Mardela's Ava Twilley named Gatorade Maryland Softball Player of Year
Article excerpt
Ava Twilley of Mardela High School has been named the Gatorade Maryland Softball Player of the Year. The honor recognizes the standout performance of one of the state's top softball athletes. Gatorade annually awards the Player of the Year award to top athletes across multiple sports and states, identifying standouts who excel both on the field and in the classroom. Twilley's selection places her among Maryland's elite high school softball players. The award caps a successful season for the athlete and her program.
Mardela softball player Ava Twilley has been named the Gatorade Maryland High School Softball Player of the Year after another standout season leading the Warriors.
The announcement was made on Friday, with Twilley being recognized by Gatorade as Maryland's top high school softball performer for the 2026 season.
Twilley, committed to play college softball at Mississippi State, starred for the Mardela Warriors as they won their second consecutive MPSSAA Class 1A State Championship this season. An ace pitcher for Mardela, Twilley put together a 17-0 record on the mound with an ERA of 0.29. Twilley struck out 208 batters and only allowed 17 hits all season.
In Mardela's state championship victory over Boonsboro at the University of Maryland, Twilley pitched a complete game shutout, only allowing one hit. And at the plate in the title win, Twilley also hit a home-run. As a hitter this season, Twilley held a .620 batting average, with 5 home runs, 35 RBIs and a .709 on-base percentage.
"Ava was dominant a year ago on their way to a state championship, and she’s risen to an even higher level this spring,”Stephen Decatur High School softball head coach Scott Kurtz said in a statement. “Ava is the best two-way player I’ve seen in my 12 years as a parent and coach.”
Twilley was also named the Bayside South Softball Player of the Year for the fourth year in a row this season. In the classroom, Twilley maintained a 4.56 weighted GPA.
Since 1985, each year, the Gatorade Player of the Year program recognizes one state winner from each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. in 12 different sports. Twilley now joins the group of 610 high school athletes nationwide who have been recognized during the 2025-26 season.
More: Looking back on top teams from the Bayside South during the 2025-26 season
More: Find out which Bayside South athlete won the 2025-26 Fan's Choice Player of the Year Poll
This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Mardela's Ava Twilley named Gatorade Maryland Softball Player of the Year