Makaleigh Dooley Named SSC Pitcher of Year; Stephanie Balmer Also Honored
MELBOURNE, Fla. - Thirty-two student-athletes from all 11 Sunshine State Conference member institutions are recognized on the 2019 All-SSC softball teams. Florida Tech, this year's league champion, collects seven accolades including Coach of the Year. Voting for the awards is conducted among the league's softball coaches.
SSC Softball All-Conference History: All-SSC Teams | Players & Coaches of the Year
Suka Van Gurp of Nova Southeastern University is the SSC softball Player of the Year. Makaleigh Dooley from the University of Tampa repeats as Pitcher of the Year, while the league office recognizes Rollins College's Ashley Worrell as Freshman of the Year. Florida Tech's Val Silvestrini has been chosen as SSC Coach of the Year by her peers. It marks only the second time in league history when all four individual softball awards have been won by different teams1.
Van Gurp, a senior from Willemstad, Curacao, recorded batting averages of .409 overall and .382 in SSC play on her way to Player of the Year accolades. The infielder finished the season first in SSC slugging percentage (.732), runs batted in (44), and home runs (12). She was also Top-5 in SSC batting average (.409), on-base percentage (475), hits (61), doubles (14), and triples (5). Van Gurp becomes the fourth Shark to be named SSC Player of the Year and the first since 20142.
Dooley made 35 appearances and threw 27 complete games for Tampa in 2019. The senior sported a 26 and 7 record for the Spartans with 222.1 innings pitched. Dooley, a native of Tampa, led the conference in wins (26), batters struck out (214), batters struck out looking (57), and lowest qualified walks allowed (14). She was second in earned run average (1.16), innings pitched (222.1), and opponent batting average (.181). The senior remains the fourth Spartan to earn Pitcher of the Year3 and is the eighth SSC athlete to win it twice4.
Worrell, a utility player/pitcher, appeared in 49 games for Rollins in her first season of college softball, starting 27 of those games at pitcher. Offensively, she was Top-5 in SSC slugging percentage (.567), runs batted in (37), doubles (13), home runs (8), walks (28), and sacrifice flies (5). In the circle, she was Top-5 in league earned run average (1.38), batters struck out (134), and wins (21). Worrell is the first Tar to win an SSC individual honor in softball since 2014, the sixth to win Freshman of the Year5.
SSC coaches select Val Silvestrini as the 2019 Coach of the Year, making her the first-ever winner from Florida Tech. The Panther's ninth-year head coach earns the honor after going 23-7 in SSC play and posting a 39-10 overall record in the regular season. Under Silvestrini's leadership, Florida Tech won its first SSC regular-season title, earned a No. 4 NFCA national ranking, and have spent 11 consecutive weeks in the Top-15.
UT freshman Stephanie Balmer joined Dooley as she was a member of the second-team All-SSC. The shortstop from Tampa, Fla., is hitting .268 on the season. She has registered 12 RBI, 12 walks, 18 runs and four stolen bases. She played in all 43 games for the Spartans this season. Balmer finished the regular season with a hit in 11 of her final 13 games, including multiple hits in four of those games.
Highlighting the repeat winners for 2019 is Dooley and Kacie Kelly of Saint Leo University. Both athletes are named All-SSC First Team for the third time in their careers. Also repeating as First Team selections from 2018 are Nikole Van Gennep (Eckerd College), Maggie Scott (Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University), Magnolia West (Palm Beach Atlantic University), and Melanie Murphy (Florida Tech). Kelly and West have previously been named conference Players of the Year, while Kelly and Second Team honoree Katy Thompson have previously been named Freshman of the Year.
