Ten Greyhounds Selected to 2025 Landmark Softball All-Conference Teams; Baltz, DeStefano & Walter Garner Major Awards
TOWSON, Md. --- The Moravian University softball team has had ten student-athletes selected to the 2025 Landmark All-Conference Teams with Head Coach Josh Baltz and his assistants selected as the Coaching Staff of the Year, senior shortstop Holly Walter honored as the Landmark Conference Player of the Year and junior pitcher/outfielder Sarah DeStefano named as the Landmark Conference Pitcher of the Year.
TOWSON, Md. --- The Moravian University softball team has had ten student-athletes selected to the 2025 Landmark All-Conference Teams with Head Coach Josh Baltz and his assistants selected as the Coaching Staff of the Year, senior shortstop Holly Walter honored as the Landmark Conference Player of the Year and junior pitcher/outfielder Sarah DeStefano named as the Landmark Conference Pitcher of the Year.
Eight of the ten Hounds to garner All-Conference accolades were named to the First Team including Walter, DeStefano, senior first baseman Lindsey Gawrys, graduate student second baseman Ajala Elmore, senior outfielder Sage Snyder, junior catcher Marcie Silberman, junior third baseman Sydney Andrews and sophomore utility player Kyra Holtje. Senior outfielder Jessica Forder and sophomore outfielder Shayla Morgan were selected to the All-Conference Second Team.
"What an unbelievable accomplishment—to have 10 players named to the All-Conference teams, with eight earning First Team honors and two on the Second Team," commented Baltz. "It's a true testament to the talent, hard work, and dedication of this team. When every member shares the same number one goal, great things can happen. This group has redefined what it means to work hard, and they're being rightfully rewarded for it. We're proud of every player honored and excited for what's ahead in postseason softball."
The No. 18 Greyhounds are 33-7 this season including a 13-3 mark to earn the top seed and right to host the 2025 Landmark Conference Tournament at Blue & Grey Field May 9-11.
In his three seasons, Baltz and his staff of assistants – Leah Holmes, Janae Matos, Amy Rogers, Justine Rossi and Paige Zigmund have guided the Hounds to a 102-20 record and three appearances in the Landmark Conference Tournament as the top seed as well as the 2023 and 2024 Landmark Conference championship and in 2023 the program won the Medford (Mass.) Regional title, the Cambridge (Mass.) Super Regional championship and had a berth in the 2023 NCAA Division III Championship Finals. Baltz and his staff were the Landmark Conference Co-Coaching Staff of the Year last spring.
"Congratulations to Josh and his terrific staff on being recognized as the Coaching Staff of the Year," stated Director of Athletics Mary Beth Spirk. "Josh continues to build on the rich tradition of success with our softball program. He and his staff lead with professionalism, integrity and enthusiasm on and off the field. With his leadership his student athletes have had a tremendous year. Congrats again on a well-deserved honor."
Walter, who made the Landmark All-Conference First Team in 2023, is the eighth different Moravian player to be selected as the Landmark Conference Player of the Year and the first since 2021 with the Hounds having a total of nine conference players of the year since 2008. This season, Walter is hitting .385 with 50 hits, 40 runs, eight doubles, five triples, 21 RBIs, 13 walks and 19 stolen bases to give her a school record 56 stolen bases in her career. She has added 43 putouts and 114 assists in the field to break the school career mark with 346 assists. In her four seasons, Walter has a .344 average in 161 career games with 176 hits, 135 runs, 25 doubles, a school record 17 triples, six home runs and 71 RBIs.
"What a great honor for Holly Walter," Baltz said. "She's the cornerstone of this team—offensively, defensively, and on the basepaths. Her impact on the game is felt in every aspect and is hard to fully measure. Holly represents Moravian Softball in the best way possible, and we are so happy that she received the Player of the Year honor."
DeStefano, who was the 2023 Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year and member of the All-Conference Second Team as a pitcher in 2023 and as an outfielder in 2024, is seventh different Greyhound to be named as the Landmark Conference Pitcher of the Year and first since 2021 with Moravian accounting for a total of 12 conference pitchers of the year since 2008. This spring, DeStefano is 18-2 in the circle with a 0.86 ERA to go with nine shutouts, 18 complete games and 116 strikeouts and just 32 walks and 84 hits allowed in 130 innings of action. DeStefano has also recorded a .410 average at the plate while starting in right field when not pitching, and she has 25 hits, nine runs, four doubles, two triples, 18 RBIs to go with 28 putouts and 37 assists. So far in her Moravian career, DeStefano is 36-7 with 35 complete games in 48 appearances to go with a 1.56 ERA, 13 shutouts and 215 strikeouts in 283.1 innings, and at the plate, she has a .381 career average with 103 hits, 39 runs, eight doubles, four triples, 53 RBIs and 18 stolen bases.
