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Having Strong Season For Mount

Perhaps, as Mount St. Dominic coach Rob Stern says, ‘The mountain is always harder to climb the second time;’ however, as the defending Non-Public A champions, and the state’s reigning No. 1 team continues its quest for a repeat first-rate showing in this season’s final days, perhaps the best version of 2026 Lions softball is now being unveiled at just the right time as another state title is again within reach along with the fact that the team’s ace junior pitcher is also performing a very high level.

University of Michigan junior commit Ava Kelshaw has been on absolute fire of late, including another superb showing with 14 strikeouts while scattering 5 hits as the Mount (26-2) won its third straight and record 13th Essex County Tournament title with this past Saturday’s narrow 1-0 shutout victory over second-seeded Columbia on Essex County Mike Sheppard, Sr. Field at Ivy Hill Park.

For her efforts, which include a number of recent master class outings in the circle, the Mount’s standout hurler is the Parisi Fairfield/Sideline Chatter Athlete of the Week.

A star performer in the circle since her freshman season, Kelshaw was not able to pitch as often as she would have liked to start last season as she continued to bounce back from a back ailment, but she was feeling just fine down the stretch of the 2025 spring campaign and was in top form when she helped lead the Lions to both an ECT title and overall state championship capped by an exciting state final victory over previously No. 1 ranked Donovan Catholic.

She continued to raise her game during the summer travel ball season with NJ Pride when she drew the strong interest of the University of Michigan and made her verbal commitment last fall to the Big 10 Conference school.

And, she has stayed in top form while performing at a high level all this spring, while her team appears to be peaking at just the right time.

“Ava is physically fine and has been outstanding this season,” said Stern. “She sets a great example for her teammates, including the younger kids on our team, with her great work ethic and attention to detail as she continues to get better and better with each season, and I know that she will be a great addition to Michigan, although we’re very happy to have her with us for another season after this one.

“She’s already had quite the high school career, and she simply continues to add to her list of great accomplishments.”

One of those very recent outstanding career achievements was reaching the 500-strikeout plateau, and that’s with a couple of weeks left this season and an entire 2027 spring campaign to go before she departs for Ann Arbor and future collegiate showdowns in the Big 10 .

“You have to try and attack every batter and trust your stuff,” said the Mount’s ace hurler. “I have great faith in my teammates to make the plays in the field and we’re all excited about making another strong run together in the state tournament this year while looking to defend our title.”

Kelshaw’s recent performances have been among some of her best. In an ECT quarterfinal 6-0 win vs. Glen Ridge on May 8 she tossed a 1-hitter with no walks and 13 strikeouts. Then, vs. an always-solid Red Bank Catholic squad in independent action on Monday, May 11, she threw a 3-hitter with 1 walk and 10 K’s.

Against Livingston in the final regular season SEC-American Division contest for the conference champions in a 16-0 win in 5 innings, she worked three of those innings without allowing a hit and striking out 6.

Then came her superb outings in this past weekend’s ECT Final 4 at Ivy Hill Park, first in the Friday night (May 15) semifinals vs. Nutley she threw a 2-hitter with 1 walk and 12 K’s in a 10-0, 5-inning Mount win.

The next night was her championship-capping outing as she allowed 5 hits and bore down to get key outs while issuing just one walk, which was an intentional free pass, and recording 14 strikeouts to hit that exclusive 500-career mark for K’s.

On the season, through her team’s 28 games she is 23-2 with 143 1/3 innings pitched while walking 23 and striking out 231 while allowing just 6 earned runs for a superb 0.29 ERA.   

“She’s been one of the best in the state all season long,” said Stern. “Knowing that we can send her out there to face any tough opponent is such a reassuring place to be.”

Kelshaw also has a reputation as a very good hitter and she has displayed that part of her game this season as well while batting .362 with 12 extra base hits, including 4 triples with 26 RBI.

“I love softball and try to do whatever I can whether it’s pitching or when I can get a hit to help our team win,” she said. “I enjoy being with my teammates each and every day and I love going to school at the Mount.

“This softball season has been a very good one so far, with conference and county titles already won; and we’ll keep working hard because our goal to repeat as state champs and be the best team in New Jersey once again.

“I think we had a target on our back coming into this season after being No. 1 last year, but we just need to continue to play at a high level and we’re doing that right now.”

NOTES- Ava’s older brother Jake, a former standout football player at West Milford High School, is a college tight end and recently transferred from Salisbury State to the University of New Haven….Ava especially likes her Science classes at the Mount and has enjoyed a forensics class this school year. She said she may look to study computer science and cyber security in college…The Mount is the No. 1 seed in Non-Public North A and will host the winner of 9-Newark Academy vs. 8-Oak Knoll in a state sectional quarterfinal on Friday, May 29.

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