The 2026 season is off to a fast start with almost no weather delays and conditions looking like summer as we head into the third week of the varsity softball campaign in Central Jersey. There was plenty of top-level action played on diamonds across the Skyland, Greater Middlesex and Union Country conferences through the first two weeks and some fantastic individual performances were logged.
Advertisement
Here are the nominations for the season’s first Central Jersey Softball Player of the Week award. All stats through Sunday, April 12.
Voting ends Friday at noon.
Nominees selected by Simeon Pincus and Josh Rosenfeld. Voting winner will be featured as the Player of the Week.
EMMA ANDERSON
Hillsborough
Freshman
The Raiders have endured two rebuilding seasons after going to two state finals in three years and things are certainly looking extremely positive in the early season. That starts in the circle where freshman Emm Anderson appears to have emerged as an ace, fueling Boro’s 4-0 start by posting a 0.48 ERA, allowing just two earned runs on 14 hits and just four walks, striking out 47 in 29 innings.
Advertisement
LAYLA FRANCISCO
North Hunterdon
Senior
The four-year starter is in her third season with the Lions after playing at Gill St. Bernard’s as a freshman and, after the graduation of Skye Cooke, has taken over as the undisputed ace for North Hunterdon. She has stepped up her production in a big way through the early season, going 5-1 with a 0.85 ERA and two shutouts, allowing just five walks and striking out 56 in 41 innings.
AMANDA LEBERS
Rahway
Junior
Pitcher
The Indians have won five of their first six outings for the second year in a row and their junior ace is also 5-1 and a major contributor. She’s yielded just six earned runs for a 1.85 ERA with 39 strikeouts and 10 walks in 22 2/3 innings, also getting it done at the plate with eight extra-base hits in 21 at bats for .524/1.095 batting/slugging and 11 RBIs.
Advertisement
ALLISON MOSCHBERGER
Delaware Valley
Senior
The catcher/third baseman/outfielder has joined Ava Figalora and Lilly Rynearson as the big bats that have helped the Terriers to a 6-0 start and control of the Skyland Conference Valley Division race. Moschberger is hitting .619 so far with two doubles, two triples and eight RBIs.
MIKAYLA OTT
Spotswood
Senior
Pitcher
The senior struck out 10 in tossing a seven-inning perfect game at Metuchen in her first start replacing graduated All-Area selection Ava Mormile as Spotswood’s primary hurler. She then threw a four-inning no-hitter against Bard in her third start. Overall, she’s 4-1 with a 0.62 ERA, 39 strikeouts and 12 walks in 34 innings.
Advertisement
COURTNEY PAULIKAS
J.F. Kennedy
Senior
Pitcher
The 5-0 Mustangs are off to their best start since a 10-0 beginning to a 21-3 campaign in 2019 and Paulikas has thrown every pitch/ She’s 5-0 with a 2.69 ERA, 45 strikeouts and just nine walks in 26 innings in the circle, while also producing a .471 batting and .882 slugging at the plate, and is 25 hits shy of 100 for her career.
CARLY PFEIFFER
Governor Livingston
Junior
The junior has not only taken over at shortstop for graduated star Chelsea Kiesewetter, but has also taken a big leap forward on offense, emerging as the Highlanders’ top bat in the early season. Pfeiffer is hitting .522 through six games with a homer and a team-high 10 RBIs.
Advertisement
CHLOE RODRIGUEZ
North Plainfield
Senior
Catcher
The former varsity baseball player has become a dominant star in her second campaign playing softball. She’s batting .708 and slugging 1.958 with six home runs, five triples and 21 RBIs, which includes a pair of two-homer outings. She also has multiple extra-base hits in five of the Canucks’ seven contests and has also stolen eight bases.
ELLA ROYSTER
Pingry
Senior
The Big Blue’s star center fielder won first-team All-Area honors last season and hasn’t skipped a beat, leading Pingry to a 6-0 start, despite the move up to the Skyland’s top division. Royster is hitting .571 with four doubles, a triple, three homers and 17 RBIs as the Big Blue average a 9.7 runs per game heading into Monday’s action.
Advertisement
JOSIE VANORE
Sayreville
Senior
Pitcher
The lone returning first-team All-Area pitcher from last season, Vanore has picked up where she left off for the top-ranked unbeaten Bombers. She’s 5-0 after throwing all but 2/3 of an inning for Sayreville, posting a 0.84 ERA, 44 strikeouts and nine walks in 33 1/3 frames. She’s also a fixture in the middle for the Bombers lineup with three extra-base hits in 14 at bats.
VOTE NOW!! POLL CLOSES NOON FRIDAY!!
Staff writer Simeon Pincus has been covering NJ sports since 1997, and has been on the softball beat since 1999. He can be reached at CourierSoftball@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter/X @SimeonPincus
Follow GMC softball writer Josh Rosenfeld on Twitter/X @JoshPRosenfeld
IF POLL DOESN’T SHOW, PLEASE REFRESH THE PAGE
Source: Read Full Article
