GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) -Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season champion Florida State earned two end-of-season awards, while Clemson, Louisville and Notre Dame claimed one each to highlight the 2023 All-ACC Softball honors announced Wednesday.
Florida State's Kathryn Sanderco*ck was named ACC Pitcher of the Year while coach Lonni Alameda earned her sixth Coach of the Year honor. Clemson's Valerie Cagle was voted the Player of the Year, Louisville's Sarah Gordon was selected as Freshman of the Year and Notre Dame's Carlli Kloss was tabbed Defensive Player of the Year. Four of the five players also earned a spot on the All-ACC First Team.
The awards and All-ACC Teams were selected following a vote of the league’s head coaches.
In 74.1 innings of work in conference games, Sanderco*ck leads the ACC with the most wins with a 14-0 record, four saves and a holds a 1.03 ERA. She threw three complete games and struck out 34 batters on her way to being one of three undefeated pitchers in ACC play. The McLean, Virginia, native is the first Seminole since 2017 to win Pitcher of the Year. She was named ACC Pitcher of the Week three times throughout the season and was also named a top-25 finalist for the 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. She is the fourth Seminole to reach 100 career wins in the circle, having done so in their series finale against Louisville. The senior's overall 1.22 ERA and 21-3 record are career bests.
Cagle is the ACC Player of the Year for the second time in her career (2021). The Yorktown, Virginia, native is a force in the circle and at the plate for the Tigers. She has a .471 batting average with 72 hits and 18 home runs. She has registered 53 RBIs and scored 46 runs while posting a .928 slugging percentage and a .557 on-base percentage. In the circle, she holds a 22-5 record with a 1.22 ERA and leads the Tigers with 165 strikeouts. She swept the ACC Weekly season awards once and garnered four more weekly accolades throughout the season. She was named a top-10 finalist for the USA Today Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.
Kloss has registered a .990 fielding percentage with 244 putouts and just three errors behind the plate, including a .984 fielding percentage and 105 putouts in league play. She has started in all 24 ACC games for the Irish at catcher. The Cypress, California, native has thrown out 13-of-27 (.481) potential base stealers this season.
Gordon is Louisville's first season award winner in program history. In conference action, the freshman catcher boasts a .982 fielding percentage to accompany a .400 batting average with 30 hits, six doubles, six home runs and 27 RBI. She has scored 23 runs and registered a .747 slugging percentage and a .460 on-base percentage. The Lexington, South Carolina, native is a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen bases.
Under head coach Lonni Alameda, the No. 3-ranked Seminoles (47-8, 22-2 ACC) clinched their first ACC Regular Season Championship since 2019 and 14th overall to earn the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament. This is the seventh time the Noles have won the regular-season title under Alameda, who reached 700 career wins this season. FSU leads the nation in doubles (102) and owns the second-most walks (219). The Seminoles lead the ACC in runs (159) and RBI (146) and own the lowest ERA (1.30) and the most saves (10).
The first team All-ACC is organized by position, made up of four infielders, three outfielders, one catcher, three pitchers and four “at-large” selections. Pitchers on the First Team All-ACC voting process must have pitched at least 25% of the total innings pitched in conference games. Defensive position members on the First Team All-ACC must have played in at least 50% of the total conference games at those positions (infield, outfield and catcher).
2023 ACC Softball Awards
Player of the Year: Valerie Cagle, Clemson, Jr., P
Pitcher of the Year: Kathryn Sanderco*ck, Florida State, Sr., P
Defensive Player of the Year: Carlli Kloss, Notre Dame, Jr., C
Freshman of the Year: Sarah Gordon, Louisville, Fr., C
Coach of the Year: Lonni Alameda, Florida State
First Team
C – Sarah Gordon, Louisville, Fr., C
INF – Ana Gold, Duke, So., 3B
INF – Abby Settlemyre, North Carolina, Sr., 2B
INF - Karina Gaskins, Notre Dame, Jr., 1B
INF – Joley Mitchell, Notre Dame., Sr., 3B
OF – D’Auna Jennings, Duke, Fr., OF
OF – Jahni Kerr, Florida State, So., OF
OF – Korbe Otis, Louisville, So., OF
P – Valerie Cagle, Clemson, Jr., P
P – Cassidy Curd, Duke, Fr., P
P - Kathryn Sanderco*ck, Florida State, Sr., P
At-Large – Deja Davis, Duke, Gr., DP
At-Large – Aminah Vega, Duke, Fr., 2B
At-Large – Taylor Roby, Louisville, Gr., DP
At-Large – Yvonne Whaley, Pitt, Sr., SS
Second Team
Gisele Tapia, Duke, Sr., 1B
Jala Wright, Duke, Jr., P
Michaela Edenfield, Florida State, So., C
Devyn Flaherty, Florida State, Jr., 2B
Kaley Mudge, Florida State, Jr., OF
Makenna Reid, Florida State, Fr., P
Emma Kauf, Georgia Tech, Sr., C
Daisy Hess, Louisville, Sr., SS
Lilli Backes, North Carolina, So., P
Alex Brown, North Carolina, So., SS
Lexi Orozco, Notre Dame, Gr., DP
Kelsey Brown, Virginia Tech, Gr., OF
Emma Lemley, Virginia Tech, So., P
Bre Peck, Virginia Tech, So., DP
Emma Ritter, Virginia Tech, Jr., OF
Third Team
Caroline Jacobsen, Clemson, Gr., OF
Alia Logoleo, Clemson, Jr., SS
Ally Miklesh, Clemson, Gr., OF
Millie Thompson, Clemson, Jr., P
Kalei Harding, Florida State, Jr., 3B
Mack Leonard, Florida State, Sr., 1B
Easton Lotus, Louisville, So., 2B
Alyssa Zabala, Louisville, Fr., P
Carlli Kloss, Notre Dame, Jr., C
Kiersten Licea, North Carolina, Sr., 1B
Hannah Goodwin, NC State, So., 3B
Sarah Seamans, Pitt, Sr., 1B
Eden Bigham, Virginia, Fr, P
Jayme Bailey, Virginia Tech, Gr., 1B
Cameron fa*gan, Virginia Tech, Jr., 2B
All-Freshman Team
Cassidy Curd, Duke, Fr., P
D’Auna Jennings, Duke, Fr., OF
Aminah Vega, Duke, Fr., 2B
Makenna Reid, Florida State, Fr., P
Sarah Gordon, Louisville, Fr., C
Alyssa Zabala, Louisville, Fr., P
Mickey Winchell, Notre Dame, Fr., OF
Madison Knight, Syracuse, Fr. P
Eden Bigham, Virginia, Fr, P
Jade Hylton, Virginia, Fr., 2B
