Mount Standout Picks Michigan
As College Softball Destination

A family atmosphere, regardless of what softball team she is a part of at the moment, is a key prerequisite for Mount St. Dominic junior pitcher Ava Kelshaw, and discovering a college destination with that type of culture is like a dream come true for one of New Jersey’s top high school pitchers. 

Now, still with two more high school seasons to enjoy with the outstanding Mount program, the all-state hurler has found a new family to look forward to becoming a part of following her recent commitment to the University of Michigan.

Kelshaw’s journey in finding her future college destination actually happened fairly quickly, beginning with her being noticed for impressive work in the circle while competing with her NJ Pride travel team at tournaments this past July in both Colorado and Chicago.

Then, after being contacted by the Michigan softball team, there was what proved to be a very consequential Oct 3-5 visit to the historic Ann Arbor campus on Alumni Weekend for the Wolverine family; and where Kelshaw experienced first-hand some very positive vibes generated by those donning the blue and gold colors of the Big Ten Conference team.

“I found it to be a really special place and I met some terrific people who made me feel at home,” said Kelshaw, who helped lead the Mount to a Non-Public A state championship this past spring while finishing as the state’s No. 1 ranked team. “I saw first-hand during their alumni weekend just how special women’s softball is at Michigan as they honored three teams that won titles in 1995, 2005 and 2015, and it was great to see how much they appreciate the rich history and success of the program going back nearly 40 years.

“If definitely felt like family to me with the softball team and the coaches, with a very positive culture, and I loved what I saw of the university itself and I know that it would be a great place to study and play college softball at the highest level.” 

Her high school and travel team coach is thrilled about the college news involving his young pitcher.

“Michigan is an amazing athletic and academic choice for Ava who is one of the top 2027 pitchers in the country, and certainly one of the best we have here in New Jersey,” said Rob Stern, the Mount head mentor and president of the NJ Pride organization. “Michigan is a ‘blue-blood’ in college softball and one of the best programs in the country for a long time.

“We are all so proud of her and can’t wait to see her throwing for U of M.

“We’re just glad that we get to have her for two more seasons at the Mount!

“She is a great teammate and leader!”   

Outfielder Carlee Paez (now at Sacred Heart) was a 2025 Mount senior teammate who fully recognized the intangibles in addition to the immense skills of her younger teammate, calling Kelshaw ‘the most mature player’ on the Lions.

Kelshaw, who was a first-team all-state selection as a freshman, earned third-team all-state honors this past spring after missing a portion of the season while winding up working  62 2/3 innings due to the fact that her coaches wanted to give her as much time as needed to continue rehab from a back ailment.

Current sophomore Abby Cianfrocca, the younger sister of senior all-state first baseman and Villanova commit Jill Cianfrocca, filled in admirably while throwing 131 innings for the Mount last spring; however, Kelshaw was back to full strength in May and early June when she pitched in several big games down the stretch, including a relief role to nail down a 6-2 win vs. Super  Essex Conference rival Cedar Grove in the Essex County Tournament final, and excelling in the circle in wins over No. 1 ranked teams in Steinert and Red Bank Catholic in regular-season, independent contests, and against Immaculate Heart in the Non-Public, North A state sectional and then No. 1  Donovan Catholic, 4-3, in a thrilling Non-Public A state final.

“I am 100% healthy and ready to go while looking ahead to 2026,” said the Mount junior ace hurler. “I can’t say enough about my great teammates and coaches and how they all did such a great job during last season's championship run!”   

Her college choice has been a Big Ten Conference power to be reckoned with for decades now, and the team continues to shine while playing against a top-notch schedule each and every year.   

Michigan has gone 82-39 the past two seasons and has won back-to-back Big 10 Conference tournament titles while also making NCAA tourney appearances in both 2024 and 2025.

The Wolverines’ fourth-year head coach Bonnie Tholl is a rich part of the Michigan softball tradition having been a 29-year assistant to legendary coach Carol Hutchins.

Michigan has won 22 Big Ten regular season titles and 11 Big Ten tournament titles, while also earning the way to 29 NCAA tourney appearances and advancing to 12 College World Series.

The current team has five players on the roster who either pitch and play another position or just pitch.

“The role of the pitcher in college softball continues to evolve,” said Kelshaw, who said her very effective change-up pitch was something the Michigan coaching staff was especially impressed with. “We could one day be seeing pitching in softball being a little more like college baseball in terms of having starters and finishers.

“It’s an exciting time to be playing softball at all levels, and I’m so happy to still be pitching for a great high school program in Mount St. Dominic while knowing that one day I will become part of another terrific softball family at the University of Michigan.”