New Paltz, NY — The State University of New York New Paltz softball program announced its incoming class ahead of the 2026 season Wednesday.
 
The Hawks are coming off their fourth-straight SUNYAC berth this past spring and return the majority of their roster but graduated four key pieces in 2025. SUNY New Paltz hopes the seven incoming Hawks can add depth and added skill in the field, mound and in the box to get them back into postseason contention and win another SUNYAC title in their final stint within the State University of New York Athletic Conference.
 
Read more about each incoming Hawk below:

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Nicolette Ferraro '29
Pitcher
Syosset, NY
Syosset High School
Team Long Island
 
Ferraro, hailing from Syosset, NY, will bolster the Hawks pitching staff after losing two key pieces in three-time All-SUNYAC select Sydney Waldon and Alyssa Zangrilli.
 
Ferraro was a five-year player for Syosset High School varsity softball. Over the course of her career with the Braves, she participated in five consecutive Section 8 Class AA and Class AAA championships, reaching the sectional semifinals three times and the sectional final once.
 
Ferraro earned All-Nassau County First Team honors and Newsday All-Long Island Second Team honors in her senior year. Previously she was an All-Nassau County First Team and Honorable Mention pick in 2024 and 2023.  She was named team MVP three times.
 
One of the premier pitchers on Long Island, Ferraro amassed 291 strikeouts in 288 innings played over five seasons, landing her among the top strikeout artists in both Nassau and Suffolk counties. She threw 25 complete games for her career, winning 37 and losing 24. Her best season for strikeouts was 2024, with 103 strikeouts in 95 ⅔ innings. Her best overall season was 2025, winning 13 games (fourth in Nassau and 14th for Long Island) and losing four.
 
Along with starring for the Braves varsity program, Ferraro also competed for Team Long Island.  


Jenna Carmody '29
Outfield/Infield
Neversink, NY
Tri-Valley Secondary School
Orange County Bombers Elite
 
Carmody will be a welcome addition to the Hawks, adding more athleticism to the roster with her ability to play both in the outfield and middle infield. She will provide speed around the basepaths with a solid bat and has the ability to pitch some innings for the program as well.
 
Carmody, a Neversink, NY native, was a superior three sport student-athlete at Tri-Valley Secondary School, playing soccer, basketball and softball and excelling in each sport. A five-year softball player for the Bears, at New Paltz she will concentrate on softball.
 
Carmody is a three-time Section 9, Class C/D Player of the Year; a two-time Section 9, Class
C/D First Team selection. She was named to the New York State Class C All-State Team following her junior and senior seasons, respectively, and was also named to the Varsity 845 Watch List for both 2024 and 2025.
 
In 2025 she led the Bears to the Section 9, Class C finals, and as a sophomore she pitched and won two complete games in a single outing, striking out 17 total batters.  
 
Playing soccer, Carmody was a Section 9, Class C All-Star and led her team to th2024 Section 9, Class C semifinals.
 
Playing seven years of varsity basketball, Carmody was a two-time New York State, Class B and C All-State selection; was named the 2024-25 Section 9, Class C Player of the Year and a three time All-Section 9, Class C First Team pick and as a sophomore was a Section 9 Coaches All Star; she was listed on the BCANY Top 50 Basketball Players roster and the Varsity 845 Watch List. She led the Bears as team MVP to the 2024-25 Section 9, Class B championship.
 
No slouch in the classroom, Carmody was Tri-Valley's Salutatorian. She was a multiple year member of the National Junior Honor Society, the National Honor Society and the FBLA Honor Society.
 
Carmody played travel softball for Orange County Bombers Elite.



Kaitlyn Gordon '29
Outfield/Infield
Marlboro, NY
Marlboro High School
Dutchess Debs
 
Gordon is another Marlboro addition for SUNY New Paltz, and like Carmody has the ability to play in multiple spots in both the outfield and middle infield.
 
Gordon's softball pedigree runs deep having played four varsity years on one of New York State's premier high school softball programs. Over her three years with the Dukes, Gordon and her teammates amassed a record of 60 wins against seven losses and in the Mid-Hudson Athletic League (MHAL) and lost but one game in three years, winning the MHAL title in two of those seasons. Gordon was also an integral part in Marlboro's run to the 2024 New York State Class A softball championship, as well as the Dukes' 2025 and 2023 appearances in NYS Class A regional finals.
 
During her senior year, Gordon played in 20 games and finished with a .541 batting average, a .568 on base percentage, while adding 40 hits, 34 RBI and 20 runs scored. Her 34 RBI were ranked first in both Section 9 and MHAL, second in NYS Class A and 15th across all classes in New York State.
 
Gordon was named a Poughkeepsie Journal 2024 All-Star Honorable Mention and capped off an outstanding senior season being named a Section 9, Class A First Team selection, along with being named to the 2025 NFCA All Region IX First Team.
 
Gordon also was a member of the Marlboro High School's girls volleyball team in the fall and additionally, competed for the Dutchess Debs travel softball team.
 
The Marlboro, NY native plans to major in Elementary Education while at SUNY New Paltz.


Jaime Tennaro '29
First Base/Outfield
Middle Island, NY
Longwood High School
Long Island Heat Fastpitch
 
Tennaro comes in and adds depth to the first-base position, as well as in the outfield for the Hawks.
 
A Middle Island, NY native, Tennaro starred for Longwood High School and played travel for Long Island Heat Fastpitch. She was a constant attendee for several years at Hawks softball recruiting clinics and made her commitment official this past year to join the program entering 2025-26.
 
Tennaro was a three-year player for the Lions of Longwood High School. As a senior, she earned Section XI, League I honors after finishing with a .404 batting average and a .514 on-base-percentage, while adding 23 hits, 23 runs scored and nine stolen bases.
 
Tennaro plans on majoring in Early Childhood Education while at SUNY New Paltz.  




Ava Thys - transfer '27
Shortstop
Fairfax, VA
James W. Robinson Secondary School
Arlington Impact Elite Fastpitch
Transfer from: SUNY Oneonta
 
Thys was a starter at shortstop for the 2025 Red Dragons of Oneonta, helping them to the finals of the SUNYAC Championship this past spring.
 
Thys started 71 of 78 games for Oneonta and left the Red Dragons with a .329 batting average, adding 70 hits, including nine doubles and one home run with 30 RBI and 46 runs scored to go along with 11 stolen bases.  
 
Thys was named to the All-SUNYAC Second Team for 2025, along with landing on the 2025 SUNYAC All-Tournament Team. She fills a need at the position for the Hawks, solidifying their infield.    
 
For her efforts in the classroom, Thys was named a NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete and to the CSC Academic All-District Softball Team.
 
Originally hailing from Fairfax, Virginia, Thys was a three-year starter at James W. Robinson Secondary School. During her final season with the Rams as a senior, she batted .410, while recording a .484 on-base-percentage. She finished with 32 hits, 32 RBI, 27 run scored and was 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts. She was named to the All-Patriot District First Team twice, along with earning a spot on the All-Occoquan Region 6C First Team.
 
Thys plans on continuing her education with SUNY New Paltz as a Communication Disorders major.
 

Brianna Rose Hardwick - transfer '27
Catcher/First Base
Latham, NY
Shaker HS
Capital District Fusion
Transfer from: Jefferson CC/Corning CC
 
Another junior transfer, Hardwick will be another key piece to fill in at two spots at both catcher and first base for the Hawks entering 2026.
 
Playing two seasons at Jefferson Community College and Corning Community College, she will add experience to the roster, igniting more power into SUNY New Paltz's lineup.
 
While starring for the Corning Community College Red Barons, the Latham, NY native led the team to the 2023-24 NJCCAA Division III World Series with the team placing fifth overall. Hardwick played in all 37 games at Corning, finishing with a .407 batting average, a .477 on-base-percentage, and a .593 slugging percentage. She had 46 hits, including 10 doubles, one triple and three home runs (including one a grand slam), with 28 RBI and 27 runs scored. The Shaker High alum then named NJCAA DIII Region 3 Athlete of the Week for April 29, 2024.
 
Moving on to Jefferson Community College for the 2024-25 season, Hardwick led the Cannoneers to the 2025 MSAC Championship and to the NJCAA DIII North B District semifinals. In 34 games played, Hardwick had a .429 batting average, a .472 on-base-percentage, and a .768 slugging percentage. She registered 48 hits, including 14 doubles and eight home runs, with 50 RBI and 28 runs scored. Hardwick was named NJCAA DIII Region 3 Player of the Week for April 15, 2025, and at season's end was named to the MSAC All-Conference First Team selection.
 
Hardwick played high school softball at Shaker High School and was a part of two Bison teams that went to the Section 2, Class AA playoff. 

Hardwick plans on studying Geology while at SUNY new Paltz.


 
Alexandra Frenza - transfer '26
Pitcher/First Base
New Paltz, NY
New Paltz High School
Dutchess Debs
Transfer from: College of Staten Island
 
Frenza adds another piece to the Hawks that will bolster its young pitching staff after pitching for three seasons for Division II The College of Staten Island.
 
During her three-year career with the Dolphins, Frenza made 75 appearances on the mound, starting 34 games and tallying eight complete games pitched with an ERA of 4.62.
 
In 256.1 innings pitched, Frenza gave up 293 hits and 169 earned runs, while striking out 158 batters and holding opponents to a .288 batting average. She won 11 games and had four saves for Staten Island and was named the East Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week in 2023, along with earning a spot on the 2024 ECC Weekly Honor Roll. Additionally, Frenza also was named to the ECC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll.
 
A local New Paltz, NY native, Frenza had a storied high school career for the Huguenots varsity softball program.  As a freshman in her varsity debut, Frenza struck out 19 batters and pitched a no-hitter against Saugerties and for her career, she registered 312 strikeouts. During her senior season, she not only struck out 109 batters in 71 innings but also batted .477 with a 1.227 OPS.
 
Frenza earned Section 9 All-Star honors, along with a nod to the Poughkeepsie Journal First Team. She was also on the Varsity 845 Softball Watch List and the POJO News Best of Rest List.  
 
Frenza also excelled in the classroom, landing on the NYSPHSAA Scholar Athlete list all four years of high school. She, along with Gordon, also starred for the Dutchess Debs ravle softball program.
 
Frenza will major in Education while at SUNY New Paltz.



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