Orono, Maine -- Alexis Souhlaris McNichols was never willing to settle. The fierce competitor wanted to be the best and she was motivated to work hard, take advantage of opportunities and give her best on the softball field.

 

Souhlaris drew on those admirable qualities to become a versatile and formidable Division I student-athlete and those efforts have landed her in the University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame.

 

Souhlaris, a native of Derry, New Hampshire, showed off a combination of speed, power, versatility and grit while developing into one of the most accomplished players in Black Bear history.

 

From 2006-2010, Souhlaris compiled an overall .366 batting average with 31 doubles, 28 home runs and 87 runs batted in along with six triples and a .558 slugging percentage.

 

She still holds UMaine records for most hits in a season (73) and a career (249) and also owns program single-season and career stolen base marks with 30 and 94, respectively. Souhlaris also posted 13 victories and a save as a pitcher.

 

As a junior in 2009, the eventual four-time America East All-Conference selection (three First Team and All-Rookie Team honors) received NCAA Northeast All-America and America East Player of the Year accolades. Souhlaris, who played outfield, second base and pitcher at UMaine, capped her career by sparking coach Deb Smith's squad to an America East runner-up finish en route to conference all-tournament recognition in 2010.

 

"She could play any position" said former UMaine coach and administrator and Hall of Famer Lynn Coutts, who was an assistant coach during the 2008 season.

 

"She was fast, she could play the outfield, she stole bases, she could pitch," Coutts said. "She was just relentless and her compete level was extraordinary."

 

Souhlaris received tremendous support from her parents, Thomas and Kathy Souhlaris, and credits youth coaches Harold Sachs, the family's next-door neighbor, and the late Corrine Murphy for providing important instruction and guidance while putting her in situations where she would be tested.

 

"Corinne was the first person to really have that confidence and belief in me and that's invaluable," Souhlaris said. "I was so excited to get the (Hall of Fame) call, but I was like, aw, I wish it was a year earlier, because I know she'd be grinning with excitement."

 

Murphy, the older sister of Souhlaris' best friend, Tara Murphy, died in 2022 at age 43 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

 

While attending Pinkerton Academy, Souhlaris was leaning toward attending Division II Merrimack College, where Stacey Sullivan was the head softball coach. But when Sullivan was hired as the head coach at UMaine in 2005, she maintained her pursuit of the recruit.

 

Souhlaris knew the jump to Division I would be a big one, but her experience playing on a travel team coached by Sachs, which reached the Under-18 nationals — and included future UMaine teammate and UMaine Sports Hall of Famer Ashley Waters — provided motivation.

 

"It gave me a perspective to see that I could really hang with the big girls," Souhlaris said.

 

The freshman outfielder burst onto the scene by posting a .362 batting average with 22 RBI and 30 stolen bases. Souhlaris ranked 11th in the country with 0.65 stolen bases per game.

 

She continued to excel throughout her career, demonstrating drive and determination. That included returning to the circle to bolster the pitching staff.

 

The transition was aided by a summer stint with coach Chris Wells' Storm USA team in California, where she worked with pitching coach Bonnie Ebenkamp.

 

"I was ready to go once I came back and next thing you know I was in a fairly regular mix," Souhlaris said.

 

As a senior under coach Deb Smith, Souhlaris made a successful transition from outfield to second base while continuing her pitching efforts.

 

"She elevated everybody. She wanted to win," Coutts said. "And she brought that to the practice field and she locked in. It was a great privilege to be around her when she was there and she wore the Maine Black Bear jersey proudly."

 

However, Souhlaris' career included some unsettled times, including a coaching staff change after her sophomore season.

 

"We went through a ton while we were there, but it's a testament to the people on the team," Souhlaris said of their collective resilience.

 

She persevered and helped spearhead UMaine's turnaround from an 11-39 campaign in 2008, including an 0-25 start, to a 23-28 mark and a second-place America East regular-season finish in 2010.

 

"The conference tournament was definitely the coolest part of my whole time there because everything finally came together and clicked and we were able to make a solid run for it," Souhlaris said.

 

Souhlaris McNichols lives in Las Vegas with her husband Ryan and her daughter Kenley, 8. She works as a manager for an attorney service and also coaches softball and provides pitching instruction.

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The 2023 UMaine Sports Hall of Fame class will be officially inducted at a banquet held at Jeff's Catering on Friday, Sept. 29. For more details on this year's class, please click here.

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