For just the second time in program history, Siena Softball saw a player named as a nominee for the prestigious Senior CLASS Award. Senior captain Madysen Cossack was selected as one of just 30 NCAA Division I softball student-athletes who excel both on and off the field as a candidate for the award, the organization announced Thursday morning. She is the only softball player from the MAAC, and just one of five student-athletes from the geographical northeast to make the list.

Cossack is the joins standout Shannon Jones, who earned a nomination in 2013, as the only players to do so from the softball program to-date. She becomes the Saints' 20th Senior CLASS Award candidate since the award began in 2010 and is the first to be named a candidate this season.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School ®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

"Madysen's candidacy for this award is well-deserved," head coach Bill Lajeunesse said. "She has worked extremely hard throughout off four of her years here at Siena, not just on the softball field, but in the classroom and in the community as well. She has done a wonderful job working at our softball clinics, has excelled in the classroom and her leadership on the field has been second to none."

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.

A native of Agoura Hills, California, Cossack has excelled in each of the four criteria outlined in the Senior CLASS Award throughout her time in the Green and Gold.

A two-time First Team All-MAAC Selection, the first baseman was named the conference's Player of the Year in 2017 and was also named to the ECAC Division I All-Star Team and the NCFA Great Lakes Region Third Team that season. One of just three unanimous All-Conference selection in 2018, she led the nation in doubles per-game during the regular season, breaking her own single-season record in two-baggers in the process with 22 on the year. Cossack steadied the MAAC in slugging percentage (.723), while ranking second in total bases (100), third in batting average (.392) and fifth in hits (51) and on-base percentage (.459). She began her collegiate career by being named to the MAAC All-Rookie squad in 2016.

Currently in her second year serving as a team captain, Cossack is highly revered at Siena, and shows respect and integrity in everything she does on and off the field.

Cossack led the team's community service efforts last fall when they played softball with local girl scouts on six separate occasions in September and October 2018. She has also participated in serving meals at the Albany Ronald McDonald House with the team and has helped lead camps during her four years at Siena.

An english major with a minor in marketing, Cossack holds a 3.05 cumulative GPA, earning a 3.4 term GPA for Fall 2018. She was honored as the MAAC Pepsi Student-Athlete of the Week on May 22, 2018 and has been named MAAC Player of the Week four times during her career.

One of the most decorated players in Siena Softball history, Cossack owns top best two single-season performances for doubles, and the second-most RBI and walks in a campaign. She is one double away (50) from tying Jones for the program record, and is also second in career batting average (.371), on-base percentage (.456), and slugging percentage (.615), third in walks (67), fourth in RBI (112) and total bases (270) and tied for seventh in hits (163). From April 26, 2018 to March 9, 2019, she strung together a 22-game hitting streak, the second longest since at least 2001, and has reached base successfully in each of her last 23 games.

The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists later in the season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2019 Women's College World Series®.