Denison women's basketball named as a WBCA Academic special mention Honor Roll recipient. 7/20/2026 1:15:00 PM Lilburn, Ga.- Recently, the WBCA named the 2026 WBCA Academic Top 25 Honor Roll Recipients, and the Denison women's basketball team were awarded special mention for their academic team success. The WBCA Academic Top 25 Honor Roll recognizes NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA, and two-year college women's basketball teams across the US that finish the academic year with the highest combined GPAs of student-athletes on their roster for the entire season. To be considered for the award, a team must have a minimum GPA of 3.0. In their fourth season under Head Coach Maureen Hirt, the Denison women's basketball team had its most historic year, finishing the 2025-26 season with an overall record of 30-2, a feat that earned the Big Red its first NCAA National Championship Title in program history. En route to their title, Denison won all of their tournament games by double-digits except for one, and took down two unbeaten squads. Juniors Ada Taute and Abby Cooch were named to the All-Tournament team, with Cooch earning NCAA Tournament MVP.

Kirstin Mapes named as Denison's new head softball coach. 6/26/2026 10:17:00 AM Granville, Ohio - Kirstin Mapes, assistant softball coach at Hamilton College since 2021, has been selected as Denison's new softball head coach ahead of the 2027 season. "Kirstin brings a highly relational approach, focused on team culture and student development, along with a strong Division III pedigree as a student-athlete at Williams and as an assistant coach at Hamilton," states Associate V.P., Director of Athletics Matt Tanney. "She is closely aligned with the holistic athletic experience we provide to Denison students." During her tenure at Hamilton College as the assistant and pitching coach, Mapes coached two All-NESCAC and NFCA All-Region pitchers, as well as a total of 27 NESCAC All-Academic players. She took the lead alongside the head coach in designing and implementing practice plans for all positions and, on game day, crafted scouting reports for each opponent. Off the field, she played an integral role in introducing Connect 22, a fall initiative that strengthened off-field relationships with the team, as well as Hamily Day, a dedicated day each academic year during which softball student-athletes had the opportunity to share their experiences with the Hamilton community. Mapes shared that she is passionate about building a culture rooted in strong relationships, continuous growth, and a commitment to excellence both on and off the field. She looks forward to building on the tradition and legacy of Denison Softball while pursuing new levels of excellence alongside its incredible student-athletes." A native of Corona, California, Mapes had an impressive career as a pitcher at Williams College. In the circle, she struck out 129 batters in 171.1 career innings pitched and posted a 2.70 earned run average with a 21-2 record. She completed 14 of the 29 games she started, tossed five shutouts, and earned one save. At the plate, she hit .343 with a .401 on-base percentage and .590 slugging percentage in 113 games. She finished her career with 113 hits, including 20 home runs and 17 doubles, scored 54 runs, and drove in 80. Mapes helped Williams win 128 games, two NESCAC titles, three NCAA regionals, and two NCAA super regionals. When asked about stepping into the Big Red's head coaching position, Mapes said she is grateful and humbled to be selected to lead the Denison Softball program. She extended a heartfelt thank you to Matt Tanney, Tiffany Ozbun, and the entire search committee for their faith in her to lead this team. Throughout this process, Denison's commitment to striving for excellence together has been apparent, and she is thrilled to be joining such a vibrant and burgeoning athletic department. "Following the team's NCAC Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance this spring, it's an exciting next step for the future of the softball program. We're excited to welcome Kirstin to The Hill," shared Tanney.