2026 Shore Sports Insider Softball Most Improved Player of the Year: Caroline Kopp, Donovan Catholic

Caroline Kopp, Sr., Donovan Catholic

2025 Stats:

.347 BA, 14 R, 21 RBI, 5 HR, 1 3B, 5 2B, 2 SB, 1 BB

2026 Stats:

.417 BA, 16 R, 33 RBI, 4 HR, 2 3B, 10 2B, 6 SB, 12 BB

 

No matter the sport, the Most Improved Player Award is one of the honors coaches value most. It recognizes athletes who dedicate themselves to improving during the offseason and whose growth directly contributes to their team’s success. Sometimes the award goes to a player who has matured and elevated her game from the previous season; other times, it honors someone who finally earns an opportunity and makes the most of it.

This year’s selection process was especially challenging, as numerous players across the Shore showed significant improvement from last season. Among them, Donovan Catholic’s Caroline Kopp stood out for the way she embraced an expanded role and delivered in key moments throughout the year. Not only did she make tremendous strides offensively compared to her junior season, but she also successfully stepped into the shortstop role previously held by last year’s SSI Most Valuable Player, Christina Ginex.

“She came into this season knowing she would make a huge impact, and she did,” Donovan Catholic head coach Debbie Schwartz said. “Her mentality was to play with confidence and fear no one. And she did just that.”

Kopp consistently came through when the Griffins needed her most, with some of her biggest hits coming during the postseason, particularly in the Shore Conference Tournament. In the quarterfinal round against Barnegat, Donovan Catholic was held to one hit entering the bottom of the sixth inning before Kopp broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run home run over the left-field wall. The blast helped send the Griffins into the semifinal round and, eventually, the championship game against No. 1 St. John Vianney.

In the SCT championship game, Kopp finished with two of Donovan Catholic’s four hits, including an RBI triple off the left-field fence that gave the Griffins a 1-0 lead in the third inning.

“She had so many big moments this season,” Schwartz said. “But her biggest end-of-the-season moments came in the Barnegat game when she broke the tie by hitting a two-run home run to put the game away. Also, she had a big triple in our first game against SJV.”

In addition to playing one of the most important positions on the field, Kopp also pitched 41.2 innings to help give Gylian Hixenbaugh a break throughout the season. She got the start in one of Donovan Catholic’s biggest games of the year, the SCT quarterfinal against Barnegat, where she held the Bengals to just three hits and struck out seven over four innings.

In the CVC vs. the Shore event, Kopp tossed 1.2 scoreless innings of relief to earn a 4-3 victory.. Earlier in the season, she also came on in relief against Kingsway and helped close out an 8-6 victory for Donovan Catholic.

“Caroline was called to pitch at big moments all season,” Schwartz said. “She handled this with a confidence that made me feel at ease. She wanted the ball when our team was under tremendous pressure. You have to love this approach as a coach.”

Kopp has come a long way since her freshman season. She started her career at Donovan as a pitcher on the JV team. In her sophomore year, she split time between the varsity and JV teams. During the sophomore season, the coaching staff started to see her develop. Kopp started taking off in her junior year, going up against some of the best pitchers in the area.

“Caroline came into our program as a talented player with great potential as an all-around player,” Schwartz said. “She demonstrated this in the Pride Challenge last year while hitting off of St. Anthony’s (NY); she had a double and a home run. She worked hard in the off-season and moved to an elite travel program, which helped her tremendously in seeing premier pitching. It was at this point early in the 2025 season that we saw she would be a force to be reckoned with. In the 2026 season, we saw the work she put in on the mound in the off-season and used her in many high-pressure moments, and she delivered. She is an amazing athlete who worked extremely hard through the course of her high school career to become a better player in every aspect of her game.”

Kopp will continue her softball career at Wagner University next season. Athletes with a work ethic like Kopp’s tend to continue their success at the next level, not just on the field but in the classroom as well.

“Caroline will be very successful at the next level and in life,” Schwartz said. “She has proven to herself that with hard work and determination, no obstacle can stand in her way. I believe Caroline’s legacy will reflect that you can improve over the course of your high school experience and play at the highest level with hard work and determination.”

 

Most Improved Team

Ryleigh Cerco, Jr., Ocean Township

2025 Stats:

.406 BA, 21 R, 25 RBI, 2 HR, 5 2B, 3 SB, 8 BB

2026 Stats:

.537 BA, 31 R, 45 RBI, 13 HR, 8 2B, 0 SB, 9 BB

 

Kiana DeMonte, Jr., Freehold Township

2025 Stats:

Hitting:

.194 BA, 4 R, 3 RBI, 1 2B, 0 SB, 6 BB

Pitching:

53.2 IP, 3.52 ERA, 56 K

2026 Stats:

Hitting:

.388 BA, 11 R, 9 RBI, 2 2B, 1 SB, 6 BB

Pitching:

109 IP, 2.12 ERA, 202 k

 

Natalie Clifford, Jr., Holmdel

2025 Stats:

.238 BA, 11 R, 7 RBI, 1 HR, 2 2B, 0 SB, 4 BB

2026 Stats:

.426 BA, 20 R, 21 RBI, 3 HR, 7 2B, 2 SB, 11 BB

 

Delia Gilmore, Sr., Manasquan

2025 Stats:

.383 BA, 12 R, 17 RBI, 2 HR, 10 2B, 0 SB, 2 BB

2026 Stats:

.548 BA, 15 R, 29 RBI, 6 HR, 7 2B, 1 SB, 9 BB

 

Carly Hobbs, Jr., Brick Memorial

2025 Stats:

.344 BA, 12 R, 13 RBI, 0 HR, 5 2B, 5 SB, 7 BB

2026 Stats:

.538 BA, 32 R, 11 RBI, 1 HR, 3 2B, 0 SB, 5 BB

 

Gabriella Minneci, Sr., Manchester

2025 Stats:

.298 BA, 15 R, 6 RBI, 0 HR, 0 3B, 1 2B, 8 SB, 4 BB

2026 Stats:

.500 BA, 23 R, 10 RBI, 2 HR, 8 3B, 3 2B, 4 SB, 5 BB

 

Elyssa Jamandron, Jr., Matawan

2025 Stats:

.434 BA, 28 R, 7 RBI, 2 HR, 5 2B, 14 BB

2026 Stats:

.630 BA, 32 R, 22 RBI, 7 HR, 17 2B, 15 BB

 

Cassidy Supplee, Sr., Point Boro

2025 Stats:

.367 BA, 12 R, 15 RBI, 2 HR, 3 2B, 11 BB

2026 Stats:

.534 BA, 19 R, 21 RBI, 4 HR, 6 2B, 8 BB, 1 SB