Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Champioships (8): 1999 (NAIA Northeast), 2000 (NAIA New England), 2001 (NAIA New England), 2006 (DIII Independents Northeast), 2011 (GNAC), 2012 (GNAC), 2013 (GNAC), 2014 (GNAC)

Coach of the Year (10): 1999 (Maine Intercollegiate), 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2010 (GNAC), 2012 (GNAC), 2014 (GNAC), 2023 (GNAC), 2024 (GNAC)

Career Record: 616-443 (.582)

All-Conference Athletes: 85

Overview:

Coach Smyth, who recorded his 28th season as the Monks’ skipper in 2025, has built one of the most respected softball programs in the New England Region. Named as the Saint Joseph's College Head Softball Coach prior to the 1998 season, Smyth has guided the Monks to 16 winning seasons in 20 years at the helm. During his tenure, St. Joe's has captured eight conference titles, two regional championships and made four appearances in the NCAA National Tournament.

Smyth’s coaching success has not gone unnoticed by his peers, as evidenced by his total of ten Coach of the Year accolades, a list that includes GNAC top coach honors in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2023 and 2024.

The winningest head coach in program history, Smyth notched his 300th career victory on April 9th, 2011, registered his 400th triumph on March 29th, 2014, recorded his 500th win on April 13th, 2018 and his 600th career victory on March 10th, 2025.

­Recently:

2025: The Monks had an overall record of 17-24 and a conference record of 10-6 to secure the #4N seed in the GNAC Tournament. Saint Joseph's bested the #5N seed New England College (4-3) in the GNAC Play-In before losing in back-to-back games in Pod A to the #1N seed Rivier University (4-5) and the #2S seed Albertus Magnus College (10-18). After the season concluded, junior catcher Chantelle Bouchard (Biddeford, Maine) was named the All-Conference First Team for the second consecutive season and was joined by senior third baseman Sylvia Foley (Scarborough, Maine). Junior outfielder Sadie Tirrell (Naples, Maine) earned a place on the Second Team. 

Prior Seasons:

2024: Coach Smyth led the Monks to a 21-18 overall record with a 12-5 record in GNAC play to earn the #1N seed in the GNAC Tournament. In the GNAC Tournament, the Monks handled the #5N seed New England College (9-4) before defeating the #3S seed Johnson and Wales University twice on back-to-back days to earn a place in the GNAC Championship Series. In the Championship Series, the Monks took the first game against the #3N seed Simmons University before falling short in the following two games to end their season. Sophomore catcher Chantelle Bouchard (Biddeford, Maine) and sophomore shortstop Charlotte Cloutier (Lewiston, Maine) were named to the All-Conference First Team. Junior third baseman Sylvia Foley (Scarborough, Maine) was listed on the Second Team and senior outfielder Lydia Goodnough (Kennebunkport, Maine) earned a place on the Third Team. Coach Smyth was named the GNAC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season and tenth overall.

2023: The Monks posted a 21-18 record with an 11-2 conference record to claim the #2N seed in the GNAC Tournament. In the GNAC Tournament, the Monks defeated the #3N seed Emmanuel College (3-1) before the season ended after narrow defeats to the #1N seed Simmons University (3-5) and #3S seed Lasell University (1-2). Senior first baseman Olivia Howe (Arundel, Maine) was named the GNAC Player of the Year and earned a place on the All-Conference First Team. Senior pitcher Meredith Pence (Remington, Va.) joined Howe on the First Team while sophomore third baseman Sylvia Foley (Scarborough, Maine) was listed on the Third Team. Coach Smyth was named the GNAC Coach of the Year for the ninth time.

2022: Coach Smyth led the Monks to a 20-17 overall record with a 14-7 record in conference play to secure the #3N seed in the GNAC Tournament. In the GNAC Tournament, the Monks defeated the #4N seed Rivier University in the GNAC Play-In (4-3). The Monks fell to the #2N seed Simmons University (0-6) before defeating both the #1S seed Albertus Magnus and Simmons 5-3 to advance to the final day. The season came to a close after a 4-8 loss to the #1N seed Emmanuel College. Senior outfielder Ashley Emery (Madison, Maine) was named to the All-Conference First Team while sophomore outfielder Lydia Goodnough (Kennebunkport, Maine) and junior pitcher Meredith Pence (Remington, Va.) were named to the Second Team. Senior catcher Bailey Rassol (Rehoboth, Mass.) and junior first baseman Olivia Howe (Arundel, Maine) were listed on the First Team.

