SUNYAC Releases 2026 Softball Yearly Accolades

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The SUNYAC announces its 2025 softball awards including the Julie Lenhart Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Sandra Hollander Coaching Staff of the Year and the All-Conference teams. These awards are nominated and voted on by the conference coaches.

Julie Lenhart Player of the Year - Ella Sharrock, New Paltz
Sharrock led the league with a .569 batting average, a .581 on base percentage and a 1.034 slugging percentage in conference competition. She was No. 1 with 33 hits, 26 RBI, 25 runs, 10 doubles and three home runs in 18 conference games. Sharrock was also top in the SUNYAC in those categories over 41 total games - 62 hits, 52 RBI, 41 runs, 19 doubles and nine home runs. She had season highs of six RBI, three runs scored, four hits and three doubles in her junior year. The Hawks hosted the SUNYAC tournament as the No. 1 seed after going 17-1 in regular season play. Sharrock was named to the SUNYAC All-Conference first team as a first baseman.

Julie Lenhart retired at the conclusion of the 2019 season after serving 25 years as Cortland's head softball coach. In 2018, Lenhart became just the sixth coach in Division III history to reach 900 career wins. In 2014 she was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Hall of Fame. The league coaches recommended that the Player of the Year be named after Lenhart at the conclusion of her decorated career.

Defensive Player of the Year - Kelsey O'Brien, New Paltz
Outfielder O'Brien had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 35 putouts in 18 conference games. Overall she had a .988 fielding percentage with 85 putouts and just one error in 41 games for the Hawks. She had a season highs of four hits, two doubles, two triples, two home runs, four RBI and two stolen bases. She helped her team clinch the No. 1 seed going into postseason play. The squad finished the 2026 season with a 30-10 overall record.

Pitcher of the Year - Alex Frenza, New Paltz
Frenza was third in the league with a 2.03 ERA in 48.1 innings pitched. Frenza recorded eight wins in conference competition. She totaled 71 strikeouts, an average of 10.28 strikeouts per game. Phillips was second in the league overall with a 1.69 ERA in 23 appearances recording 16 wins and 147 strikeouts on the mound. She had a season high of 14 strikeouts against Oneonta on May 1 in her senior year.

Rookie of the Year - Alyssa Budzinski, Oswego 
Budzinski had a 2.69 ERA and recorded seven wins and a save on the mound in conference competition for the Lakers. She had 65 strikeouts in 75.1 innings pitched. Overall, she totaled 106 strikeouts in 107.2 innings pitched and collected 13 wins and one save for the Lakers. Endieveri had a season high of 16 strikeouts against Elmira in her first season pitching for Oswego.

Sandra Hollander Coaching Staff of the Year - Buffalo State
Head coach Jamie Brown and her assistants Julia Blujus and Caitlyn Parsons led their 2026 squad to a 12-6 record in regular season conference play to earn the No. 3 seed going into the postseason. The team played their way to the SUNYAC championship round and finished as the runner-up going 3-2 in the three-day tournament. Four Bengals were named All-SUNYAC this season. Buffalo State finished the 2026 season with an overall record of 28-13 registering six more wins than last season and 11 more than the 2024 season. 

Sandra Hollander impacted the experiences of thousands of students over her 27 years as a coach, trainer and administrator at Buffalo State.  She made her name at the college and nationally as Buffalo State's head softball coach from 1989 until her passing in 2012. Hollander ranks among the winningest coaches all-time in Division III with an overall record of 562-342-2, while claiming three SUNYAC titles and making eight trips to the NCAA Division III playoffs.  Hollander, who passed away on April 2, 2012, 12 games into the season, was named SUNYAC Coach of the Year for the fifth time that year, an award that is now named in her honor.

2026 SUNYAC Softball All-Conference Teams (PDF)