NE10 40th Anniversary Home Page
Years of NE10 Success culminated for the Merrimack College softball team in the late spring of 1994, when the program raised its first national championship trophy in Shawnee, Kansas.
Merrimack’s title hopes didn’t come unfounded. The team entered the 1994 season on a three year conference championship streak, following an undefeated conference season in 1993.
“I think once this was established, the program had the foundation built and then it became the “laws of attraction” that continued to attract players that wanted this type of lifestyle and be willing to do what was required to be considered elite,” said Daniela Paparo, the team’s second baseman and ’96 graduate.
That elite play started with a 9-1 opening run in Florida and continued on a 24-game win streak through NE10 and regional opponents. The Warriors offense that season was propelled by junior Judy O’Connell, who held a .482 batting average with 54 RBIs and 10 home runs on the year.
Senior Kim Page took home Player of the Year honors for the second straight season as she was lights out in the circle, going 22-1 with 154 strikeouts and a 1.01 ERA in 28 games, including 22 complete games. Page was one of seven players named First-Team All-Conference, alongside Daniela Paparo, Meeghan Coffey, Shawna Currier, Raffaella Paparo, Laura Carlson & Judy O’Connell.
After earning another conference title, the Warriors took on Keene State and Quinnipiac, winning decisively in all three NCAA Northeast Regional contests to punch their tickets to Kansas.
“Our Coaches and teammates believed that anything was possible with hard work, perseverance and pushing each other to the “next level.” We always believed there was a 'next level' and this helped us to always want more from ourselves and from each other,” said pitcher and outfielder, Raffaella Paparo, who played on the team with her sister.
In the opening game of the Championships, the Warriors breezed past Humboldt State 7-2, before battling through against regional favorite Nebraska-Omaha in front of 600 fans for a 3-1 win. Drawing up again against Humboldt State in the title game, Merrimack took a 6-2 victory and a title back to North Andover.
Coffee earned First-Team All-America honors at third base for the Warriors while Raffaella Paparo was named to the Second Team and Page secured Third-Team All-America Recognition to conclude her career. Page left Merrimack as the NE10’s career leader in victories (77) and ERA (0.87) and currently ranks second in both categories.
The program went on a run following the championship, making eight straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including Northeast-10 Regional Titles in 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000. They are one of four NCAA Championship winning programs for Merrimack College and the 1994 team was inducted to the Merrimack Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.
Merrimack Softball Links of Note:
ABOUT THE NE10
Beginning its 40th anniversary season, the NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
