RICHMOND, Va. – Sophomore Kara Shutt and senior Kayla Caruso highlighted five players from the Elon University softball team that received recognition on the 2016 All Colonial Athletic Association softball teams as announced by the league on Tuesday afternoon, May 10.
Shutt was selected to the All-CAA first team and became the first Phoenix player since Carleigh Nester in 2014 to earn first team all-conference honors. The Greensboro, N.C., native set a new Elon single-season record for doubles with 21 and batted better than .400 throughout the year with her .410 average. She also is currently third in the nation in doubles per game at 0.43 and 26th overall in toughest to strikeout at 27.7. During CAA play, Shutt has batted .385 and helped the Phoenix to a 5-4 victory over then sixth-ranked James Madison with her walk-off single in the bottom of the 15th inning.
Caruso received all-conference honors for the first time in her career as the Kennesaw, Ga., native was placed on the All-CAA second team. Caruso became Elon’s most consistent performer in the circle down the stretch and currently leads the team with nine wins while posting a 2.74 ERA in her 97.0 innings while also adding a pair of saves to her stat line. During conference play, she has 4-2 record with a ERA of 2.11 and a save in 53.0 innings. On April 30, she pitched the game of her life as she went the full distance in Elon’s 5-4, 15-inning victory over No. 6 James Madison as she struck out seven batters while walking only one.
The Phoenix also had two members of its team added to the league’s All-Rookie team in Erica Serafini and Elise Walton. Thrust into the starting lineup at second base due to a returner’s injury, Serafini proved she belonged as the Tampa, Fla., native was the only Phoenix freshman to start all 49 games during the regular season and batted .255 on the year. She has driven in 23 runs while hustling for 11 doubles this season and leads the team with 70 defensive assists. She also had clutch moment for the Phoenix in its victory over James Madison with her game-tying, two RBI single in the bottom of the 10th.
Walton was a steady performer in the circle throughout the majority of the year and has a team-low 2.60 ERA in her team-high 107.2 innings pitched. The Lawrenceville, Va., native also currently leads the team with 67 strikeouts and has three shutouts on her resume. On March 13, she won a pitchers’ duel as she pitched 10 shutout innings in Elon’s 1-0 victory over Central Connecticut State in where she had a season-best eight strikeouts.
Wrapping up all-league honors for the Phoenix was junior catcher Emily Roper, who received a spot on the CAA’s All-Academic team for the second straight season. Roper, who has a 4.0 GPA as a human service studies major, has driven in a team-best 31 RBI, is tied for the team-lead in home runs with five and is second on the squad with her .326 average.
JMU’s Jailyn Ford repeated as the league’s Player of the Year. Ford, who has also won CAA Rookie and CAA Pitcher of the Year honors previously in her career, headlined the major softball award-winners on Tuesday along with a number of fellow Dukes. Classmate and catcher Erica Field, for the third time in as many years, was tabbed Defensive Player of the Year, JMU sophomore Megan Good repeated as CAA Pitcher of the Year and skipper Mickey Dean earned his third consecutive Coach of the Year award. Delaware freshman catcher Anna Steinmetz made history by becoming the first Blue Hen to ever earn the league’s Rookie of the Year award.
Elon is back on the field today for their opening game of the CAA Softball Championships versus Delaware at 3 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Stadium on the campus of James Madison.