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Softball America Announces ACC Preseason Player of the Year Candidates

Softball America has named 10 ACC Preseason Player of the Year candidates heading into the 2026 season.
Nicole Reitz|
Macey Cintron is an ACC Player of the Year candidate, according to Softball America.
Macey Cintron is an ACC Player of the Year candidate, according to Softball America. | Clemson Athletics

With just a week away from the DI college softball season, Softball America has announced 10 ACC Player of the Year Candidates.

The conference is packed with undeniable talent, yet not a single school qualified for the 2025 Women’s College World Series (WCWS). 

Will that all change in 2026? Here’s a look at the ACC players to watch this spring who are expected to take their programs to the next level. 

ACC Player of the Year Candidates

  • Jaysoni Beachum, INF, Florida State
  • Macey Cintron, P/UTL, Clemson
  • Michelle Chatfield, UTL, Virginia Tech
  • Ashtyn Danley, P/UTL, Florida State
  • Jade Hylton, Virginia
  • Taryn Kern, INF, Stanford
  • Julia Knowler, INF, Clemson
  • Jess Oakland, INF, Duke
  • Isa Torres, INF, Florida State
  • Aminah Vega, INF, Duke

Jaysoni Beachum, Florida State 

Beachum owns the hot corner and the plate. As a freshman in 2024, she finished the season leading the team in batting average (.417), hits (78), home runs (16), RBI (66), and on-base percentage (.509) to earn ACC Freshman of the Year honors. She broke Florida State’s freshman RBI record with 66 and posted the third-highest batting average in school history before coming back to dominate her sophomore year. She posted a .304 batting average, a .547 slugging percentage, and a .942 fielding percentage in 2025, helping the Seminoles to a 49-12 overall record. 

Macey Cintron, Clemson 

The 2025 ACC Freshman of the Year is back to make even more noise in her sophomore season. As a two-way player, Cintron posted a .292 batting average with a .417 on-base percentage and a .584 slugging percentage. Her 14 home runs were the second-most by a freshman in Clemson history, while her 51 RBIs set the freshman record. 

In the circle, she appeared 23 times, making seven starts. She struck out 48 batters across 62.1 innings. 

Michelle Chatfield, Virginia Tech 

The 2025 All-ACC First Team honoree started all 50 games at first base for the Hokies. Chatfield finished second on the team with a batting average of .386, 15 home runs, and a slugging percentage of .753. 

The conference noted her successes and awarded her a second ACC weekly honor after she totaled eight RBIs and three home runs with a .700 batting average against Cal in April. 

Ashtyn Danley, Florida State 

Danley was another Seminole to have an outstanding sophomore season. The two-way player made 36 appearances in the circle and collected a team-high 105 innings. She finished the year with a 1.60 ERA to rank within the top 15 in the country. At the plate, she hit .386 across 70 at-bats with two home runs and 14 RBIs. Her efforts earned her a spot on the 2025 All-ACC First Team. 

Jade Hylton, Virginia

As a junior in 2025, Hylton had a breakout year and earned All-ACC First Team honors. The shortstop started all 57 games and led the ACC in assists with 117. At the plate, she set the Virginia single-season record for home runs (19), runs scored (64), and slugging percentage (.802), while leading the team with 18 multi-hit games. She finished the season with a .362 batting average with 52 RBIs and 35 extra-base hits. 

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Nicole Reitz
NICOLE REITZ

Nicole Reitz graduated from Indiana University Indianapolis with a degree in sports journalism in 2022 and has been writing about softball and baseball since 2018 .Her work has been published in various publications like Softball America, the Indianapolis Star, and SoxOn35th.

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