On Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021, Wissahickon seniors Danielle Ciliberto, Grace Franczyk & Katelyn Fitzgerald were recognized for committing to continue their softball careers at the collegiate level.
Danielle Ciliberto – East Stroudsburg University (Softball)
Major: Undecided
Final list of colleges: ESU, Wilkes University, Chestnut Hill University
Reasons for choosing ESU: “In-state, nice environment and campus and a good fit academically and athletically.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in softball at the collegiate level? “I wanted to play college softball since I was nine years old and joined my first travel team. I started the recruiting process when I joined my current team, TNT, three years ago.”
Coach Mike Borkowski says: “For the past four years, I’ve had the pleasure of coaching Danielle Ciliberto. Danielle has contributed mightily to the success of our program over the past three years. She has played right field, second base, center field, shortstop, left field and third base. She’s been a tremendous pitcher for us as well as an excellent hitter in the one or two hole. When Danielle gets up to East Stroudsburg University, they are absolutely going to love her because she can play any position, she can pitch extremely well and will contribute mightily to the success of any team she plays on.”
About Danielle:
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite movie: Moana
Favorite artist: Olivia Rodrigo
Katelyn Fitzgerald – University of Massachusetts Lowell (Softball)
Major: Biology
Reasons for choosing UMass Lowell: I selected this college because I loved the campus and the big feel of it. It has a great softball program as well as science program, and I believe that it
will allow me to grow both on and off the field as a person. I believe that this school has the resources for me to be successful in the next four years as well as for my future.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in softball at the collegiate level? “I started to think about playing in college ever since I was little as it was always a dream of mine. I started to think about recruiting in eighth grade, and it progressed into ninth and 10th grade when I actually started the whole process. It was a tough process due to many different factors such as COVID, but I am glad that I was able to pull through and am able to live out my dream.”
Coach Mike Borkowski says: “For the past four years, I’ve had the pleasure of coaching Katelyn Fitzgerald. Fitz is the prototypical first baseman. She bats lefthanded, she throws lefthanded, she has a great glove, and she hits bombs to the outfield. I’ve had the pleasure of coaching third base and watching her swing, and it is great to see. She hits the ball hard to the outfield all the time. She’s just an absolute coach’s dream when she comes up and there are runners on base. They’re going to love her up at UMass.”
About Katelyn:
Favorite food: Mashed Potatoes
Favorite movie: The Internship
Favorite music: Pop Music
Grace Franczyk – Towson University (Softball)
Major: Speech Pathology
Reasons for choosing Towson: “The campus was absolutely beautiful, and it was just the size I was looking for. The facilities are amazing, and I loved their field. It was more of a family environment and was one of the best coaching staffs that I met throughout the search for a home for the next four years of my life. I wanted to compete at a high level of play, and I know
Towson’s going to give that to me.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in softball at the collegiate level? “I have always wanted to play softball in college since I was a little girl. My whole life revolved around softball because of how much I loved it. My recruiting process started around my freshman year, the same year I had a really bad concussion. The summer before my sophomore year I joined a team knowing that I wanted to play softball in college. I devoted so much time to playing and practicing my sport. My coach was intense, but I knew he would get me to where I wanted to be. There were so many negatives in my softball career, but the positives still seemed to outweigh the negatives. As soon as I was making an improvement in a certain area, I felt like everything else was out of sorts, which is why I had to be mentally tough but physically tougher.”
Coach Mike Borkowski says: “For the past four years, I’ve had the pleasure of coaching Gracie Franczyk. Gracie is a tremendous athlete who can play a multitude of positions. She started off as an outfielder with us on the varsity and took over the catching spot her junior year. I believe that Gracie can play a multitude of positions in college. She has a great arm, she has a tremendous amount of speed, she hits for power, and she has a great knowledge of the game. As a catcher last year, I didn’t have to call one pitch. She called every game and did a tremendous job. I believe Towson is going to have some hard decisions to make as to where to play her because of her versatility.”
About Grace:
Favorite food: Steak
Favorite movie: The Sandlot
Favorite music: Country
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