Brandywine Softball Named Academic Team By NFCA; Seven Individuals Honored

MEDIA, Pa. -- The Penn State Brandywine softball team earned the Academic Team Award from the National Fast-Pitch Coaches Association for the eighth consecutive year, while seven student-athletes received NFCA Scholar-Athlete awards for their work in the classroom during the 2022-23 academic year on Thursday.

As a team, Brandywine amassed a grade-point average of 3.10 last year, second-highest among four-year schools that are not NCAA or NAIA members. Brandywine was the only USCAA institution to be honored.

Brandywine's Scholar-Athlete Award winners included Farrell Everett (Wynnewood, Pa./Haverford), who graduated in May with a degree in communications, along with rising seniors Lianna DeDios (Elmwood Park, N.J./Elmwood Park Memorial) and Meghan Ferry (Gloucester City, N.J./Gloucester City) and rising juniors Gianna Casale (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert), Maddie DeFazio (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury), Karly Rees (Oxford, Pa./Oxford) and Becky Valente (Royersford, Pa./Spring-Ford). Everett received her third NFCA award, while Casale, Ferry, Rees and Valente all earned their second honor.

To be selected as a NFCA Scholar-Athlete, student-athletes must earn a GPA of 3.50 or greater during the academic year.

On the field, Brandywine capped off the most successful season in its decade-long history by capturing the USCAA National Championship with a dramatic 10-9 walk-off victory over Mississippi University for Women on May 18. The Lions set a program record with 37 victories, while also capturing their eighth-straight conference title under the direction of Head Coach Mark Caserta.