Preview in Pictures: The 2023 Villanova Softball Team

Villanova is coming off back-to-back BIG EAST championships for the first time in school history. In 2022, the Wildcats went 32-24 and played in an NCAA regional for the second time. Entering the 2023 season, Villanova earned the most first place votes in a preseason poll of league head coaches. Fifth-year head coach Bridget Orchard returns 15 student-athletes from last year's team and welcomes seven newcomers as the program looks to continue its historic run.

SCROLL DOWN THE PAGE TO SEE PROFILES OF EACH OF THE MEMBERS OF THE 2023 VILLANOVA WILDCATS

Ryan Henry (#19) - Graduate Student, Catcher, Ramsey, N.J.

Ryan Henry had a breakout 2021 season where she earned third-team All-Region and first-team All-BIG EAST honors.

Henry ranks sixth in school history for career home runs after leading the BIG EAST in 2021 with 13.

Behind the plate, Henry has a .985 fielding percentage with 409 putouts, 38 assists and just seven errors.

Henry batted .286 with 13 of her 15 extra-base hits during conference play in 2022, adding 13 runs and 22 RBIs.

Sydney Hayes (#21) - Graduate Student, Center Field, Douglassville, Pa.

Sydney Hayes enters 2023 with the longest active games played streak, playing in 106 consecutive games.

With outstanding range in center field, Hayes owns a career fielding percentage of .946 with 190 putouts.

Hayes has stolen 23 bases in her career while being caught just five times, ranking 15th in VU history for stolen base percentage.

Hayes has 19 career outfield assists and has thrown out 12 runners at the plate, including two against Charlotte in 2022.

Peyton Schnackenberg (#4) - Graduate Student, Pitcher, Belle Mead, N.J.

Graduate pitcher Peyton Schnackenberg joins the Wildcats' pitching staff after three seasons at Boston College.

Schnackenberg made 51 appearances with 171.1 innings pitched and a 10-12 record at BC, recording 126 strikeouts.

Schnackenberg spent her freshman season at Syracuse, allowing just one run in her collegiate debut.

Schnackenberg is a former PGF All-American as a scholastic player at Montgomery High School in New Jersey.

Dani Dabroski (#5) - Senior, Left Field, Cedar Grove, N.J.

As a junior last season, Dani Dabroski batted .258 with a .338 on-base percentage, 15 runs and eight walks.

Dabroski started in 30 games last year as the Wildcats' primary left fielder, but has seen time in all three outfield positions.

Dabroski developed into an important contributor to VU's lineup in 2021 with strong situational hitting in the nine spot.

Dabroski's 2022 season included five stolen bases, and the New Jersey native has only been caught stealing once in her career.

Victoria Sebastian (#7) - Senior, First Base, Ridgewood, N.J.

Senior Victoria Sebastian has played in 100 career games with 76 starts overall, nearly all at first base.

Sebastian made history in 2022 as the Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner at first base, the first winner of the award ever.

Sebastian enters her senior season as Villanova's all-time career record holder with a .996 fielding percentage.

Sebastian has made seven relief pitching appearances and logged 7 1/3 innings in the circle.

Chloe Smith (#8) - Senior, Third Base, Sacramento, Calif.

Chloe Smith earned second team All-BIG EAST laurels in 2022 after being named first team All-Region as a sophomore.

Smith begins 2023 ranked in the top 10 in school history in OPS, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and batting average.

Smith plays outstanding defense at third base and owns a career .967 fielding percentage, with 154 putouts and 201 assists.

Smith finished second in the BIG EAST in hits (58) in her junior season and totaled 13 doubles, five home runs and 31 RBIs

Ally Jones (#23) - Senior, Catcher, Brielle, N.J.

Ally Jones earned second team All-Region and second team All-BIG EAST as a sophomore in VU's first conference title year.

Jones ranks ninth in school history in slugging percentage (.523) and 14th in home runs (17), providing power from the right side of the plate.

Jones excels behind the plate with 526 putouts for a career .993 fielding percentage, including a flawless defensive season as a junior.

Jones owns a career slash line of .280/.368/.523 in 345 plate appearances, drawing 38 walks and being hit by five pitches.

Alyssa Seidler (#6) - Junior, Pitcher, West Babylon, N.J.

Junior pitcher Alyssa Seidler logged 6 1/3 innings in the circle last year.

Seidler struck out six batters while allowing 13 hits and eight earned runs.

Seidler pinch hit against St. John's in 2022 and delivered a single for her first collegiate hit.

Before coming to Villanova, Seidler was an all-state and three-time all-league honoree.

Brooklyn Ostrowski (#14) - Junior, Outfield, Port Chester, N.Y.

Brooklyn Ostrowski appeared in 26 games during her first collegiate season.

Ostrowski hit a three-run home run against Butler in 2021 for her first homer as a Wildcat.

Three of Ostrowski's five career hits have been for extra bases.

Ostrowski is a versatile defensive option who has a career .923 fielding percentage.

Tess Cites (#15) - Junior, Right Field, Horseheads, N.Y.

Tess Cites played in 51 games with 34 starts as a sophomore.

Cites slashed .228/.379/.337 in 2022 with 20 walks and 21 hits.

