LOUISVILLE, Ky. - - A pair of Wilmington University softball student-athletes have been named as National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II Players & Pitchers of the Year to Watch.
Wildcats seniors Tristyn Stewart and Delani Sheehan were two of 11 softball players from the East Region on the list. They are part of six student-athletes from the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference that earned a spot on the East Region list.
The list is broken down into the eight NCAA Regions (Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, South Central, Southeast and West) with up to 15 student-athletes represented in each region. The list is compiled by the elected members of the NFCA Division II All-American Committee with one head coach representing each of the eight NCAA regions. To be eligible, a student-athlete's head coach must be a member.
Tristyn Stewart, the Rawlings Gold Glove and Golden Spikes Award Winner is one of two returning NFCA All-Americans on the list from the East Region. This year, Stewart is hitting .293 with two doubles, 10 RBI, 16 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases.
Delani Stewart, an All-Region performer in the circle last season, headlines a pitching staff that is fourth in the CACC with a 3.78 team ERA. This year, Sheehan is 4-5 with a save, striking out 55 batters in 61.1 innings with a 3.31 ERA. She is also hitting .267 with three doubles, two homers, and seven RBI.
Headlining the list are 21 returning NFCA All-Americans, seven from the first team, including reigning Player of the Year, Lauren Harris from McKendree University. In all, the group consists of 88 programs from 21 different conferences.
Voted on by the NFCA's Division II All-American Committee, the 2025 NFCA Player and Pitcher of the Year winners will be announced on May 30 following the conclusion of the NCAA Division II National Championships. All student-athletes are eligible for the end-of-the-season award and do not have to be on this list to be considered.
The Player of the Year award was created in 2015 to honor the outstanding athletic achievements among softball student-athletes throughout NCAA Division II. In 2019, the Association expanded the award to include a Player and Pitcher of the Year.
East Region
Andie Anderson - OF - Jr. - Franklin Pierce
Kaite Burawski - P - Gr. - Bridgeport
Caitlyn Burch - P - Sr. - Goldey-Beacom
Madison D'Amato - SS - Sr. - Bridgeport
*Gisselle Garcia - P - Sr. - Pace
Mya Jones - 3B - Jr. - Bridgeport
Jordan Krause - OF - Sr. - Bentley
Abby Lineman - IF - Jr. - Southern New Hampshire
Eliana Raposo - UT - Jr. - Saint Thomas Aquinas
*Tristyn Stewart - OF - Sr. - Wilmington
Delani Sheehan - P - Gr. - Wilmington