LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference released the 2024 PSAC Softball All-Conference teams and Major Award winners on Tuesday afternoon.
The All-Conference teams and Major Award winners are determined by a vote of the league's head coaches.
In the Western Division, major award winners included California’s Caleigh Rister as Athlete of the Year, Gannon’s Maggie Lenda as Pitcher of the Year, Seton Hill’s Kassidy Wittig as Freshman of the Year, and Gannon head coach Michelle Wiley as Coach of the Year.
The Eastern Division awards went to Millersville’s Aleese Angelo as Athlete of the Year, East Stroudsburg’s Sarah Davenport as both Pitcher and Freshman of the Year, and East Stroudsburg head coach Jaime Wohlbach as Coach of the Year.
WESTERN DIVISION
Junior Caleigh Rister adds the 2024 Athlete of the Year award to her list of PSAC accolades that include Freshman of the Year and Pitcher of the Year awards back in 2022. The two-way player contributes everywhere on the field, logging a .444 average (third-best in the conference) , 33 runs, 37 RBIs, 12 doubles, and four home runs at the plate. In the circle, she added 132.2 innings pitched with an ERA of 3.32 and 115 strikeouts to help the Vulcans secure the West’s No. 3 seed in this year’s 2024 PSAC Softball Championship.
Gannon ace Maggie Lenda, a junior, claimed the Pitcher of the Year honors by tossing 109.2 innings with a 2.11 ERA (fourth-best in the PSAC and tops in the Western Division) along with a 15-2 record and 86 strikeouts.
Seton Hill’s Kassidy Wittig was voted Freshman of the Year after leading the entire conference in batting average at a .449 clip and adding 40 runs scored, 26 RBIs, 12 doubles, two triples, a home run, and 22 stolen bases to set the table for the Griffins, who secured the West’s No. 2 seed in the 2024 Softball Championship.
Michelle Wiley earns her second career PSAC Coach of the Year honor (the previous coming in 2019) after leading Gannon to a 25-6 conference record (30-11 overall) and the West’s top seed for this week’s PSAC championship. The Golden Knights ended the season by winning 21 of their last 23 games.
EASTERN DIVISION
Millersville senior catcher Aleese Angelo was voted the Eastern Division’s Athlete of the Year after a monster season at the plate, where she hit .447 (second-highest batting average in the PSAC and tops in the East) with 13 home runs, 13 doubles, 33 runs scored, and 47 RBIs. Her slugging percentage of .786 and OPS of 1.318 were both Eastern Division-leading marks.
East Stroudsburg’s Sarah Davenport burst onto the scene to earn both the Pitcher of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards – an occurrence that has only happened five times in PSAC history. California’s Caleigh Rister accomplished the double in the West in 2022, and the last time a player won both in the East was in 2015 and West Chester’s Amanda Houck. Davenport led the PSAC in wins (22), ERA (1.00), strikeouts (273), and opposing batting average (.179).
East Stroudsburg head coach Jaime Wohlbach was honored with her first career Coach of the Year award after guiding the Warriors to a 23-9 conference record (41-13 overall) and the East’s top seed in this week’s upcoming 2024 PSAC Softball Championship.
A complete list of the 2024 PSAC Softball All-Conference Teams and major award winners is below.