Big East Softball Championships -
Villanova vs. Butler

Cites was named to the 2022 BIG EAST Championship All-Tournament Team.

Cites has seen time in both corner outfield positions with a .937 fielding percentage.

Caroline Pellicano (#16) - Junior, Pitcher, Norristown, Pa.

Caroline Pellicano made 20 appearances as a reliever in her sophomore season.

Pellicano ranks 15th in school history with 30 career relief appearances.

Pellicano posted a 3-3 record with two saves and a 1.45 ERA across 48 1/3 innings.

Nine of Pellicano's 17 relief outings were for two innings or longer.

Emily Orr (#18) - Junior, Catcher, Hillsborough, N.J.

Junior catcher Emily Orr has played in 25 games during her first two collegiate seasons.

Orr hit her first collegiate home run at Seton Hall in her freshman year.

All three of Orr's career hits have come in pinch-hitting assignments.

Orr entered 10 games as a pinch hitter and spent time behind the plate in six games in 2022.

Alexa Raphael (#2) - Sophomore, Outfield, West Caldwell, N.J.

Alexa Raphael led the Wildcats in stolen bases (11) with a 91.7% success rate as a freshman.

Raphael made 13 pinch running appearances and 20 defensive substitutions in 2022.

Raphael played in 44 games last season, ranking second among the team's first years.

Raphael was named the USA Today Network Softball Player of the Year in high school.

Ava Franz (#10) - Sophomore, Infield, Aston, Pa.

Ava Franz played in 42 games with 16 starts during her first collegiate season.

Franz started games at second base, third base and shortstop as a freshman.

Franz is one of 24 batters in school history with a multi-home run game.

Franz played for PA Chaos club teams that were ranked in the national Top 25 from 2018-21.

Kelsey White (#11) - Sophomore, Pitcher, Taunton, Mass.

Kelsey White was a key performer as a pitcher and position player in her freshman year.

White made 26 appearances in the circle, going 6-7 with a 3.17 ERA and 46 strikeouts.

White slashed .326/.419/.384 as an offensive player in 2022.

White was named to the All-Tournament Team with a two-run single in the championship game.

Elaina Wagner (#12) - Sophomore, Infield, Fishkill, N.Y.

Sophomore infielder Elaina Wagner played in 18 games off the bench as a freshman.

Wagner saw time as a reserve middle infielder in her first collegiate season.

Wagner entered 14 games as a pinch runner and scored four runs on the year.

Wagner was part of a USSSA national championship team in 2018.

Madison Ostrowski (#1) - Freshman, Outfield, Port Chester, N.Y.

Madison Ostrowski was a League Co-Player of the Year and four-time All-League selection.

Ostrowski was a three-sport scholastic athlete, excelling in volleyball, basketball and softball.

Ostrowski joins her older sister Brooklyn (#14) on the Wildcats' 2023 roster.

Ostrowski finished in the top 10% of her graduating class at Port Chester.

Maddie Burrows (#3) - Freshman, Infield/Pitcher, New Britain, Conn.

Freshman Maddie Burrows was selected to first team All-State twice during her scholastic career.

Burrows compiled 300 career strikeouts as a pitcher and 100 career hits at the plate.

Burrows earned two Gatorade Player of the Year nominations as a high school player.

Burrows' father and brother played college baseball, while her mom played softball.

Kat Gallant (#9) - Freshman, Pitcher, Monroe, Conn.

Freshman Kat Gallant was the Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior.

Gallant was chosen as the Conference Player of the Year in 2022 and 2021 Pitcher of the Year.

Gallant is one of two VU freshmen from the state of Connecticut, joining Maddie Burrows.

Gallant also participated in the band and was named a National Merit Scholar in high school.

Lilly St. Jean (#13) - Freshman, Shortstop, Marlton, N.J.

Freshman shortstop Lilly St. Jean was named the 2022 South Jersey Softball Player of the Year.

St. Jean closed her senior year with a .642 batting average and .910 slugging percentage.

St. Jean finished 8th in her graduating class at Paul VI High School.

St. Jean becomes the eighth Villanova player from the state of New Jersey.

Maura McBreen (#17) - Freshman, Third Base, Atlanta, Ga.

Freshman Maura McBreen earned four All-Region first team selections in high school.

McBreen was a multi-sport athlete in high school, also competing in diving.

McBreen won the national championship with her club team in the summer of 2022.

McBreen is the lone Wildcat from the southeast United States.

Morgan Pepkowski (#20) - Freshman, Outfield, Quakertown, Pa.

Freshman outfielder Morgan Pepkowski earned league MVP honors in her high school career.

Pepkowski played as a shortstop and was selected All-League first team as a scholastic.

Pepkowski's father, Trevor, played baseball at Villanova as a right-handed pitcher.

Pepkowski is one of four players on Villanova's 2023 roster from Pennsylvania.

Kendall Spivey (#24) - Freshman, Utility, Detroit, Mich.

Freshman utility Kendall Spivey earned All-State, all-Catholic and All-League honors in high school.

Spivey totaled a .476 batting average in her career and put up 10 home runs as a junior.

Spivey was a three-sport scholastic athlete who excelled in volleyball, basketball and softball.

Spivey was a four-time honor roll selection and scholar athlete at Mercy High School.