Regular Season Champion Delaware Nabs Three CAA Major Softball Awards; Campbell’s Cornetto and Charleston’s Lynch Recognized

5/6/2025 3:00:00 PM

Dylan Smith

CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

RICHMOND, Va. – The Delaware softball program racked up major hardware in the 2025 CAA Postseason Awards with Player of the Year Sydney Shaffer, Pitcher of the Year Billie Kerwood and Defensive Player of the Year Mary Beth Cahalan. Campbell’s Hannah Cornetto was tabbed CAA Rookie of the Year and Charleston’s Tracey Lynch secured Coach of the Year honors, as voted on by the league’s coaches.

Shaffer unloaded one of the best offensive seasons in Delaware history, slashing .418/.532/.877 with a program-record 18 homers, including 11 in CAA action. The Ashland, Va., product also paced the league with 55 RBIs and matched Cornetto with a conference-best 34 walks. The three-time CAA Player of the Week selection also produced 21 multi-hit games and registered 16 games with two or more RBIs.

Kerwood dominated the circle through 37 appearances to garner her first major postseason award. Boasting a 1.58 ERA, the Prospect Park, Penn., product ranked fourth in the nation with 238 strikeouts across 177.1 innings of work. Her strikeout total this season is one shy of cracking the CAA record book for top 10 in league history, trailing Campbell’s Isabella Smith (239) for 10^th. Kerwood also compiled a league-best 23 wins and tossed 11 complete games, including a no-hitter against Hampton on April 18. She also tallied a league-best five Pitcher of the Week honors.

Cahalan shined behind the plate for the league’s regular season champions, guiding the Delaware pitching staff to 18 shutouts and a 2.05 ERA this season, both good for fourth in the nation. She also caught a pair of no-hitters, one from Kerwood and the other from All-CAA First Team selection Morgan Hess. The graduate catcher committed just one error in 336 chances as the Blue Hens’ backstop to log a .997 fielding percentage. She also caught nine runners stealing this season.

Cornetto dazzled in her first collegiate season with the Camels, posting a .351/.500/.506 slash line in league action alone. Logging 27 hits in as many conference starts, the Suwanee, Ga., native also chipped in 20 RBIs and 19 runs scored for Campbell. The All-CAA First Team selection registered a .985 fielding percentage overall after making just five errors this season and turning 19 double plays in the process.

After being listed last in the CAA Preseason Coaches Poll, Cougars’ Coach Lynch lifted her team to a third-place finish in the regular season with a massive turnaround from 2024. Winning just 10 games last season, Lynch guided her team to 20 more wins in 2025, going 30-23 overall, while setting the program’s high mark for most conference wins since joining the CAA with 20. Charleston also produced its first 30-win season since 2018 after earning seven series victories, including five sweeps. Lynch’s Cougars are the fifth team to be picked last in the preseason poll and make the CAA postseason slate. Furthermore, they are also the first team in league history to finish with a winning record in league action.

Delaware led all teams with six All-CAA selections, followed by Elon with five and Campbell and Stony Brook collecting four all-conference players apiece. Around the horn, Cahalan and Cornetto were joined by Elon’s second baseman Greta Hessenthaler, UNCW’s third baseman Madison Biddle and Stony Brook’s Kyra McFarland. Alyssa Costello joined her Seawolves’ teammate on the conference’s top team, as did Elon’s Kaitlyn Wells. Campbell outfielder Tyra Parker and pitcher Megan Gregory also earned spots on the All-CAA First Team following stellar campaigns at the dish and in the circle, respectively.

2025 CAA SOFTBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS
CAA Player of the Year
Sydney Shaffer, Delaware

CAA Pitcher of the Year
Billie Kerwood, Delaware

CAA Defensive Player of the Year
Mary Beth Cahalan, Delaware

CAA Rookie of the Year
Hannah Cornetto, Campbell

CAA Coach of the Year
Tracey Lynch, Charleston

2025 All-CAA First Team

Player	Team	Pos.	Class	Hometown
Mary Beth Cahalan	Delaware	C	Grad.	Dadeville, Ala.
Hannah Cornetto	Campbell	1B	Fr.	Suwanee, Ga.
Greta Hessenthaler	Elon	2B	So.	Liberty, N.C.
Madison Biddle	UNCW	3B	So.	Egg Harbor Township, N.J.
Kyra McFarland	Stony Brook	SS	Gr.	Greeley, Colo.
Alyssa Costello	Stony Brook	OF	Sr.	Lanoka Harbor, N.J.
Tyra Parker	Campbell	OF	Sr.	Humble, Texas
Kaitlyn Wells	Elon	OF	Sr.	Roswell, Ga.
Sydney Shaffer	Delaware	DP (non-P)	Jr.	Ashland, Va.
Morgan Hess	Delaware	UTIL/P	Sr.	South Riding, Va.
Billie Kerwood	Delaware	P	Sr.	Prospect Park, Penn.
Megan Gregory	Campbell	P	Sr.	Ashburn, Ga.

2025 All-CAA Second Team

Player	Team	Pos.	Class	Hometown
Emily Reinstein	Stony Brook	C	Sr.	East Windsor, N.J.
Kristin Toland	Towson	1B	Sr.	Sparrows Point, Md.
Katie Scheivert	Delaware	2B	Jr.	Leesburg, Va.
Sorella Gallucci	Delaware	3B	Fr.	Robbinsville, N.J.
Allee Seering	Elon	3B	Sr.	Waxhaw, N.C.
Alanna Morse	Hofstra	SS	Jr.	North Bellmore, NY
Chloe Hatzopoulos	Elon	OF	R-Jr.	Huntersville, N.C.
Emma Scheitinger	Stony Brook	OF	So.	Kinderhook, N.Y.
Allyiah Swiney	Campbell	OF	Jr.	Hamlet, N.C.
Grace Franczyk	Towson	DP (non-P)	Jr.	Blue Bell, Pa.
Joey Barkhimer	N.C. A&T	UTIL/P	Sr.	Santee, Calif.
McKenna McCard	Elon	P	So.	Adairsville, Ga.
Mackenzie Mathis	Charleston	P	Fr.	Lexington, S.C.

2025 CAA All-Rookie Team

Player	Team	Pos.	Class	Hometown
Nicole Allen	Stony Brook	OF	Fr.	Penfield, N.Y.
Hannah Cornetto	Campbell	1B	Fr.	Suwanee, Ga.
Carley Ernst	Hofstra	P	Fr.	East Petersburg, Penn.
Sorella Gallucci	Delaware	3B	Fr.	Robbinsville, N.J.
Leela Langston	Charleston	C	Fr.	Atlanta, Ga.
Amani Johnson	Hampton	OF	Fr.	Homewood, Ill.
Mackenzie Gorczyca	Towson	INF	Fr.	Prince Frederick, MD
Mackenzie Mathis	Charleston	P	Fr.	Lexington, S.C.
Kylah Reading	Drexel	OF	Fr.	Lenhartsville, Pa.
Ellie Talley	Delaware	INF	Fr.	Cosby, Va.
Kayla Wilson	Elon	UTIL	Fr.	Graham, N.C.