University of Delaware Athletics
Softball Earns Four on NFCA Northeast All-Region Team
5/18/2024 12:00:00 PM | Softball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Delaware softball had four players named to the National FastPitch Coaches Association Northeast All-Region Team, as announced by the organization on Thursday, May 16, 2024. Emily Winburn and Morgan Hess were named to the First-Team, while Julz Garber and Julia Boyet earned Third-Team honors.Â
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Winburn is a four-time NFCA All-Region honoree, having previously been a Third-Team selection in 2021, Second-Team in 2022, and First-Team last season. Winburn is the first player in program history to earn All-Region honors four times, and the second ever to earn two First-Team honors (Hanna Garber, 2021 and 2022). Winburn completed one of the greatest careers in Delaware history, finishing as the program's career wins leader. This season, she earned First-Team All-Conference honors after another renowned season, going 22-7 with five saves and pitching to a 1.52 ERA in 207.1 innings, 41 appearances, and 32 starts. She had 147 strikeouts, 20 complete games, seven shutouts, and held opposing hitters to a .216 batting average. Winburn ranks fourth in the country in innings pitched, fifth in games started, 13th in victories and innings pitched, 14th in complete games, 15th in shutouts, 23rd in saves, and 26th in ERA. She also led the CAA in starts, complete games, and saves, while ranking in the top four in ERA, wins, shutouts, innings pitched, strikeouts, and batting average against. Winburn set the Delaware single-season records for wins and tied the single-season saves record. Her 71 career wins ranks sixth in CAA history, while her 655.1 innings and 486 strikeouts are ninth. Winburn also finished her career top-five in Delaware history in all-time appearances, complete games, innings pitched, strikeouts, and shutouts. Her 41 pitching appearances were tied for the most in a season in program history. Winburn earned her fourth CAA All-Conference honor and her third straight First-Team honor, and was named to the CAA All-Tournament Team for the third time. Winburn was particularly good in the stretch run of Delaware's season, pitching to a 1.20 ERA since March 3, a 0.85 ERA since March 20, and a 0.70 ERA since April 7. During Delaware's final series against Campbell and during the CAA Tournament, Winburn had a 0.72 ERA in 39 innings while pitching in all of Delaware's final six games of the season.Â
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Hess became the second player in Delaware history to earn All-Region honors at the Utility/Pitcher spot, joining Amanda Stacevicz in 2010. Hess, in her first season at Delaware after transferring from Presbyterian College, hit to .300/.327/.521 with 14 doubles, a triple, five home runs, and 24 RBIs while pitching to a 2.33 ERA in 126 innings. She went 14-6 with a save in the circle with six complete games and shutouts. On April 20 against Hofstra, she threw a no-hitter in a 1-0 win, then followed that up with a three-hit shutout the following day. Hess ranks fourth in the conference in doubles, fifth in wins, sixth in slugging percentage and ERA, eighth in BAA, ninth in shutouts, and 10th in home runs and innings pitched. From March 9-April 28, Hess appeared in 12 games and went 11-0, with Delaware winning all 12 games. On March 16, Hess hit two home runs and drove in five runs in game one of a doubleheader against N.C. A&T, then got the win on the mound by pitching five innings and allowing just three hits and striking out five during game two. She earned CAA Player of the Week on March 5 and Pitcher of the Week on April 22. She was named First-Team All-CAA.
