2025 All-NCAC Softball Team Released

CLEVELAND, OH -- Denison seniors Annabelle Calderon (Perris, CA/Orange Vista) and Sydney Silverstein (Atlanta, GA/Pace Academy) and Hiram senior Fayth Kawamura (Honolulu, HI/Roosevelt) have earned top Player of the Year honors to headline the 2025 All-North Coast Athletic Conference softball team following balloting by the league coaches.

Calderon is only the fourth player in NCAC softball history to claim back-to-back honors as the Player of the Year. The senior once again proved to be an asset both at the plate and behind it. Calderon collects her third All-NCAC certificate with back-to-back first-team selections in 2024 and 2025 and a second-team nod in 2022. In 14 NCAC games, the starter hit .500 (22-for-44), posted a .795 slugging percentage and produced a league-leading 1.388 on-base plus slugging percentage with an NCAC-high 10 doubles to go along with one home run. In her 44 at-bats in conference action, only five NCAC opponents were able to strike Calderon out during the regular season, as she sported a .593 on-base percentage. The right-side hitter also drew five walks, scored 10 runs, batted in 10 runs and collected 35 total bases in NCAC action. Behind the plate, she posted 61 putouts and three assists on 64 total chances, never committing an error against league foes, while also catching two runners stealing. Impressively, Calderon ends her career as the Big Red's all-time leader in batting average (.423), slugging percentage (.822), total bases (356), home runs (35), and doubles (56). Calderon captured the Big Red's eighth overall Player of the Year award and the program's third-straight honor after claiming the title last season and Maggie Ballentine being named in 2023.

Silverstein, who is making her first appearance on the All-NCAC first team after a selection to the second team in 2024, collects Denison's seventh overall Pitcher of the Year award, and first since Rebecca Dyer earned the award in 2014. The senior posted a 7-0 record with six complete games and four shutouts in conference action this season. Silverstein allowed only three earned runs, while striking out 31 batters in 46.0 innings of work for a league-low 0.46 earned-run-average in conference play. Facing 153 batters, the right-hander scattered 23 hits and held NCAC hitters to a conference-low .150 batting average. On April 26, she recorded her eighth shutout of the season, to tie both the Denison single-season shutout record set in 2001 by Courtney Zollars and the NCAC shutout record held by both Zollars and Wooster's Angie Barone from that same year.

Kawamura collects the 2025 NCAC Gold Glove Award for her contributions in the field. This is only the second year of awarding a conference gold glove honor, as the senior follows Wooster junior infielder Julia Jennings (McCordsville, IN/Cathedral), who was selected in 2024. Playing exclusively at shortstop, Kawamura posted 30 putouts and 18 assists  on 49 total chances in conference play. She turned two double plays and made just one error for a .980 fielding percentage in NCAC action. Kawamura is a two-time all-conference honoree after garnering first-team accolades in 2024 and a nod to the second team in 2022.

Joining Calderon as repeat selections to the top team from a season ago were DePauw senior infielder Katie Mathies (Shelbyville, IN/Shelbyville), DePauw junior pitcher Alex Romero-Salas (Paranaque City, Philippines/Calvert Academy), Hiram senior utility/pitcher Darian Kanno (Mililani, HI/Mid-Pacific Institute), Ohio Wesleyan sophomore outfielder Chameron Vanden Eynden (Goshen, OH/Goshen) and Wooster's Jennings. Kanno is the only four-time first-team honoree, while Jennings and Mathies collect their second-consecutive top team honors and Romero-Salas and Vanden Eynden earn back-to-back first-team selections.

Wittenberg graduate outfielder Meghan McCans (Arcanum, OH/Arcanum) elevates to the first-team after a nod to the third team in 2024, while the remaining first-team selections make their All-NCAC debuts this season: DePauw senior infielder Riley Heim (Indianapolis, IN/Cardinal Ritter), DePauw sophomore outfielder Libby Minobe (Fort Wayne, IN/Homestead), Ohio Wesleyan first-year infielder Caity Journey (Nashport, OH/Dresden Tri-Valley) and Wooster junior catcher Cate Barkdoll (Oak Park, IL/Oak Park & River Forest).

In addition to being named to the first team, Journey was selected as the 2025 NCAC Newcomer of the Year after making major noise in her inaugural season, ranking within the top five in several offensive categories. In 14 NCAC matchups, the rookie led OWU with a .475 batting average after producing the third-most hits in the conference with 19. Journey slugged at a .500 clip and earned an on-base-percentage of .512, while posting one double, four runs, and three RBI in NCAC action. The shortstop made 29 putouts and 20 assists on 53 chances with one double play to tally a .925 fielding percentage against conference opponents. The first-year had her best series of the league season against Kenyon on April 26 as she went 6-for-7 with an RBI, while tying the school single-game record for hits with four in the nightcap against the Owls. She also produced two 4-for-6 performances in doubleheaders with DePauw (4/13) and Wooster (4/16). Journey is the third Battling Bishop to earn the honor and first since Jen Anderson was selected in 2011.

Finally, Denison's leadership was named the 2025 Coaching Staff of the Year. Anchored by head coach Tiffany Ozbun, the Big Red posted a 12-2 league record, captured a share of the 2025 NCAC Title and earned the No. 1 seed and right to host the 2025 NCAC Softball Tournament. Ozbun is assisted by Adriene Henery and Brian Ledford, along with emotional support/quality control coach Crash. The quartet collects their second-consecutive NCAC coaching honor, while earning the program its seventh overall award. Against NCAC opponents, the Big Red ranked in the top three in seven offensive categories. In conference play, Denison topped the league in home runs (7), ranked second in total bases (163), slugging percentage (.436), walks (35), on-base percentage (.379) and doubles (27) and tied for third in hits (115). The Big Red defense topped the NCAC with the least amount of errors (9), best fielding percentage (.978) and most double plays (11) against NCAC opponents. Denison's pitching unit also topped the league in almost every statistical category in conference action, posting the lowest ERA (0.68), while giving up the least amount of earned runs (9), runs (14), hits (53), and doubles (11), and tying for the top spot with the least amount of triples (0) and home runs (1) given up. Through 93.0 innings of work, the Big Red hurlers recorded a league-high eight shutouts and four saves.

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