Posted: May 13, 2025
McElroy Named United East Rookie Of The Year; Brandywine Places Seven On All-Conference Teams
MEDIA, Pa. -- Following its first United East Conference championship, Penn State Brandywine placed seven student-athletes on the all-conference teams, including Emma McElroy (Mountainside, N.J./Governor Livingston), who was tabbed as the league's Rookie of the Year on Tuesday.
Brandywine recorded a conference-high six first team selections: McElroy, Lexi Bussenger (Bangor, Pa./Bangor), Ava Craddock (Springfield, Pa./Springfield), Shelby DeCillis (Iselin, N.J./Colonia), Jordan DuBois (Southampton, N.J./Seneca) and Isabella Hurta (Colts Neck, N.J./Red Bank Catholic). Quinn Rosario (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) earned Second Team All-United East honors.
McElroy has starred for the Lions all season, starting 42-of-43 games in center field, while ranking among the top five in the United East in nearly every offensive category. Her 69 hits tied for the conference lead and are the eighth-highest total in all of Division III. McElroy hit safely in 39 games, collecting 21 multi-hit efforts, including six three-hit games and a 4-for-4 performance at Penn College on Apr. 13. She provided two of the biggest hits of Brandywine's season, recording game-winning, two-run knocks in conference tournament victories over Wilson and Penn College.
In addition, McElroy scored 44 runs, recorded a team-best 41 runs batted in and stole 30 bases, while striking out just seven times in 148 at-bats. McElroy finished second in the league in runs scored, third in RBI, third in batting average (.466), fourth in stolen bases and fifth in total bases (84).
Bussenger was the spark at the top of the Brandywine lineup once again during her junior season, earning a first team all-conference nod for the third-straight year. While starting all 43 games at second base, Bussenger produced 65 hits, 54 runs and 44 stolen bases. Her run and stolen base totals both topped all United East players, while she stood third in hits. Bussenger also tied for seventh nationally in steals and was tied for 11th in Division III runs scored.
A .436 hitter, Bussenger scored at least one run in 33 of Brandywine's 43 games, helping the Lions to a 30-3 mark in those contests. Twenty-eight of her stolen bases came against United East opponents, including a five-steal game against Keystone on Apr. 24. Bussenger also tallied 18 RBI, while posting a .485 on-base percentage.
Craddock, who was named Most Valuable Player of the United East Tournament on Sunday, tallied a team-high 21 of her 61 hits for extra bases, while matching McElroy for the team batting average lead at .466. She also drove in 38 runs, scored 34 times and swiped 10 bases, while posting a team-best 19 walks for a Brandywine-high .533 on-base percentage.
Among United East players, Craddock ranked in the top 10 in batting average (3rd), doubles (3rd), on-base percentage (3rd), hits (4th) and RBI (8th).
Craddock produced a 5-for-5 game against Albright on Apr. 14 and recorded her second four-knock game of the season two days later versus Wilson. She amassed 17 multi-hit efforts, including two in three games during the conference tournament last weekend. She earned MVP honors after totaling six hits, one of which was a walk-off single to send Brandywine to the conference championship, and seven RBI.
DeCillis appeared in 42 games, playing nearly every game behind the plate, during her rookie season. She posted a .333 batting average after collecting 41 hits, including 12 for extra bases. She drove in 31 runs, the fourth-highest total on the team, while scoring 20 times. DeCillis recorded season highs with three hits and three RBI in a win at Cairn on Apr. 2.
Additionally, DeCillis was one of the top defensive catchers in the league, throwing out eight attempted base stealers in 32 opportunities, while committing just one error in 201 total chances for a .995 fielding percentage.
DuBois was a starter in 39 games and appeared in 40 contests overall, mainly at third base, during her rookie campaign. She collected a .300 batting average, tallying 30 knocks in 100 at-bats. Eight of her hits went for extra bases, including a pair of home runs. DuBois drove in 19 runs and crossed home 15 times.
DuBois registered a pair of three-hit efforts, including a 3-for-3 performance against conference foe Wilson when she homered and knocked in a season-high four runs in an 8-1 victory on Apr. 16.
Hurta made 22 appearances, including 13 starts as a sophomore. She posted a 10-3 record with nine complete games and two saves. Hurta pitched to a 2.01 earned run average, good for fourth in the league, while spinning four complete-game shutouts and striking out 65 batters in 97.1 innings.
Hurta led all United East pitchers with a 0.97 ERA in nine conference appearances, allowing just five earned runs through 36.0 frames. Two of her four shutouts came against UEC competition as she blanked Penn State Harrisburg on Mar. 29 and spun a two-hit shutout versus St. Elizabeth on Apr. 22.
Rosario hit .314 against United East foes and collected 22 hits overall, while competing in 33 games in left field and behind the plate, to become one of five Brandywine freshmen to land an all-conference award. She collected four doubles and three triples, third-most on the team, while totaling 15 runs scored and 10 RBI.
Rosario produced a season-best three hits in a win over Wilson on Apr. 16.
Brandywine finished its first season as a member of NCAA Division III and the United East Conference with a record of 35-8, the team's fourth-straight season of 35-plus victories. The Lions captured Brandywine's first-ever UEC title with an 8-7 victory over Penn College on Sunday.