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Julz Garber earned All-Region honors for the second straight season, the first outfielder in program history to earn two consecutive All-Region honors. Garber also becomes the second outfielder in program history with two All-Region honors, joining Lauren Mark in 1999 and 2001. Garber became the first outfielder in CAA history to win Defensive Player of the Year. She patrolled center field for all 53 of Delaware's games without committing an error. She led Delaware's defense that ranked third in the CAA in fielding percentage and helped lead to 12 shutouts. At the plate, Garber hit leadoff for nearly the entire season, batting 343/.396/.420 with 41 runs scored, 62 hits, and 16 stolen bases. Garber had 19 multi-hit games on the season and had a career-best 11-game hit streak March 16-March 29. She ranks second in the CAA in runs scored, third in hits, and eighth in stolen bases. Against Elon on April 7, Garber hit a go-ahead two-run home run to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 fifth-inning lead, a game Delaware would eventually win 4-2. Garber is the fourth player in program history to score 40 runs in a season, and ranks fifth all-time in career steals with 44. She recorded the 12th season in program history with at least 60 hits, as her 62 hits this year was tied for sixth most in program history. Her 41 runs scored was the third most.Â
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Boyet earned All-Region honors in her first season at Delaware after transferring as well, arriving from Duke to play her final season. Boyet, a First-Team All-CAA honoree, hit .340/.391/.522 while starting in all 53 games. Boyet recorded 31 runs scored, 54 hits, 8 doubles, a CAA-leading six triples, three home runs, 32 RBIs, 14 walks, and went a perfect 9-for-9 in stolen bases. Boyet was on fire in the final weeks for Delaware, as she has recorded a hit in 14 of her last 15 games and reached base in all 15 games. Since April 9, she hit .407/.462/.610 in 19 games with 24 hits, seven being for extra bases. On Feb. 24, Boyet hit a walk-off home run against Iowa State, helping Delaware complete a 6-1, seventh inning comeback and finish off a sweep of the Cyclones. She finished third on the team with 15 multi-hit games and tied for the team lead in multi-RBI games with nine. Boyet was named to the CAA All-Tournament Team after hitting .333./333/.500 with a triple in 12 at bats.
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Delaware's four All-Region honors are tied for their most ever selections in a season, and they've now accomplished that feat in three straight seasons. This is the first season in program history they had multiple First-Team All-Region selections. Delaware joined Boston University, the Patriot League Champions, and Marist, the MAAC Regular Season Champions, as the only programs with multiple Northeast First-Team All-Region selections and at least four Northeast All-Region selections.
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Delaware finished their season with a record of 39-14 and 21-6 in CAA play. They set program records for most wins and conference wins in a season, tied their longest winning streak at 13 and longest conference winning streak at 10, had their second best winning percentage at .736, and set program records for doubles with 87 and recorded their third most shutouts with 13. Offensively, they lead the CAA in batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, runs scored doubles, total bases, and finished top five in hits, triples, home runs, walks and stolen bases. In the circle, they ranked first in CAA and 11th in NCAA in ERA at 1.98, allowed the fewest runs and home runs and pitched the second most shutouts.
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Winburn is a four-time NFCA All-Region honoree, having previously been a Third-Team selection in 2021, Second-Team in 2022, and First-Team last season. Winburn is the first player in program history to earn All-Region honors four times, and the second ever to earn two First-Team honors (Hanna Garber, 2021 and 2022). Winburn completed one of the greatest careers in Delaware history, finishing as the program's career wins leader. This season, she earned First-Team All-Conference honors after another renowned season, going 22-7 with five saves and pitching to a 1.52 ERA in 207.1 innings, 41 appearances, and 32 starts. She had 147 strikeouts, 20 complete games, seven shutouts, and held opposing hitters to a .216 batting average. Winburn ranks fourth in the country in innings pitched, fifth in games started, 13th in victories and innings pitched, 14th in complete games, 15th in shutouts, 23rd in saves, and 26th in ERA. She also led the CAA in starts, complete games, and saves, while ranking in the top four in ERA, wins, shutouts, innings pitched, strikeouts, and batting average against. Winburn set the Delaware single-season records for wins and tied the single-season saves record. Her 71 career wins ranks sixth in CAA history, while her 655.1 innings and 486 strikeouts are ninth. Winburn also finished her career top-five in Delaware history in all-time appearances, complete games, innings pitched, strikeouts, and shutouts. Her 41 pitching appearances were tied for the most in a season in program history. Winburn earned her fourth CAA All-Conference honor and her third straight First-Team honor, and was named to the CAA All-Tournament Team for the third time. Winburn was particularly good in the stretch run of Delaware's season, pitching to a 1.20 ERA since March 3, a 0.85 ERA since March 20, and a 0.70 ERA since April 7. During Delaware's final series against Campbell and during the CAA Tournament, Winburn had a 0.72 ERA in 39 innings while pitching in all of Delaware's final six games of the season.Â
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Hess became the second player in Delaware history to earn All-Region honors at the Utility/Pitcher spot, joining Amanda Stacevicz in 2010. Hess, in her first season at Delaware after transferring from Presbyterian College, hit to .300/.327/.521 with 14 doubles, a triple, five home runs, and 24 RBIs while pitching to a 2.33 ERA in 126 innings. She went 14-6 with a save in the circle with six complete games and shutouts. On April 20 against Hofstra, she threw a no-hitter in a 1-0 win, then followed that up with a three-hit shutout the following day. Hess ranks fourth in the conference in doubles, fifth in wins, sixth in slugging percentage and ERA, eighth in BAA, ninth in shutouts, and 10th in home runs and innings pitched. From March 9-April 28, Hess appeared in 12 games and went 11-0, with Delaware winning all 12 games. On March 16, Hess hit two home runs and drove in five runs in game one of a doubleheader against N.C. A&T, then got the win on the mound by pitching five innings and allowing just three hits and striking out five during game two. She earned CAA Player of the Week on March 5 and Pitcher of the Week on April 22. She was named First-Team All-CAA.
