GREENSBORO, N.C. – The University of Notre Dame softball team had five players earn All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors for their performance on the field this season. Carlli Kloss highlights this year’s squad as the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year, while also earning Third Team honors as a catcher. Joley Mitchell and Karina Gaskins were selected to the league’s first team, Lexi Orozco was a second team honoree and Mickey Winchell earned All-Freshman honors.
Kloss’s Defensive Player of the Year award is the first of its kind for the Irish program as its the fifth time it has been awarded by the league.
Kloss has caught every pitch from Fighting Irish pitching this season. In 287 defensive chances, Kloss earned a .990 fielding percentage, and caught 13 of 27 attempted base stealers. Her stolen base allowed percentage of .519 ranks as the best in the league by any player, while her three passed balls is among the lowest of any team’s primary catcher. She also added four pick-offs during the year as the Irish led the conference by limiting opponents to just 14 stolen bases on the season. This is the first All-ACC honor for the junior catcher.
In addition to her stand-out defensive work, Kloss has been the primary lead-off hitter for the Irish offense. She hits for a .359 average and is tied for the team-lead in extra base hits at 20. She leads the squad with 14 doubles, three triples and has scored 41 runs. She adds nine stolen bases to go with a .424 on-base percentage.
Gaskins earned her second first team All-ACC selection for her efforts this season. The junior hit for a .350 average, starting all 46 games at first base. She leads the Irish with 14 home runs, adds six doubles, driven in 40 and scored 36 runs. She’s also drawn 40 walks this season, tying her single season mark from 2022, and ranks second all-time in program history in walks in a year. She’s earned a .509 on-base percentage and leads the team with a .740 slugging percentage. It’s her third All-ACC honor after earning second team honors as a freshman, in addition to her 2022 Player of the Year and first team All-ACC honor.
Mitchell earned first team All-ACC for the first time in her career. The senior was an NFCA All-Region honoree in 2022, and followed up that campaign with the best season of her Irish career. The Rose Bud, Arkansas native leads the team with a .384 average, hitting nine doubles, nine home runs and is third on the squad with 39 RBI. She added 37 runs scored and was the team’s top base stealer, swiping 15 in 17 attempts. She started every game at third base this season for the Irish, and is currently on a 31-game reached base streak. Its the longest of its kind since the 2021 season for Irish softball.
In just her first year at Notre Dame, Orozco picked up her first All-ACC honor. Orozco was named to the second team for her efforts on the offensive side, playing as a shortstop, and working as the designated player towards the end of the season. Orozco hit for a .349 average, starting all 46 games. The graduate student led the team with 44 RBI, hitting 14 home runs, five doubles and adding her first career triple. Orozco adds 29 walks and owns a .472 on-base percentage.
Winchell rounds out the honors with an ACC All-Freshman Team. The outfielder hit for a .333 average in her rookie season, scoring 20 runs. She went for three extra-base hits with a pair of doubles and a triple while driving in 16. She stole six bases and earned a .384 on-base percentage.
2023 ACC Softball Awards
Player of the Year: Valerie Cagle, Clemson, Jr., P
Pitcher of the Year: Kathryn Sandercock, Florida State, Sr., P
Defensive Player of the Year: Carlli Kloss, Notre Dame, Jr., C
Freshman of the Year: Sarah Gordon, Louisville, Fr., C
Coach of the Year: Lonni Alameda, Florida State
First Team
C – Sarah Gordon, Louisville, Fr., C
INF – Ana Gold, Duke, So., 3B
INF – Abby Settlemyre, North Carolina, Sr., 2B
INF – Karina Gaskins, Notre Dame, Jr., 1B
INF – Joley Mitchell, Notre Dame., Sr., 3B
OF – D’Auna Jennings, Duke, Fr., OF
OF – Jahni Kerr, Florida State, So., OF
OF – Korbe Otis, Louisville, So., OF
P – Valerie Cagle, Clemson, Jr., P
P – Cassidy Curd, Duke, Fr., P
P – Kathryn Sandercock, Florida State, Sr., P
At-Large – Deja Davis, Duke, Gr., DP
At-Large – Aminah Vega, Duke, Fr., 2B
At-Large – Taylor Roby, Louisville, Gr., DP
At-Large – Yvonne Whaley, Pitt, Sr., SS
Second Team
Gisele Tapia, Duke, Sr., 1B
Jala Wright, Duke, Jr., P
Michaela Edenfield, Florida State, So., C
Devyn Flaherty, Florida State, Jr., 2B
Kaley Mudge, Florida State, Jr., OF
Makenna Reid, Florida State, Fr., P
Emma Kauf, Georgia Tech, Sr., C
Daisy Hess, Louisville, Sr., SS
Lilli Backes, North Carolina, So., P
Alex Brown, North Carolina, So., SS
Lexi Orozco, Notre Dame, Gr., DP
Kelsey Brown, Virginia Tech, Gr., OF
Emma Lemley, Virginia Tech, So., P
Bre Peck, Virginia Tech, So., DP
Emma Ritter, Virginia Tech, Jr., OF
Third Team
Caroline Jacobsen, Clemson, Gr., OF
Alia Logoleo, Clemson, Jr., SS
Ally Miklesh, Clemson, Gr., OF
Millie Thompson, Clemson, Jr., P
Kalei Harding, Florida State, Jr., 3B
Mack Leonard, Florida State, Sr., 1B
Easton Lotus, Louisville, So., 2B
Alyssa Zabala, Louisville, Fr., P
Carlli Kloss, Notre Dame, Jr., C
Kiersten Licea, North Carolina, Sr., 1B
Hannah Goodwin, NC State, So., 3B
Sarah Seamans, Pitt, Sr., 1B
Eden Bigham, Virginia, Fr, P
Jayme Bailey, Virginia Tech, Gr., 1B
Cameron Fagan, Virginia Tech, Jr., 2B
All-Freshmen Team
Cassidy Curd, Duke, Fr., P
D’Auna Jennings, Duke, Fr., OF
Aminah Vega, Duke, Fr., 2B
Makenna Reid, Florida State, Fr., P
Sarah Gordon, Louisville, Fr., C
Alyssa Zabala, Louisville, Fr., P
Mickey Winchell, Notre Dame, Fr., OF
Madison Knight, Syracuse, Fr. P
Eden Bigham, Virginia, Fr, P
Jade Hylton, Virginia, Fr., 2B
Up Next
The Irish take the field this afternoon as they host the ACC Championship Tournament at Melissa Cook Stadium. Notre Dame will take on the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets in the first round of the tournament at 3:30 p.m.