WESTERN DIVISION
Athlete of the Year: Caleigh Rister, California
Pitcher of the Year: Maggie Lenda, Gannon
Freshman of the Year: Kassidy Wittig, Seton Hill
Coach of the Year: Michelle Wiley, Gannon
FIRST TEAM
| POS. |
NAME |
INSTITUTION |
CL. |
| Catcher |
Mackenzie Zang^ |
Seton Hill |
Sr. |
| First Base |
Natalia Mallozzi^ |
Gannon |
R-Jr. |
| Second Base |
Jules Ryan^ |
Gannon |
Sr. |
| Shortstop |
Madison Pikula |
IUP |
So. |
| Third Base |
Delaney Patella* |
IUP |
So. |
| Outfield |
Camryn Murphy |
Seton Hill |
So. |
| Outfield |
Emma Smerick |
Gannon |
Fr. |
| Outfield |
Kassidy Wittig |
Seton Hill |
R-Fr. |
| Designated Player |
Gabi Vasi |
Gannon |
Sr. |
| Pitcher |
Maggie Lenda |
Gannon |
Jr. |
| Pitcher |
Logan Hartman* |
Seton Hill |
Sr. |
| Utility/Pitcher |
Caleigh Rister* |
California |
Jr. |
| Utility/Non-Pitcher |
Maddie Fry-Fachet |
Mercyhurst |
Gr. |
SECOND TEAM
| POS. |
NAME |
INSTITUTION |
CL. |
| Catcher |
Julia Mooney |
Pitt-Johnstown |
Jr. |
| First Base |
Jordan Sylvia |
IUP |
Jr. |
| Second Base |
Brooklyn Fukashima |
Seton Hill |
Jr. |
| Shortstop |
Nina Grandey* |
Seton Hill |
Sr. |
| Third Base |
Grace Paredes^ |
Seton Hill |
Jr. |
| Outfield |
Carlena Fiorilli |
California |
Jr. |
| Outfield |
Rachel Helsley |
Clarion |
Sr. |
| Outfield |
Paige Truax |
IUP |
Jr. |
| Designated Player |
Kayla Miehl |
Pitt-Johnstown |
Sr. |
| Pitcher |
Lauren Dellett** |
Seton Hill |
Sr. |
| Pitcher |
Kendall Young |
IUP |
Fr. |
| Utility/Pitcher |
Alexsa Hurd^* |
Slippery Rock |
Jr. |
| Utility/Non-Pitcher |
Lucy Higley |
Edinboro |
Fr. |
*Prior PSAC Softball First Team Honors
^Prior PSAC Softball Second Team Honors
EASTERN DIVISION
Athlete of the Year: Aleese Angelo, Millersville
Pitcher of the Year: Sarah Davenport, East Stroudsburg
Freshman of the Year: Sarah Davenport, East Stroudsburg
Coach of the Year: Jaime Wohlbach, East Stroudsburg
FIRST TEAM
| POS. |
NAME |
INSTITUTION |
CL. |
| Catcher |
Aleese Angelo* |
Millersville |
Sr. |
| First Base |
Gabi Turner |
Millersville |
Gr. |
| Second Base |
Kate Rittenbaugh |
West Chester |
Gr. |
| Shortstop |
Caitlyn Martell* |
Shippensburg |
So. |
| Third Base |
Reilly Vicendese^ |
East Stroudsburg |
Sr. |
| Outfield |
Delaney Good^* |
Lock Haven |
Sr. |
| Outfield |
Madison Melvin*^* |
West Chester |
Gr. |
| Outfield |
Taylor Myers* |
Shippensburg |
Sr. |
| Designated Player |
Mairead Hopkins |
West Chester |
So. |
| Pitcher |
Sarah Davenport |
East Stroudsburg |
Fr. |
| Pitcher |
Callie Sowers*^ |
Bloomsburg |
Jr. |
| Utility/Pitcher |
Katelyn Minney |
Shippensburg |
Jr. |
| Utility/Non-Pitcher |
Delaney Ridgell |
East Stroudsburg |
So. |
SECOND TEAM
| POS. |
NAME |
INSTITUTION |
CL. |
| Catcher |
Morgan Lindsay^ |
Shippensburg |
Sr. |
| First Base |
Naya Darnowski |
Kutztown |
Jr. |
| Second Base |
Taylor Kranzley |
Bloomsburg |
So. |
| Shortstop |
Grace Aguilar*^^ |
West Chester |
Gr. |
| Third Base |
Kayla Vonstein |
Mansfield |
Sr. |
| Outfield |
Emily Henn |
Kutztown |
Fr. |
| Outfield |
Taylor Lipkins |
East Stroudsburg |
Jr. |
| Outfield |
Brianna Stocklin^ |
Kutztown |
Jr. |
| Designated Player |
Gabby D’Ottavio^* |
Millersville |
Sr. |
| Pitcher |
Alicia Ball |
Shippensburg |
Jr. |
| Pitcher |
Madelayne Ruffner |
Shepherd |
Fr. |
| Utility/Pitcher |
Josie Straigis |
Bloomsburg |
Fr. |
| Utility/Non-Pitcher |
Sarah Yamrick |
Bloomsburg |
Fr. |
*Prior PSAC Softball First Team Honors
^Prior PSAC Softball Second Team Honors