2019: Saint Joseph's had an overall record of 13-23 with an 8-8 record in GNAC play to claim the #3N seed in the GNAC Tournament for the 2019 season. In the GNAC Tournament, the Monks defeated the #4N seed Norwich University in the GNAC Play-In (9-4) before topping the #2 seed Suffolk University (6-4). Saint Joseph's fell short in a tight loss against the #1N seed Emmanuel College (2-4) but defeated the #3S seed Johnson and Wales University (3-2). The Monks battled but came up short against the #1S seed Simmons University (3-5) to end their season. Senior first baseman Melodie Bailey (Lebanon, Maine) earned a place on the All-Conference First Team, junior outfielder Madisyn Charest Sidney, Maine) was named to the Second Team and junior second baseman Libby Pomerleau (Limerick, Maine) was listed on the Third Team.

The 2018 softball team went 20-19 overall with a 15-9 record in conference play en route to securing the #4 seed in the GNAC Tournament. The Monks opened with a 7-3 win over Albertus Magnus College but bowed out of tourney contention with losses to top-seeded Suffolk University and #3 Simmons College.

After the season, Melodie Bailey (Lebanon, Maine), Libby Pomerleau (Limerick, Maine), Meghan Elliott (Mendon, Mass.), and Maizie Lee (Saco, Maine) garnered All-Conference honors. 

In 2017, the Monks posted a 22-17 overall record with a 17-5 mark in conference play en route to claiming the #2 seed in the 2017 GNAC Tournament. On Friday, May 5th, Saint Joseph's hosted a second-round pod and fell into the losers' bracket after suffering a 5-2 loss at the hands of #3 Suffolk University. The Monks rebounded with a 6-3 win over #8 Simmons College in an elimination game the following day, but bowed out of the tournament with an 8-0 loss to fourth-seeded Albertus Magnus College.

Following the season, sophomore shortstop Meghan Elliott (Blackstone, Mass.) and senior outfielder Carla Tripp (Lovell, Maine) collected First Team All-GNAC honors while sophomore Kristal Smith (Pittston, Maine) was listed on the Second Team and senior third baseman Mariah Harrison (Buxton, Maine) and senior pitcher Kylie McFadden (Dover, N.H.) collected Third Team acclaim.

In 2016, Saint Joseph's College posted a 22-18 overall record with a 13-9 mark in GNAC play en route to claiming the #6 seed in the conference tournament. Unfortunately, the Monks suffered a season-ending 1-0 loss at the hands of #7 Albertus Magnus College in the single-elimination opening round at Richard W. Bailey Field on Tuesday, May 3rd. Juniors Mariah Harrison and Carla Tripp garnered All-Conference honors following the completion of the season.

In 2015, the Monks posted a 27-13 overall record with a 16-6 mark in GNAC play en route to earning the #3 seed in the conference tournament. St. Joe’s opened tourney play with a loss to Emmanuel College, but remained in contention for the program's fifth-consecutive conference title with losers' bracket wins over top-seeded Suffolk University and Emmanuel before falling to Johnson & Wales University, 4-2, on the final day of the playoffs.

Following the season’s completion, seniors Theresa Hendrix (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus) and Kim Jordan (Bangor, Maine) earned First Team All-GNAC honors while junior Erica Boulanger (Somersworth, N.H.) was listed on the Second Team, and sophomores Jennifer Murphy (Andover, Mass.) and Carla Tripp (Lovell, Maine) collected Third Team mention. Hendrix also claimed All-ECAC and Capital One Academic All-District honors and became the third SJC softball player (Alyssa Dunn ’11 and Danyelle Shufelt ’13 are the others) to be selected as the GNAC Woman of the Year.

