Photo by: Lucas Morrell
Fricker Named Rookie of the Year, Lehigh Lands Six on All-Patriot League Teams
5/6/2025 3:02:00 PM | Softball
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh first-year outfielder Kelly Fricker was named Patriot League Rookie of the Year and was one of six All-Patriot League honorees for the Mountain Hawks as the league announced its postseason softball awards Tuesday. Fricker is joined on the first team by seniors Rory Dudley (at-large) and Maddy Schmeiser (designated player) and sophomore Peyton Sward (infield). Senior Julia Mrochko (infield) and first-year Helen Woloshyn (outfield) were second team honorees.
Dudley and Sward are both now two-time all-league honorees who earned first-team laurels for the first time.
The All-Patriot League teams and major awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.
Fricker is the first Lehigh player to win the Rookie of the Year award since Nicole Yozzo won in 2015. She is the fifth Mountain Hawk overall to win the award.
Named to the NFCA's Freshman of the Year Top 25 list last month, Fricker leads the Patriot League in batting average (.437) and hits (76), with her 76 hits ranking 11th nationally and third on Lehigh's single-season hit list. Fricker ranks second in the Patriot League with 16 doubles and also has two home runs and 26 RBIs while serving as Lehigh's starting right fielder and leadoff hitter.
Lehigh's starting shortstop, Sward hit .324 during the regular season with 31 runs scored, 48 hits, 20 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.
Dudley leads the Mountain Hawks with five home runs and 40 RBIs on the season, to go along with a .318 batting average. Sixteen of her 50 hits this season have gone for extra bases.
Schmeiser ranks second on the Mountain Hawks with a .357 batting average. She has contributed 40 hits, including five doubles, and 22 RBIs out of the cleanup spot in Lehigh's lineup.
Mrochko lands on the second team, hitting .333 with a league-leading 17 doubles as Lehigh's second baseman. She also has three home runs, 31 RBIs and a league-leading six sacrifice flies this season.
Woloshyn batted .321 this season with 23 runs scored, and tied with Sward for the team lead with 12 stolen bases. In addition to delivering outstanding defense in center field, Woloshyn batted .424 in 15 league games.
Regular season champion Army West Point and second-place Boston University split the remaining awards, with Army's Ashton White winning Player of the Year and Jen Consaul earning Coach of the Year honors, and BU's Brooke Deppiesse garnering Defensive Player of the Year honors and Kasey Ricard winning Pitcher of the Year.
Lehigh (28-22) is the No. 3 seed in the Patriot League Tournament and will open tournament play against No. 2 Boston University Thursday at 2:30 p.m. from the Army Softball Complex at West Point, N.Y.
2025 Patriot League Softball Major Awards
Player of the Year- Ashton White, Army West Point
Defensive Player of the Year- Brooke Deppiesse, Boston University
Pitcher of the Year- Kasey Ricard, Boston University
Rookie of the Year- Kelly Fricker, Lehigh
Coach of the Year- Jen Consul, Army West Point
Patriot League Softball First Team All-League*
Infielders (5)
Ashton White, Army West Point
Taylor Brown, Army West Point
Megan Coyle, Boston University
Brooke Deppiesse, Boston University
Peyton Sward, Lehigh
Outfielders (3)
Kylie Doherty, Boston University
Mary Grace O'Neill, Lafayette
Kelly Fricker, Lehigh
Designated Player (1)
Maddy Schmeiser, Lehigh
Catcher (1)
Quinn Livesay, Colgate
At-Large (2)
Libby Walsh, Boston University
Rory Dudley, Lehigh
Pitcher (2)
Katelyn Flanders, Army West Point
Kasey Ricard, Boston University
Patriot League Softball Second Team All-League
Infielders (4)
Brooke Popella, Bucknell
Analisa Rafaelli, Colgate
Anna Brait, Holy Cross
Julia Mrochko, Lehigh
Outfielders (3)
Annie Christiana, Army West Point
Sienna Tepley, Army West Point
Helen Woloshyn, Lehigh
Designated Player (1)
Caitlyn Newburn, Army West Point
Catcher (1)
Emma Murchison, Army West Point
At-Large (1)
Maaika Dones, Army West Point
Pitchers (2)
Breanna Izzo, Army West Point
Savannah Jones, Bucknell
*Additional players were added to the All-Patriot League Teams due to ties in voting
Follow Lehigh Softball on X/Twitter and Instagram and like on Facebook for exclusive updates throughout the season.
