University of Delaware Athletics
2023 Softball Preview
2/9/2023 3:23:00 PM | Softball
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware softball team opens the 2023 campaign with five games in Texas. The Blue Hens, coming off of its 2022 CAA Regular Season Championship, will play four games Friday and Saturday at the 2023 Bearkat Classic, hosted by Sam Houston State, before taking on Houston at the Houston Invitational on Sunday afternoon.
Delaware was selected to finish second in the 2023 CAA Softball Preseason Poll. The Blue Hens finished with five first-place votes and 91 total points to place just behind defending champion UNCW (5, 95).
The Blue Hens bring back 15 returners from last year's regular season championship squad while welcoming in seven newcomers. Among the newcomers are five freshmen and two transfers in Kiara Mills (Creighton) and Taylor Wroten (Indian River State College).
There will be plenty of experience at the top of their lineup in fifth-year seniors Garber and Mendoza. The two have combined to play in 306 games in their career, with Mendoza having started all 153 over the past four years at second base. The duo has combined for 321 hits, 63 doubles, 24 triples, 34 home runs, 194 RBI and 103 stolen bases. Both All-CAA First Team selections last season, they were each selected as one of the top-20 players at their position heading into 2023 by Extra Inning Softball. Mills, a graduate transfer, also brings a wealth of experience to the lineup, having appeared in 116 games with 123 hits, 26 home runs, 19 doubles and 92 RBI.
The Blue Hens also bring back four starters who made 30 or more starts in 2022. Julz Garber started 41 games in center field, posting a .261 batting average with a home run, two doubles and 13 RBI while scoring 16 runs. Chloe Blantz stepped into the starting shortstop role as a freshman in 2022, making 36 starts and finishing with a pair of doubles and seven RBI. Morgan Olynyk started 32 games in the outfield and as the designated player, hitting three home runs, three doubles and a triple while driving in 12. Emily Blum started 30 games in the outfield last season, finishing with five extra-base hits and 12 RBI.
Several players will look for increased roles in 2022 while continuing to provide solid depth for the Blue & Gold. Zoey Valentino and Jayla Brooks will both challenge for playing time at the catcher position, while Kate Hondru, Grace Rudolph and Erica Paisley will provide options off the bench.
Delaware's five freshman – Kristen Luzon, Olivia Marinucci, Katie Scheivert, Sydney Shaffer and Anaya Troy – will also look to make an immediate impact in their first season.
UD also returns a dynamic duo in the circle with the return of senior Emily Winburn and sophomore Graceyn Frost. They each tied for the CAA lead with 13 wins last year while Winburn was also among the league leaders in appearances (30), games started (22), strikeouts (112) and batting average against (.231). Frost also reached the century mark in strikeouts, finishing with 100 in her rookie campaign.
The Blue Hens will be boosted by the addition of Wroten to the staff, who pitched to a 1.47 ERA, 23 wins and 133 strikeouts over 166.1 innings in her two years at Indian River. Kendall Shank will also provide a solid option after registering a 2.62 ERA with five strikeouts in 8.0 innings last season.
