NEW HAVEN, Conn.- Caldwell University softball freshman outfielder Jessica Klein (Trevose, Pa.) was selected as Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Softball Rookie of the Year after an outstanding first collegiate season for the Cougars. Head Coach Dean Johnson was named the CACC Softball Coach of the Year, while nine players earned CACC All-Conference recognition.
 
Klein along with junior second base Taylor Mischler (Endicott, N.Y.), junior third base Courtney Grundhauser (Easton, Pa.), senior outfielder Emma Cooney (Livingston, N.J.), senior pitcher Mariah Culver (Owego, N.Y.) and freshman designated player Allison Winters (Blairstown, N.J.) earned CACC First Team Honors. Senior first base Maya Rodriguez (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), freshman shortstop Ashleigh Tavaska (Jackson, N.J.) and senior pitcher Kayla Daly (Babylon, N.Y.) were named to the CACC Second Team.
 
Johnson guided the Cougars to their highest win total since 2018 with 34 wins heading into the conference tournament later this week. Caldwell finished third in the CACC with a 19-5 conference mark and 17-3 home record. The Cougars are ranked #2 in the latest NCAA Division II East Region Poll.
 
Klein leads the Cougars with a .509 batting average with 39 runs scored and 24 stolen bases. She is adding 58 hits, seven doubles, one triple and 17 RBI. Klein ranks first in the CACC and the East Region in batting average, while ranking first in the conference in runs, third in hits and fourth in stolen bases.
 
Mischler is batting .341 with one homerun, 22 RBI, 12 doubles, one triple, 30 runs scored, 46 hits and seven stolen bases. She is currently ranked tied for fifth in the CACC in doubles.
 
Grundhauser is posting a .381 batting average with a team-best nine homeruns and 44 RBI. She is adding 38 runs scored, 51 hits, 11 doubles, three triples and 14 stolen bases. Grundhauser ranks tenth in the conference in average, second in runs scored, 11th in hits, tied for ninth in doubles, tied for seventh in triples, fourth in homeruns, second in RBI and tied for ninth in stolen bases.
 
Cooney is batting .391 with three homeruns, 29 RBI, 24 runs scored, 43 hits, 13 doubles and four stolen bases. She ranks seventh in the CACC in average and is tied for 11th in runs scored.
 
Culver has posted a 15-5 record in the circle this season with a 2.33 ERA. She has tossed 10 complete games with 92 strikeouts in 117.0 innings pitched. Culver ranks third in the conference in wins, sixth in strikeouts eighth in innings pitched and third in ERA.
 
Winters currently has a .358 batting average with three homeruns, 29 RBI, 13 doubles, 24 runs scored, 43 hits and four stolen bases. She is tied for second in the CACC in doubles.
 
Rodriguez is batting .378 with two homeruns, 31 RBI, three doubles, one triple, 16 runs scored and 54 hits. She is tied for eighth in the conference in batting average, tied for eighth in hits and tied for ninth in RBI. 
 
Tavaska batted .342 this season with four homeruns, 31 RBI, nine doubles, two triples, 54 hits and 36 runs scored. She is adding 19 stolen bases so far this season. In the CACC, she is tied for fourth in runs scored, tied for eighth in hits, tied for ninth in RBI and tied for sixth in stolen bases.
 
Daly currently has a 16-5 record with one save. She has tossed 10 complete games with a 2.32 ERA with 77 strikeouts in 120.2 innings pitched. Daly ranks second in the CACC in wins and ERA, sixth in innings pitched and eighth in strikeouts.
 
The Cougars will compete in the CACC Championship beginning on Thursday, May 5 hosted on the campus of Georgian Court University. The #3 seed Cougars will face #6 Dominican College in the first round on Field #1 at noon.