. Senior Jordan Hill has asserted herself as the staff ace. She is 10-7 with a 4.17 ERA. In 18 starts, she has tossed nine complete games. Caylene Nguyen has been a revelation for the Lions coming out of the pen. She is 4-0 with a 3.68 ERA – in 11 appearances, she has two saves.
WEEKLY AWARDS
For the third consecutive week, the Lions have had a player earn one of the Ivy League weekly awards. This week, sophomore Olivia Madkins was named the Player of the Week, while freshman Juju O'Brien took home Rookie of the Week. It is the first career weekly award for Madkins, who led the Lions with a blistering .700 average (7-for-10) with two runs scored, a solo home run, and three driven in.
This week marks the second time O'Brien has been named the Rookie of the Week. She was also named Rookie of the Week on March 17 this season. The Southern California native hit .500 last week, going 4-for-8 with two runs scored and three driven in. She slugged .875 and boasted a .600 on-base percentage. Moreover, she was flawless in the field, boasting a 1.000 fielding percentage with seven putouts and seven assists at short.
STREAKING LIONS
Columbia is currently riding an eight-game winning streak. It is the second-longest winning streak in program history, bested only by the 10-game winning streak that the 2014 team enjoyed between March 21 to April 1. The Lions' current run is the best in the Teague Era and the longest winning streak the Lions have enjoyed in Ivy League play. During the Lions' run, Columbia is hitting .356, averaging six runs per game. In the circle, Columbia is boasting a 2.29 ERA. Jordan Hill is 5-0 with a 1.58 ERA in this eight-game stretch.
LIONS TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Thursday marks the third time the Lions have advanced to the Ivy League Tournament. The tournament/playoff series dates back to 2007, with the Lions reaching the postseason in 2019 and 2022. All-time, Columbia is 1-4 in the Ivy League Tournament. They are 0-3 against Harvard and 1-1 against Princeton. In 2019, Columbia was swept in a best-of-three series by the Crimson at Soldiers Field in Cambridge, Mass. In 2023, the No. 4 seed Lions defeated host Princeton 3-1 in game one before falling to Harvard 4-2 in game three and 8-4 to the Tigers in game five.
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
Stay up to date on all things Columbia Softball by following the Lions on X (@CULionsSoftball), Instagram (@culionssoftball) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaSoftball).
Players Mentioned
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OF
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P/UT
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SS
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C/3B
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C/OF
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