"What a tremendous honor for Sarah DeStefano," noted Baltz. "After battling back from major injuries over the past couple of years, she returned to the circle with complete control every time she pitched. That speaks volumes about her work ethic and determination. Sarah is one of the hardest-working athletes ever to wear a Moravian uniform and is such an important part of this team. I'm thrilled that all her hard work—and the mental toughness it took to overcome those setbacks—has been recognized with the Pitcher of the Year award."
Gawrys, who made the Landmark First Team for the second straight spring, is hitting .345 to go with 40 hits, 30 runs, 11 doubles, two triples, one homer, 19 walks, 30 RBIs and 326 putouts. Gawrys has recorded 175 hits, 127 runs, 47 doubles, eight triples, 12 home runs, 107 RBIs, 71 walks, a school record 1,141 putouts and a .349 batting average in 163 games over four seasons.
Elmore, who was a member of the All-Conference First Team at second base in 2024 and the All-Conference Second Team in 2023 as a shortstop, has posted a .363 batting average to go along with 45 hits, 30 runs, nine doubles, four triples, one homer, 13 stolen bases and 26 RBIs, and she has 53 putouts and 76 assists in the field. In five seasons, Elmore has played in a school record 175 games while registering 162 hits, 110 runs, 26 doubles, eight triples, 11 homers, 102 RBIs, 30 stolen bases, a .333 average, 263 putouts and 321 assists.
Snyder, who was a member of the 2023 and 2024 All-Conference First Team, has a .364 average to go with 39 hits, 36 runs, ten doubles, a triple, a homer, 21 walks, 18 stolen bases and 25 RBIs as the starting left fielder. Snyder has posted 126 hits, 110 runs, 25 doubles, five triples, eight home runs, 77 RBIs, 57 walks, 50 stolen bases and a .340 average in 143 games over the last four seasons.
Silberman, who repeats as an All-Conference First Team honoree for the third season, is hitting .389 with 49 hits, 20 runs, six doubles, 13 homers and 43 RBIs this season while throwing out four runners. In 122 games in her three seasons, Silberman has 137 hits, 69 runs, 29 doubles, a triple, 35 homers and 126 RBIs to go with a .361 average, 505 putouts and 17 runners caught stealing.
Andrews, who was on the All-Conference Second Team a year ago, has a .389 average, 43 hits, 23 runs, four doubles, a triple, 29 RBIs and 85 assists in the field in her second season at Moravian after playing her freshman campaign at Cabrini University. Andrews has also tossed 18.1 innings in the circle with eight strikeouts and a 2-2 record. In 78 games with the Hounds, Andrews has 69 hits, 35 runs, ten doubles, two triples, 48 RBIs and a .327 average, and as a collegiate softball player, Andrews has 107 hits in three years including 38 in her season at Cabrini.
Holtje has seen action as a pitcher, designated player and right fielder for Moravian this season, and she a .306 average this spring with 30 hits, 25 runs, six doubles, four homers and 34 RBIs at the plate while going 10-2 in the circle with a 2.14 ERA, three shutouts and 38 strikeouts in 72 innings of action. In two seasons, Holtje has recorded 32 hits, 28 runs, six doubles, four homers and 34 RBIs to go with a 10-2 record, a 2.18 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 80.1 innings of work,
Morgan, who repeated on the All-Conference Second Team, has recorded a .375 average this spring with 33 hits, 21 runs, two triples, seven RBIs and 15 stolen bases while starting in center fielder. In two seasons, Morgan has a .381 average in 76 games to go with 56 hits, 41 runs, two triples, nine RBIs and 36 stolen bases
Forder has started in right field when DeStefano is pitching, and she has posted a .392 average with 20 hits, eight runs, three doubles, a homer and nine RBIs. In 104 games over four seasons, Forder has a .301 average to go with 71 hits, 34 runs, 12 doubles, two homers and 33 RBIs.
To view the full 2025 Landmark Softball All-Conference Teams, visit https://landmarkconference.org/news/2025/4/4/05082025-softball-all-conference.aspx.
