Why Wilmington University's World Series softball squad is Delaware Team of the Year

Portrait of Kevin Tresolini Kevin Tresolini
Delaware News Journal

Other than winning another game or two, the Wilmington University softball team got almost everything it wanted out of 2024.

The Wildcats made their second straight NCAA Division II World Series and set a school record with 46 wins, the last coming there. They were ranked fifth in the final Division II Top 25 national coaches’ poll.

Now they’ve earned a bonus.

Wilmington has been voted Delaware’s 2024 state Team of the Year by the Delaware Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association. The Wildcats will be honored during the DSBA’s annual awards luncheon on Presidents Day, Feb. 17, at Riverfront Events on the Wilmington Riverfront.

“Being that I'm a Delaware guy, born and raised in Kent County and now being up here coaching,” said Wilmington coach Mike Shehorn, a former Polytech High quarterback, “this is something that I never even expected. I've just seen so many great teams at different levels get that honor.

Wilmington University softball coach Mike Shehorn guided the Wildcats to the 2023 and 2024 NCAA Division II championship tournaments.

“For us,” he added, “it's an amazing accomplishment and one that I think kind of caps off what last season was about, what it meant to us.”

This is the first Wilmington University team and sixth college squad to win the award since its 1999 introduction.

Wilmington short stop Lexi Moore makes a play to first for an out against Pace in the second inning of the Wildcats' 2-1 win in their opening game of the NCAA Division II regional tournament at Wilmington University Thursday, May 11, 2023. The Wildcats meet Georgian Court in the winners bracket Friday at 10a.m. at Asbury Field.

The Wildcats join Delaware’s 2003 NCAA Division I-AA champion football team, the 2005 Wesley College NCAA Division III football semifinalists, the Blue Hens’ 2007 NCAA Tournament Final Four men’s lacrosse team, UD’s 2011 CAA champion men’s soccer team and its 2016 NCAA title-winning field hockey squad.

Wilmington captured the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference regular-season and tournament titles, won the NCAA Division II East Regional with three shutouts and then blanked rival Adelphi twice to sweep their East Super Regional.

That sent Wilmington to its second straight Division II World Series in Longwood, Florida. After being eliminated in two games in 2023, Wilmington lost its 2024 opener 2-1 to Western Washington, beat Augustana 5-2, then was ousted in a 6-4, 9-inning duel with Lenoir Rhyne to finish 46-16.

“The year before we got there, and we lost both games,” Shehorn said. “And there was a part of us that kind of was like, ‘Do we really belong?’

“We wanted to get back there and make some noise. … We legitimately had a chance to get to the championship series of the world.”

The Wildcats’ 23-player roster included 12 players from Delaware high schools, including All-American designated player Sara Miller and All-East shortstop Lexi Moore out of Smyrna and All-East outfielder Taylor Gillis of Wilmington Charter.

Wilmington's Sara Miller reaches home plate after her two-run homer in the Wildcats' 2-1 win against Pace in their opening game of the NCAA Division II regional tournament at Wilmington University Thursday, May 11, 2023. The Wildcats meet Georgian Court in the winners bracket Friday at 10 a.m. at Asbury Field.

Delaware Military Academy graduate Delani Sheehan, an All-East pick, teamed with All-American Kylee Gunkel to give Wilmington a pair of pitching aces that keyed its success. Those two return this year, along with All-American left-fielder Tristyn Stewart, who batted .424 and stole 54 bases to earn Division II’s Golden Shoe Award, and catcher Emma Zimmerman.

Sheehan said the team’s unselfish approach, depth and diligence were at the root of Wilmington’s success.

“I just think no matter what happened to us, we were always in it, we were never giving up, we were constantly fighting and knew what needed to be done,” she said. “We knew that we could get back to the World Series and we weren't letting anything change that.”

Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.