Elementary and Middle School Teacher Education student athlete ranked ninth in Softball America Utility Player Rankings

University of Delaware’s Sydney Shaffer, a junior in the College of Education and Human Development’s elementary and middle school teacher education program, was named by Softball America as the ninth best utility player in the country entering May.

Shaffer is in the midst of a historic season for the Blue Hens, as she is hitting .411/.514/.858 with a program record 17 home runs to go with 58 hits, 43 runs scored, 12 doubles, 49 RBIs and 28 walks. Nationally, she is 24th in home runs, 29th in slugging percentage, and 30th in total bases. In the CAA, Shaffer leads the conference in home runs, RBIs, total bases, slugging percentage, and OPS, is second in on base percentage, and third in average, runs scored, hits, and walks. In CAA-only games, Shaffer is hitting .413/.495/.947 with 10 doubles, 10 home runs, and 28 RBIs. 

Shaffer has already set the program record for home runs and total bases in a season and has the second most RBIs, third most runs scored, and sixth most walks in a Delaware season, and is two hits shy of becoming the 13th Blue Hen with 60 hits in a season. She has 20 multi-hit games, second in the CAA, and her 15 multi-RBI games this season lead the conference. In eight games against the power conference teams Delaware has played this season, Shaffer has hit .375/.464/.792 with three home runs and 10 RBIs. Over her last 24 games since March 18, she has hit 13 home runs, driven in 32 runs, and is hitting .458/.564/1.097. 

Entering its final three-game series of the season against Towson, Delaware is in first place in the CAA standings. The Blue Hens are vying for its third regular season title in four seasons as they sit a game ahead of Elon with three to play.

Read the full article on BlueHens.com.

Article by University of Delaware Athletics. Photography by Mikey Reeves.