GORHAM, Maine  –   Welcoming teams and youth softball players from the community, the University of Southern Maine Huskies' softball team is hosting its first Little League Day on Saturday, April 15, 2023 – a special event to celebrate girls Little League players in the State of Maine.  The Huskies are hosting the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs in a Little East Conference doubleheader at the USM Softball Stadium.  The event is inspired by the Little League's #GirlsWithGame initiative which was launched in 2019 to foster the growth in participation in sport among girls, and help develop community mentors and role models.
 
"After a discussion with a local youth coach, we thought it would be a great idea to welcome and honor the girls and young women breaking into our sport," noted Jamo.  "I'm excited to have area teams join us at the stadium for the opportunity watch two highly competitive and talented teams play, and to encourage the future generation of softball players and student-athletes."
 
Admission to the games is free and concessions will be on hand for all Husky fans. Little League players in attendance will have a chance to run the bases and meet student-athletes from both the University of Southern Maine and UMass Dartmouth softball teams.  Southern Maine's mascot Champ the Husky will be making an appearance at the stadium, and autographed team photos will be available. The first game is slated for a 1 pm start and the celebration and ceremony to honor area youth players is schedule for an approximate 3:00 pm start. 
 
The Huskies are led by two-time Little East Conference Coach of the Year Sarah Jamo (2015, 2021), and features several  All-Little East Conference student-athletes including pitcher/utility player Belle Snyder (Epping, N.H.), first baseman Rona Scott (Beverly, Mass.), pitcher Lauren Merrill (Bethel, Maine/Oxford Hills) and outfielder Lauren Miller (St. George, Maine/Camden Hills). 
 
Successful on and off of the field, Huskies' softball had 15 members of its squad named William B. Wise Scholar Athletes this fall.  Additionally, Scott and Miller were both recognized at the 2022 University of Southern Maine Department of Athletics Honors Night with year-end department awards. Miller, a Nursing major, received the Roland Wirths Memorial Award and Scott was a co-recipient of the Kimberly M. Turner Award.