ORONO, Maine – The University of Maine softball team will play in the Mardi Gras Mambo this weekend, hosted by Southeastern Louisiana at the Youngsville Sports Complex in Youngsville, La.
 
The Black Bears are scheduled to face five different opponents, beginning with the host school Southeastern Louisiana on Friday, Feb. 28. No live stream and no live stats will be provided.

Maine will also face Southern University, Houston Christian University, Grambling State and Stephen F. Austin.
 
Mardi Gras Mambo (All times listed EST)
Game 9 | Maine at Southeastern Louisiana
Friday, Feb. 28 | 3:00 p.m. | Youngsville, La.
 
Game 10 | Maine vs Southern University
Friday, Feb. 28 | 5:00 p.m. | Youngsville, La.
 
Game 11 | Maine vs Houston Christian University
Saturday, March 1 | 4:00 p.m. | Youngsville, La.
 
Game 12 | Maine vs Grambling State
Saturday, March 1 | 6:00 p.m. | Youngsville, La.
 
Game 13 | Maine vs Stephen F. Austin
Sunday, March 2 | 11:00 a.m. | Youngsville, La.
 
ABOUT THE MARDI GRAS MAMBO

• The 2025 Mardi Gras Mambo, hosted by Southeastern Louisiana, will feature 10 teams from around the country.
• In addition to Maine and its five opponents (Southeastern Louisiana, Southern University, Houston Christian, Grambling State and Stephen F. Austin), the tournament will feature Iowa State, West Georgia, Army West Point and Monmouth.
• For more information and a schedule for the entire 10-team tournament, visit the Mardi Gras Mambo tournament website.

BLACK BEARS VERSUS…

• Maine is 1-2 all-time against Stephen F. Austin … the teams last met on March 1, 2013 in Clearwater, Fla., with the Black Bears dropping a 5-1 game … the teams played twice in 2011 in Louisiana, with Maine winning 6-5 and losing 6-4.
• Maine and Southeastern Louisiana have never met.
• Maine and Southern University have never met.
• Maine and Houston Christian have never met.
• Maine and Grambling State have never met.

SIMMERMAN NAMED PITCHER, ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

• After going 1-1 at the Mardi Gras Classic last weekend, Madison Simmerman was named both the America East Pitcher of the Week and Rookie of the Week.
• Simmerman earned her first career win in the tournament's opening game, throwing 4.0 innings while striking out two and giving up just three hits and no earned runs in Maine's 9-1 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. … Saturday, she threw 7.0 innings for her second complete game of the season while giving up five runs – four earned – in a 5-0 loss to Lipscomb.
• On the year, Simmerman is 1-2 with a 1.67 ERA in 21 innings pitched.
• It was the first time an America East student-athlete has won multiple softball weekly awards in the same week since March 2022 … she was also the first Black Bear to earn a weekly award since Kelby Drews was Player of the Week on Feb. 14, 2023.

 
QUICK HITS

• Gabby Papushka leads Maine at the plate with a .292/.320/.667 line … the senior has two home runs, a double and triple on the year, with four of her seven hits going for extra bases.
• Kyrah Haba-Dailey is hitting .273 while Immy Gie is hitting .238 and has gone 2-for-2 in stolen base attempts.
• Nora Campo has a team-leading .357 on-base percentage.

ABOUT HEAD COACH KIMBERLY STILES

• Kimberly Stiles was named the seventh head coach of the Maine softball program on July 9.
• Stiles, who has achieved over 300 collegiate victories during her coaching career, comes to Orono with 14 years of head coaching experience across the Division I and Division II levels.
• She most recently spent the past three seasons at Holy Cross, guiding the Crusaders' program to 50 wins in a three-year span for the first time in 25 years.

 
UP NEXT

• Maine will stay in the Northeast next weekend, traveling to Connecticut for the Yale Tournament … the Black Bears will face Sacred Heart, Yale and Central Connecticut State.