Nine Saints Earn Citrus Conference Awards
Milly Bender and Belle Mancillas take home Co-Player and Co-Pitcher of the Year Awards
Tallahassee, FL
In an already historic year, Santa Fe Softball collects numerous First and Second Team All-State awards.
Six Saints were named First Team All-Citrus Conference North: McKenzie Cox, Molly Bender, Ellie Frierson, Sydney English, Belle Mancillas, and Morgyn Stevens. These recognitions encapsulate a great year for Santa Fe Softball, in which the Saints won 40+ games for the first time since 2013 and finished second in the Citrus Conference!
Santa Fe has been ranked in the top 10 of the NJCAA DI Softball Rankings Presented by Netting Professionals since Week 1 (February 23, 2026) when they were slotted at number eight. The Saints reached as high as fourth overall (Week 7, April 6) and finished the final three weeks at number six in the country.
The Saints also had two players earn Citrus Conference Awards: Molly Bender was named Player of the Year while Belle Mancillas was named Pitcher of the Year. Mancillas is the first Pitcher of the Year to come from Santa Fe since Mallory Forrester in 2024, while the Saints have not had a Player of the Year in over ten years.
In her first season at Santa Fe after transferring from Florida Gulf Coast University, McKenzie Cox hit .382 with a .417 OBP. Cox recorded 79 hits (fourth in the state), 72 RBIs (third), 64 runs (seventh), 13 walks, 19 doubles (fifth), 18 home runs (second), and 36 stolen bases (eighth).
Molly Bender, a transfer from Lake-Sumter State College, hit .410 with a .541 OBP (sixth in the state). Bender added 68 hits, 45 RBIs, 83 runs (second), 33 walks (T-sixth), 23 doubles (second), 13 home runs (T-fifth), and 48 stolen bases (second).
A freshman from Branford, FL, Ellie Frierson hit .364 with a .405 OBP. Frierson recorded 43 hits, 41 RBIs, 20 runs, six walks, six doubles, five home runs, and a stolen base.
From Callahan, FL, Sydney English is in her second season at Santa Fe and hit .403 with a .517 OBP (10th in the state). English added 64 hits, 45 RBIs, 33 runs, 33 walks (T-sixth), 15 doubles, five home runs, and a stolen base.
In her second season at Santa Fe from Frostproof, FL, Belle Mancillas started 27 games while earning a 16-5 record with 16 complete games (T-first in the state). Mancillas recorded a 1.24 ERA (third in the state) and 1.13 WHIP with 141 strikeouts (T-third) over 153 innings pitched.
Morgyn Stevens, a transfer from College of Central Florida, appeared in 27 games with six starts and a 9-4 record. Stevens recorded a 2.40 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with 46 strikeouts over 90.1 innings pitched.
Three Saints were named Second Team All-Conference: Chloe Woods, Haylee McCrea, and Miranda Murch.
Miranda Murch, a freshman from Windermere, FL, hit .340 with a .456 OBP. Murch recorded 55 hits, 62 RBIs (T-sixth in the state), 46 runs, 31 walks (T-10th), eight doubles, a triple, 14 home runs (fourth), and three stolen bases.
A freshman from Baker County, FL, Chloe Woods appeared in 24 games with 22 starts and a 9-3 record with a save. Woods recorded a 3.46 ERA and 1.37 WHIP with 43 strikeouts over 83 innings pitched.
In her second season at Santa Fe from Orange Park, FL, Haylee McCrea hit .289 with a .411 OBP. McCrea added 41 hits, 32 RBIs, 27 runs, 28 walks, six doubles, five home runs, and four stolen bases.
The nine First or Second Team honorees this season are the most of any of the Saints previous seasons since 2015.
Santa Fe will play #6 Miami Dade at 1:00pm in the first round of the FCSAA Division 1 Softball Championship at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, FL on Wednesday, May 13th. Games will be streamed live on the FCSAA Digital Network.