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Julz Garber earned All-Region honors for the second straight season, the first outfielder in program history to earn two consecutive All-Region honors. Garber also becomes the second outfielder in program history with two All-Region honors, joining Lauren Mark in 1999 and 2001. Garber became the first outfielder in CAA history to win Defensive Player of the Year. She patrolled center field for all 53 of Delaware's games without committing an error. She led Delaware's defense that ranked third in the CAA in fielding percentage and helped lead to 12 shutouts. At the plate, Garber hit leadoff for nearly the entire season, batting 343/.396/.420 with 41 runs scored, 62 hits, and 16 stolen bases. Garber had 19 multi-hit games on the season and had a career-best 11-game hit streak March 16-March 29. She ranks second in the CAA in runs scored, third in hits, and eighth in stolen bases. Against Elon on April 7, Garber hit a go-ahead two-run home run to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 fifth-inning lead, a game Delaware would eventually win 4-2. Garber is the fourth player in program history to score 40 runs in a season, and ranks fifth all-time in career steals with 44. She recorded the 12th season in program history with at least 60 hits, as her 62 hits this year was tied for sixth most in program history. Her 41 runs scored was the third most.Â
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Boyet earned All-Region honors in her first season at Delaware after transferring as well, arriving from Duke to play her final season. Boyet, a First-Team All-CAA honoree, hit .340/.391/.522 while starting in all 53 games. Boyet recorded 31 runs scored, 54 hits, 8 doubles, a CAA-leading six triples, three home runs, 32 RBIs, 14 walks, and went a perfect 9-for-9 in stolen bases. Boyet was on fire in the final weeks for Delaware, as she has recorded a hit in 14 of her last 15 games and reached base in all 15 games. Since April 9, she hit .407/.462/.610 in 19 games with 24 hits, seven being for extra bases. On Feb. 24, Boyet hit a walk-off home run against Iowa State, helping Delaware complete a 6-1, seventh inning comeback and finish off a sweep of the Cyclones. She finished third on the team with 15 multi-hit games and tied for the team lead in multi-RBI games with nine. Boyet was named to the CAA All-Tournament Team after hitting .333./333/.500 with a triple in 12 at bats.
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Delaware's four All-Region honors are tied for their most ever selections in a season, and they've now accomplished that feat in three straight seasons. This is the first season in program history they had multiple First-Team All-Region selections. Delaware joined Boston University, the Patriot League Champions, and Marist, the MAAC Regular Season Champions, as the only programs with multiple Northeast First-Team All-Region selections and at least four Northeast All-Region selections.
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Delaware finished their season with a record of 39-14 and 21-6 in CAA play. They set program records for most wins and conference wins in a season, tied their longest winning streak at 13 and longest conference winning streak at 10, had their second best winning percentage at .736, and set program records for doubles with 87 and recorded their third most shutouts with 13. Offensively, they lead the CAA in batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, runs scored doubles, total bases, and finished top five in hits, triples, home runs, walks and stolen bases. In the circle, they ranked first in CAA and 11th in NCAA in ERA at 1.98, allowed the fewest runs and home runs and pitched the second most shutouts.
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For the latest on Delaware softball, follow the Blue Hens on X, Instagram, and like on Facebook.
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