Player of the Year: Suka Van Gurp, Nova Southeastern
Pitcher of the Year: Makaleigh Dooley, Tampa
Freshman of the Year: Ashley Worrell, Rollins
Coach of the Year: Val Silvestrini, Florida Tech
| 2019 All-SSC Softball First Team | ||||
| 1B | Mariana Pereira | Embry-Riddle | Sr. | Marillia, Brazil |
| 2B | Suka Van Gurp | Nova Southeastern | Sr. | Willemstad, Curacao |
| 3B | Maddie Bertisch~ | Palm Beach Atlantic | Sr. | Palm Harbor, Florida |
| SS | Shany Emerenciana | Florida Tech | Sr. | Willemstad, Curacao |
| SS | Kacie Kelly*^!@‡ | Saint Leo | Jr. | Jacksonville, Florida |
| C | Lindsay Gehring | Rollins | So. | Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| UT | Jaden Kline | Florida Tech | Jr. | Kissimmee, Florida |
| UT-P | Nikole Van Gennep*† | Eckerd | Sr. | Mokena, Illinois |
| DP | Jessica Trana• | Florida Southern | Sr. | Sunrise, Florida |
| OF | Jordan Davis~ | Rollins | Sr. | Winter Springs, Florida |
| OF | Maggie Scott* | Embry-Riddle | Jr. | Weston, Florida |
| OF | Magnolia West*# | Palm Beach Atlantic | Jr. | Carmichael, California |
| OF | Mikayla Wessel | Florida Tech | So. | Virginia Beach, Virginia |
| P | Makaleigh Dooley*$^ | Tampa | Sr. | Tampa, Florida |
| P | Melanie Murphy* | Florida Tech | Sr. | Melbourne, Florida |
| 2019 All-SSC Softball Second Team | ||||
| 1B | Kendyl Crean | Saint Leo | Fr. | Tarpon Springs, Florida |
| 2B | Xiary Emerenciana* | Florida Tech | Sr. | Willemstad, Curacao |
| 3B | Celia Higgins | Florida Southern | Fr. | Dover, Florida |
| SS | Callie Rodriguez | Embry-Riddle | So. | Wellington, Florida |
| SS | Stephanie Balmer | Tampa | Fr. | Tampa, Florida |
| C | Katy Thompson*% | Embry-Riddle | So. | Cooper City, Florida |
| UT | ReAnne Drayton | Embry-Riddle | So. | Hollywood, Florida |
| UT-P | Ashley Worrell | Rollins | Fr. | Oviedo, Florida |
| DP | Kayla Sheffield*& | Lynn | Jr. | Auburndale, Florida |
| DP | Grace Street‡ | Rollins | Sr. | Tampa, Florida |
| OF | Sarah Pauscher | Saint Leo | Jr. | Elk Grove Village, Illinois |
| OF | Cheyenne Nelson | Florida Tech | Fr. | Snohomish, Washington |
| OF | Shyanne DuBois~ | Saint Leo | Sr. | Carlisle, Iowa |
| OF | Lynsey Duncan | Barry | Sr. | Gilbert, Arizona |
| P | Miriam Schmoll | Nova Southeastern | So. | Bradenton, Florida |
| P | Abby Summers | Rollins | Sr. | Weston, Missouri |
| 2019 All-SSC Softball Honorable Mention | ||||
| P | Abbey Busbyø | Palm Beach Atlantic | So. | Raymond, Mississippi |
* = 2018 First Team
~ = 2018 Second Team
# = 2018 Co-Player of the Year
$ = 2018 Pitcher of the Year
% = 2018 Freshman of the Year
ø = 2018 Honorable Mention
^ = 2017 First Team
& = 2017 Second Team
! = 2017 Player of the Year
@ = 2017 Freshman of the Year
• = 2016 First Team
† = 2016 All-SSC Second Team
‡ = 2019 At-Large Selection
1 1998: Stephanie Caldwell, Barry (POY); Julianne Coleman, FSC (PiOY); Desiree Crouteau, Saint Leo (FOY); & Michelle Frew, Rollins (COY)
2 Erika Garcia (2014), Lauren Lopez (2010), Katie Veltri (2007)
3 Julia Morrow (2015), Kayla Cox (2013 & 2014), Deanna Henriott (2012)
4 Stephanie Adkins, Saint Leo (2016-17); Kayla Cox, Tampa (2013-14); Megan Brown, Florida Southern (2004, 2006-07); Geralyn Elam, Barry (2002-03); Keltie Christian, Florida Southern (2000-01); Julianne Coleman, Florida Southern (1998-99); Lisa McNeley, Florida Southern (1996-97)
5 Hailee Keisling (2014); Veronica Alred (2011), Kirsten Frame (2010); Christine Roser (2008); Jennifer Page (2001)