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Vote: Who should be the New Jersey High School Softball Player of the Year for 2026?

The nominees for New Jersey's Softball Player of the Year include St. John Vianney's Madison McDougall, Ocean City's Brooke Douglas, and Red Bank Catholic's Mackenna Savage.
SJV’s pitcher Madison McDougall does her thing. St. John Vianney defeats Mount St. Dominic 10-0 in Non-Public A Softball Championship game and completes a Perfect Season at Ivy Park, Newark NJ on June 10,2026.
SJV’s pitcher Madison McDougall does her thing. St. John Vianney defeats Mount St. Dominic 10-0 in Non-Public A Softball Championship game and completes a Perfect Season at Ivy Park, Newark NJ on June 10,2026. | Peter Ackerman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2026 New Jersey high school softball season has come to an end. Now is the time to answer the question: Who should be the New Jersey Softball Player of the Year?

Here are High School on SI's New Jersey Softball Players of the Year for 2026. Scroll down to read about the list and cast your vote below.

Voting ends Sunday, July 5th, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Madison McDougall, St. John Vianney

McDougall was named Gatorade New Jersey Softball Player of the Year after leading St. John Vianney to a perfect season and the Non-Public A state championship. The senior and Monmouth commit went 29-0 with a 0.30 ERA and 312 strikeouts in the circle, along with a .626 batting average and 17 home runs at the plate.

Gabby Gonzalez, St. John Vianney

Gonzalez also helped the Lancers go undefeated in softball. The senior and FIU commit batted .500 with 51 hits, 43 RBIs, 12 home runs, 13 doubles, and 35 runs.

Brooke Douglas, Ocean City

Douglas led Douglas to the South Jersey Group 3 championship. The senior and Rhode Island commit batted .543 with 51 hits, 42 RBIs, 12 home runs, seven doubles, two triples, and 25 runs.

Mackenna Savage, Red Bank Catholic

Savage put up impressive numbers for Red Bank Catholic in 2026. The sophomore notched 15 wins in the circle with a 1.43 ERA and 286 strikeouts in 176.2 innings pitched.

Jordyn Ambrosius, West Deptford

Ambrosius stepped up for West Deptford this past season. The junior went 15-7 with a 1.75 ERA and 247 strikeouts in 143.2 innings pitched.

Audrey Amoruso, Indian Hills

Amoruso led Indian Hills to its second straight state sectional title. In the circle, the senior and Fordham commit went 20-5 with a 1.01 ERA, 248 strikeouts, and 32 walks in 159.2 innings pitched. At the plate, she batted .476 with 26 RBIs and four home runs.

Gemma DeJoseph, Delran

DeJoseph was very impressive for Delran in 2026. The sophomore led the state with 62 hits, while batting .620 with 48 RBIs, three home runs, 14 doubles, and 37 runs.

Jillian Cianfrocca, Mount St. Dominic

Cianfrocca led Mount St. Dominic to the Non-Public A state finals. The senior and Villanova commit hit .534 with 47 hits, 54 RBIs, 16 home runs, 15 doubles, and 54 runs.

Ava Kelshaw, Mount St. Dominic

Kelshaw also played a major role for a strong Lions team. The junior and Michigan commit notched an impressive 26 wins in the circle with a 0.63 ERA and 257 strikeouts. Additionally, she batted .388 with 33 RBIs.

Chloe Jacobson, Summit

Jacobson played a pivotal role on a strong Summit team in 2026. The sophomore hit .553 with 52 hits, 54 RBIs, 15 home runs, 10 doubles, and 39 runs.

Gylian Hixenbaugh, Donovan Catholic

Hixenbaugh was very solid for Donovan Catholic this past season. The junior and Dartmouth commit went 17-3 with a 1.86 ERA, 161 strikeouts, and 21 walks in 128 innings pitched.

Ella Redheffer, Clearview

Redheffer led Clearview to the South Jersey Group 3 finals. The sophomore stepped up by batting .583 with 56 hits, 40 RBIs, six home runs, 17 doubles, 48 runs, and 26 stolen bases.

About Our Athlete of the Week Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.

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Harry Lichtman
HARRY LICHTMAN

Harry Lichtman is a sports reporter based in Montgomery County, MD and the DC area. He also writes for Capitals Outsider and LastWordOnSports, and previously wrote for MLB Report, The Sports Pulse, the Baltimore Jewish Times, the Montgomery County Sentinel, and The Bottom Line newspaper at Frostburg State University. In 2020, Harry won an MDDC Press award for a story about former high school lacrosse head coach Jeff Fritz. Harry has been writing since 2016.