With a 34-6 overall record, the Monks posted the second-highest winning percentage (.850) in program history – and sixth-best in the nation – in 2014. St. Joe’s rattled off a pair of double-digit winning streaks (14 and 11 games) during the season and capped off the year with the program’s fourth consecutive GNAC Championship and subsequent NCAA Tournament appearance.

Hosting the GNAC Tournament for the first time in seven years as a conference member, Saint Joseph’s cruised through the bracket with wins over Suffolk University, Johnson & Wales University, and Simmons College – a 4-1 title game triumph – to become the second team in GNAC history to win at least four consecutive softball titles.

The Monks opened NCAA Tournament play with a resounding 10-0 victory over Western Connecticut State University, but the Royal Blue suffered a heart-breaking extra-inning loss to Bridgewater State University, the eventual pod winner, and fell to host Wellesley College to bow out of contention.

Coach Smyth helped lift the SJC softball program to another level in 2011, as the Monks went 37-10, won the GNAC Championship, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in team history last spring. As the #2 seed for the third straight year, St. Joe's defeated Rivier to collect the program's first GNAC title in four years as a league member and advanced to the NCAA Providence Regional. While there, the Royal Blue bested #3 Endicott and #2 Coast Guard before bowing out with two hard fought losses. Coach Smyth notched the 300th win of his career with a victory over Rivier at Richard W. Bailey Field on April 9th.

2010 truly was a banner year for the St. Joe's Softball program. The Monks posted a 30-10 record, including a 21-3 mark in Great Northeast Athletic Conference play, and broke the program-record for consecutive victories with a 23-game streak that captured plenty of attention in the local media. "The Streak" tied the longest mark in SJC Athletics history and included 20 conference victories. The Monks earned the #2 seed in the GNAC Tournament for the second year in a row and Coach Smyth was recognized for his efforts with the 2010 GNAC Coach of the Year honor, the sixth yearly accolade of his esteemed career.

Under Smyth's watch in 2009, the Monks went 29-14 overall and 18-6 in GNAC play en route to conference championship and ECAC Tournament appearances. With an 8-0 win over Emmanuel on April 15th, Smyth became the winningest coach in program history, surpassing Dick Bailey, one of the finest coaches in SJC Athletics history and a 2008 Hall of Fame inductee, with 245 victories.

Smyth has guided the Monks to a 26-win season and the program's first-ever ECAC Tournament berth in 2008. Smyth led the Royal Blue to a 19-7 conference tilt in the team's first season as a member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference in 2008, which placed the squad third overall in the regular season standings.

In 1999, the Monks finished with a 30-12 record and a 9-1 record in the Maine Athletic Conference. St. Joe's won the MAC tournament championship, the Northeast Regional Championship, and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament held in West Palm Beach, Florida. For his efforts, Smyth was named MAC Coach of the year in 1999, as well as being selected Coach of the Year by the Maine Intercollegiate Softball Coaches Association. Smyth also won the Maine Athletic Conference Coach of the Year awards in 2000 and 2002 as well.

Previously:

Prior to taking over as head coach in 1998, Smyth served as an assistant coach at St. Joe's in 1994-1995 for softball fixture Dick Bailey. Smyth also assisted his brother Curt in 1997, helping the Monks to a 30-7 record that year. He has also done stints as an assistant coach at Westbrook College and Windham High School.

As a college baseball player, Smyth played on four consecutive New England Championship baseball teams at Saint Joseph's. In addition, he was a member of the first and only Saint Joseph's golf team to ever qualify for the NAIA National Golf Championship in 1991.

Personal:

Smyth earned his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Saint Joseph’s in 1992 and, during his senior year, spent his fall semester performing an internship at the White House in Washington D.C.

In addition to his coaching duties, Smyth is currently a full-time employee of the United States Postal Service as a letter carrier and has served as the head golf coach at Saint Joseph's since the 2004 season.

A native of Gorham, Maine, Smyth, his wife, Susan, daughters Hannah and Sarah, and son Ryan reside in Windham.

CAREER RECORD: