The State University of New York Athletic Conference announced its annual awards with the Hawks earning five all conference selections, with all five named to the All-SUNYAC First Team.  Honored for their exceptional play in 2026 were Ella Sharrock, Kelsey O'Brien, Alex Frenza, Ava Thys and Morgan Smith. The five selections from 2026 join 72 past players who have garnered All-SUNYAC recognition in the 40 years New Paltz has been part of SUNYAC softball.
 
These five players led the 2026 Hawks to a 30-8 overall record, their third 30+ win season in four years. Their 17-1 SUNYAC mark equaled the mark set in the SUNYAC championship season of 2024.  This season's 17-1 conference record earned the Hawks the first seed position in their fifth consecutive and final SUNYAC post season tournament appearance before they begin play in the New Jersey Athletic Conference in 2026-27.  
 
Further honors fell on Ella Sharrack, named SUNYAC Player of the Year; Kelsey O'Brien, named SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year; Alex Frenza, SUNYAC Pitcher of the Year.
 
To view the complete 2026 All SUNYAC softball team, click here:
  
Read more about each Hawk selection below.

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Julie Lenhart SUNYAC Player of the Year/All-SUNYAC First Team
 
Ella Sharrock (junior, captain, first base)
Selden, NY/Newfield High School
 
Ella Sharrock proved every day of the season why she deserved SUNYAC Player of the Year, working hard toward a breakout junior campaign that led to one of the most prolific for any Hawk while leading her team to a regular season conference title.  
 
Sharrock is only the third player in program history to receive SUNYAC Player of the Year honors, joining Jackie Rometo (2023) and Katie Quagliana (2022). In earning her second consecutive All SUNYAC First Team pick, Sharrock developed into the most lethal hitter in the conference and led the SUNYAC in hits (62), runs (41), RBI (52), doubles (19), extra base hits (32), total bases (116) batting average (.473), slugging percentage (.885) and home runs (9) — with the latter marking the most in single season program history.
 
She led her team in 12 statistical categories, which also included OPS (1.371) and triples (4), while tying five others for 41 games played and started while holding an on-base-percentage of .486 and went 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts. Sharrock also had 19 multi-hit games, including a 27-game hitting streak with 12 multi-RBI games and had a reached base streak of 27.
 
Again, Sharrock led the Hawks through SUNYAC play, starting all 18 games, pacing the team with a .569 batting average, a 1.615 OPS, 58 at bats, 25 runs scored, 33 hits, 10 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 60 total bases, a 1.034 slugging percentage, a .581 on base percentage with 26 RBI and was 4-for-4 in stolen bases. She had 11 multi-hit games, six multi-RBI games, and a 20-game hit streak and a 20-game reached base streak.
 
Named three times in 2026 as the SUNYAC Softball Athlete of the Week, Sharrock posted season games highs of four at bats 15 times, four hits against Plattsburgh (4/17), three doubles versus Canton (4/23), one triple four times, one home run eight times, three runs scored three times, six RBI against Canton (4/23), one stolen base eight times.  
 
On the field, Sharrock had 162 chances with 151 putouts, seven assists, four errors, eight double plays and a fielding percentage of .975. In SUNYAC action she had 72 chances with 67 putouts, four assists, one error, six double plays and a .986 fielding percentage. She had a season high of 13 chances and 12 putouts against Cortland (4/11) and she played 25 straight games without an error. 
 


SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year/All-SUNYAC First Team
 
Kelsey O'Brien (senior, captain, outfield)
Monroe, NY/Monroe-Woodbury High School
 
Kelsey O'Brien concludes her outstanding SUNY New Paltz softball career with her first, First-Team All-SUNYAC selection and becoming the first SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year pick in program history to culminate in a career year for the senior.
 
Now a three-time All-SUNYAC selection, O'Brien has keyed the Hawks to four consecutive winning seasons and four straight appearances in the annual SUNYAC postseason tournament, as the co-captain moved from infield to outfield the last three seasons becoming a staple in solidifying the team's outfield making the switch to center following two seasons in left.
 
In 2026, O'Brien scored her best collegiate season, starting all 41 games and landing second in nine statistical categories and first in three. She batted .424 overall, with a 1.113 OPS in 125 at bats. She scored 37 runs, had 52 hits, including seven doubles, four triples and three home runs, while contributing 30 RBI with 77 total bases. She had a slugging percentage of .616 and an on base percentage of .497 and led the team with 15 stolen bases.
 
O'Brien totaled 16 multi-hit games, eight multi-RBI contests and had an 18-game hitting streak as well as reaching base safely 18 straight times. O'Brien had season highs of four hits against Canton (4/23), two doubles versus Buffalo State (4/4), two triples versus Russell Sage College, two home runs against Buffalo State (4/4), scored three runs three times, had four RBI against Buffalo State (4/4), and tallied two stolen bases in a single game three times. 
 
She enters into the Hawks softball career record book in 10 different categories: batting average (.380, 10th), at bats (484, second), runs scored (110, third), hits (184, second), doubles (28, sixth), triples (eight, tie for fourth), home runs (10, tie for third), RBIs (89, fourth), bases on balls (38, seventh), and stolen bases (54, third).
 
Against SUNYAC competition in 2026, O'Brien was equally as dominating. Second again in multiple statistical categories, she started all 18 conference games, batted .545 with a 1.423 OPS in 55 at bats, scoring 23 runs.  She had 30 hits including five doubles, two triples and three home runs with 20 RBIs on 46 total bases.  She was second in with an .836 slugging percentage and was first with an on base percentage of .587. She stole six of seven bases.  O'Brien had nine multi-hit games and plated muti-RBIs six times. She had hitting and reached base safely in 15-straight games. O'Brien is listed in the top seven in multiple SUNYAC statistical categories, landing third with a .441 batting average, seventh with 29 RBI and fifth with 15 stolen bases. 
 
In earning the SUNYAC Defensive Player of the Year, O'Brien had 86 chances with 85 putouts, with one error for a .988 overall fielding percentage. In SUNYAC play, she had 35 chances and 35 putouts, with no errors and a 1.000 fielding percentage. Overall, she played 40 consecutive games without an error. She had season highs of six chances and six putouts against Ramapo College.


SUNYAC Pitcher of the Year/All-SUNYAC First Team
 
Alex Frenza (senior, pitcher)
New Paltz, NY/New Paltz High School/College of Staten Island
 
Frenza moved home to play her final season of collegiate softball and made her mark in the SUNYAC in the most dominant pitching seasons in program history resulting in her first SUNYAC Pitcher of the Year honor.
 
After three seasons at Division II College of Staten Island, Frenza returned home to New Paltz and finished her college career with a dream season. Named SUNYAC Pitcher of the Week three times in 2026, Frenza topped her senior season becoming only the second Hawk to earn SUNYAC Pitcher of the Year honors, joining Lindsay Roman (2024, 2023) in this esteemed category, while also notching All-SUNYAC First Team honors to cement her position in program history.
 
As SUNY New Paltz's ace, Frenza started 21 of 23 games played. She finished with an overall record of 16-6, placing her in a tie for fourth with most wins in a season. She also logged one save. Her 1.69 ERA landed her fourth for a single season and third in career ERA. She had a 1.01 WHIP. She pitched herself 10th in single season innings with 132.1, had 19 complete games and nine shutouts. She gave up 88 hits, 45 runs, 32 earned runs, with 46 bases on balls.  Her 147 strikeouts placed her third for a single season and eighth in career strikeouts. Lastly, by most importantly she held opponents to a measly .189 batting average. She had a season high of 7.1 innings pitched against Ramapo College (4/1) and tallied 14 strikeouts twice, which came against Plattsburgh (4/17) and Oneonta (5/1).
 
Surrounding these impressive numbers, Frenza set a record by pitching three no-hitters in 2026 as well as the third perfect game in Hawk softball history. She also pitched two one-hitters this season in a dominant senior campaign.
 
Frenza pitched the Hawks to eight wins against one loss in SUNYAC play, with a 2.03 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 48.1 innings pitched.  She garnered seven complete games, along with four shutouts.  Frenza gave up 35 hits, 16 runs. 14 earned runs and 214 bases on balls, with 71 strikeouts, holding conference opponents to a .201 batting average. 
 
 Frenza also helped her own cause in the field with 13 chances, three putouts and 10 assists for a 1.000 fielding percentage.
 


All-SUNYAC First Team
 
Ava Thys (junior/shortstop)
Fairfax, VA/James W. Robinson Secondary School/SUNY Oneonta
 
Ava Thys followed up her initial All-SUNYAC Second Team pick in 2025 while playing for SUNY Oneonta with her first All-SUNYAC First Team selection as a New Paltz Hawk.
 
Thys' presence at shortstop solidified SUNY New Paltz's infield in 2026. Starting all 42 games, Thys was a huge addition to the Hawks lineup both as their leadoff hitter and stabilizing their shortstop position.   
 
Overall, she batted .368 with a .944 OPS, while leading the team with 133 at bats. She scored 33 runs, had 49 hits including eight doubles, three triples and one home run. She plated 17 RBI and had 66 total bases. She walked 15 times, scored a .496 slugging percentage, had a .488 on base percentage and nailed 7-of-8 stolen bases. She had 16 multi-hit games and five multi-RBI games with a 10-game hitting streak and reached base safely 11 times.  
 
Thys had season highs of three hits against Purchase (3/27) and John Jay (4/15), two triples against Potsdam (4/18), scored two runs eight times, had two RBI five times and two stolen bases versus John Jay (4/15).
 
Starting all 18 SUNYAC contests, Thys had 22 hits in 57 at bats for a .386 batting average and
1.082 OPS. She had three doubles, three triples and on home run on the season with 13 RBI and had 34 total bases. Her slugging percentage was a hefty .596 and she had a .486 on base percentage with one stolen base in one attempt.  She had eight multi-hit games, with five multi-RBI games and had a 10-game hitting streak and a 10-game reaching base safely streak.
 
On the field, Thys had 105 chances with 56 putouts and 46 assists, with five double plays.  She had three errors and a .971 fielding percentage with 19 consecutive games without an error.  In SUNYAC games, she had 43 chances with 24 putouts and 18 assists, with four double plays, one error and a .977 fielding percentage.  Her defensive season highs included 10 chances against Cortland (4/11) five putouts v Cortland (5 /8) and seven assists against Cortland (4/11).
 
 
 

Morgan Smith (sophomore/pitcher)
Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa High School
 
After a quiet first season, Morgan Smith announced, in a big way, herself to the softball community with an outstanding sophomore year, earning All-SUNYAC First Team honors. 
 
Smith worked her way to earning her way to the No. 2 pitching role for the Hawks and solidified SUNY New Paltz's arms which allowed them to dominate through SUNYAC play.
 
Smith started 11 of 14 games played with an overall record of nine wins and two losses. She led SUNY New Paltz with a 1.17 ERA and her 1.09 WHIP was second for the Hawks. She threw six complete games and had two shutouts in 66 innings pitched. She gave up 52 hits, 15 runs, 11 earned runs, with 20 bases on balls. She struck out 39 batters, and limited opposing teams to a .216 batting average. Smith pitched a no-hitter against Canton (4/23) and also threw two one-hit games in 2026. She had season highs of eight innings pitched against Cortland (4/11) and nine strikeouts versus Canton (4/23).
 
Smith earned one SUNYAC Pitcher of the Week honor in 2026 and had six wins and no losses against SUNYAC competition. She posted a 0.85 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP with four complete games and one shutout in 41 innings pitched. She gave up 28 hits, five runs, five earned runs and five bases on balls with 23 strikeouts, limiting the opposition to a paltry .194 batting average.  
 
In the field, she helped herself with 11 chances, three putouts and eight assists for a 1.000 fielding percentage.


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