MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – For the second straight year, the Wheaton College (Mass.) softball team placed 12 members on the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference Softball Academic All-Conference team, it was announced by the league.
Honorees must have met the following criteria: earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5/4.0 scale or 4.35/5.0 scale after the 2025 fall semester, achieved second year academic status at their institution, and been a member of the varsity team for the entire season.
Amber Arcand (Millville, Mass.), Taylor Barry (Hadley, Mass.), Peyton Blankenheim-Brown (Rio Linda, Calif.), Ashlyn Burt (Olathe, Kan.), Maggie Caron (Boxford, Mass.), Sofia De La Rosa (Middle Village, N.Y.), Riley Dolan (Coram, N.Y.), Madi Miller (Middle Village, N.Y.), Ella Molinari (Grafton, Mass.), Sam Puma (Tyngsborough, Mass.), Gabby Reinbold (Sharon, Mass.) and Alli Wisnouskas (Longmeadow, Mass.) were all selected to the NEWMAC Academic All-Conference Team.
The Lyons have had 12 or more honorees in each of the last three years, highlighted by a school-record total of 13 in 2024.
Arcand, Blankenheim-Brown and Caron all landed a spot on the team for the third consecutive year, while Barry, Burt, De La Rosa, Molinari, Puma and Reinbold earn Academic All-Conference designation for the second time in their respective careers.
Arcand made the transition from pitcher to right fielder and earned Second Team All-Conference honors. The senior Business and Management major started all 37 games, while batting .302 (19-63) in 20 conference games. Blankenheim-Brown culminated a dual-threat career with Second Team All-Region accolades. The senior Business and Management major contributed as a pitcher and at first base, while posting a 1.30 earned run average to go with a .299 (32-107) batting average and 26 runs batted in. Caron started 10 of 11 games that she appeared in for Wheaton. The senior Business and Management major scored four runs and knocked in a pair of runs as an infielder. Barry was among the Lyons' most steady players, batting .298 (25-84) for the season. The junior Criminal Justice major started 27 of 30 games and maintained a stellar .385 on-base percentage. Burt's final season was impacted by injury. The senior Biochemistry major made the most of her only game, smacking a single in her lone at-bat for the Lyons. De La Rosa was outstanding in the circle for Wheaton, earning Third Team All-Region and Second Team All-Conference honors. The junior Business and Management major ranked fourth in the NEWMAC with 111 strikeouts, while placing 41st in the nation with a 4.44 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Molinari was named the NEWMAC Player of the Year and tabbed Third Team All-Region for the Lyons. The junior Biology Pre-Health major batted .440 (48-109) for the season and owned a .504 on-base percentage, including an eye-popping .586 in 19 conference contests. Puma appeared in three games for Wheaton. The junior Nursing major batted .333 (1-3) and recorded a .500 on-base average. Reinbold started 30 of 33 games that she appeared in for the Lyons. The junior Visual Art and Photography and Sports Media major posted a .306 on-base percentage and drove in nine runs. Dolan started all 34 games that she appeared in and was Wheaton's primary catcher. The senior Elementary Education major threw out five of 13 attempted base stealers and ripped three doubles during the year. Miller started two of 16 games that she appeared in for the Lyons. The sophomore Biology major owned a .381 slugging mark and knocked in five runs, including a home run. Wisnouskas appeared in three games for Wheaton, while making one start. The sophomore Mathematics major registered a .500 on-base percentage.
The Lyons finished the season with a 21-16 overall record, including 11-9 in NEWMAC play. Wheaton earned the number six seed in the NEWMAC Championship Tournament, before bowing to United States Coast Guard Academy in the opening round.
