SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. Seton Hall head softball coach Ray Vander May will welcome an outstanding group of recruits to campus this fall as the Pirates reload for another run at the BIG EAST Championship. Six new players, including five freshmen, will join the team armed with a slew of accolades.
Nalin Bennett (Syracuse, N.Y.) was named the Post-Standard’s All-CNY Softball Player of the Year as a senior. She batted an amazing .612 to go along with 45 stolen bases and a .694 on-base percentage. A versatile player, Bennett has seen time at shortstop, third base, and catcher. She committed to Seton Hall in the late signing period.
Jamie Gates (Allentown, Pa.) served as a team captain at Salisbury High School. She hit .409 with a .443 slugging percentage last season and possesses a great arm and very good speed for a catcher. In addition to her on the field accomplishments, Gates finished fourth in her graduating class and was the winner of the Carole Weil Scholarship.
Michelle Reed (Columbus, N.J.) was named First Team All-State by the Star-Ledger and Second Team All-State by the Associated Press. She is a lefty slapper with great speed who has the potential to make an immediate impact on the line up. Reed is one of three New Jersey natives who will be joining the Pirates this year.
Brittany Schillizzi (Paramus, N.J.) was named First Team All-State by the Associated Press and Second Team All-State by the Star-Ledger. As a senior, she set the school record for batting average at .548, including an .821 clip with runners in scoring position, while also leading the team in eight offensive categories. She ranks in the top 10 in 11 of the 13 single-season offensive categories at Paramus.
Katelyn Stilwell (Portage, Wis.) was named First Team All-State by the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association. As a sophomore, she earned Third Team All-State honors while leading her school to the state championship.
The Pirates will also welcome a transfer to the team in Ashley Forsyth (Freehold, N.J.). She comes to Seton Hall from Longwood University in Virginia, where she posted a 9-10 record with a 3.19 ERA as a freshman. Forsyth graduated from Freehold High School as the state’s all-time strikeout leader with 1,281 for her career; she is now second on the list. She was the Star-Ledger Player of the Year as a senior, going 18-7 with a 0.58 ERA and 355 strikeouts.
The Pirates will look to improve upon last year’s 15-35 record and first round exit in the BIG EAST Championship.