Dudley and Sward are both now two-time all-league honorees who earned first-team laurels for the first time.
The All-Patriot League teams and major awards are voted on by the league's head coaches.
Fricker is the first Lehigh player to win the Rookie of the Year award since Nicole Yozzo won in 2015. She is the fifth Mountain Hawk overall to win the award.
Named to the NFCA's Freshman of the Year Top 25 list last month, Fricker leads the Patriot League in batting average (.437) and hits (76), with her 76 hits ranking 11th nationally and third on Lehigh's single-season hit list. Fricker ranks second in the Patriot League with 16 doubles and also has two home runs and 26 RBIs while serving as Lehigh's starting right fielder and leadoff hitter.
Lehigh's starting shortstop, Sward hit .324 during the regular season with 31 runs scored, 48 hits, 20 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.
Dudley leads the Mountain Hawks with five home runs and 40 RBIs on the season, to go along with a .318 batting average. Sixteen of her 50 hits this season have gone for extra bases.
Schmeiser ranks second on the Mountain Hawks with a .357 batting average. She has contributed 40 hits, including five doubles, and 22 RBIs out of the cleanup spot in Lehigh's lineup.
Mrochko lands on the second team, hitting .333 with a league-leading 17 doubles as Lehigh's second baseman. She also has three home runs, 31 RBIs and a league-leading six sacrifice flies this season.
Woloshyn batted .321 this season with 23 runs scored, and tied with Sward for the team lead with 12 stolen bases. In addition to delivering outstanding defense in center field, Woloshyn batted .424 in 15 league games.
Regular season champion Army West Point and second-place Boston University split the remaining awards, with Army's Ashton White winning Player of the Year and Jen Consaul earning Coach of the Year honors, and BU's Brooke Deppiesse garnering Defensive Player of the Year honors and Kasey Ricard winning Pitcher of the Year.
Lehigh (28-22) is the No. 3 seed in the Patriot League Tournament and will open tournament play against No. 2 Boston University Thursday at 2:30 p.m. from the Army Softball Complex at West Point, N.Y.
2025 Patriot League Softball Major Awards
Player of the Year- Ashton White, Army West Point
Defensive Player of the Year- Brooke Deppiesse, Boston University
Pitcher of the Year- Kasey Ricard, Boston University
Rookie of the Year- Kelly Fricker, Lehigh
Coach of the Year- Jen Consul, Army West Point
Patriot League Softball First Team All-League*
Infielders (5)
Ashton White, Army West Point
Taylor Brown, Army West Point
Megan Coyle, Boston University
Brooke Deppiesse, Boston University
Peyton Sward, Lehigh
Outfielders (3)
Kylie Doherty, Boston University
Mary Grace O'Neill, Lafayette
Kelly Fricker, Lehigh
Designated Player (1)
Maddy Schmeiser, Lehigh
Catcher (1)
Quinn Livesay, Colgate
At-Large (2)
Libby Walsh, Boston University
Rory Dudley, Lehigh
Pitcher (2)
Katelyn Flanders, Army West Point
Kasey Ricard, Boston University
Patriot League Softball Second Team All-League
Infielders (4)
Brooke Popella, Bucknell
Analisa Rafaelli, Colgate
Anna Brait, Holy Cross
Julia Mrochko, Lehigh
Outfielders (3)
Annie Christiana, Army West Point
Sienna Tepley, Army West Point
Helen Woloshyn, Lehigh
Designated Player (1)
Caitlyn Newburn, Army West Point
Catcher (1)
Emma Murchison, Army West Point
At-Large (1)
Maaika Dones, Army West Point
Pitchers (2)
Breanna Izzo, Army West Point
Savannah Jones, Bucknell
*Additional players were added to the All-Patriot League Teams due to ties in voting
Follow Lehigh Softball on X/Twitter and Instagram and like on Facebook for exclusive updates throughout the season.
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