Three Florida Tech Panthers Selected to All-Sunshine State Conference Softball Team

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BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA– The Florida Tech softball program earned three spots on an All-Sunshine State Conference Team and saw three freshmen make the All-SSC Second Team.

Chloe Fariello, a utility/pitcher, Malaya Nelson as an outfielder, and Haley Rider as a designated player were all named to the All-SSC Second Team. Being a freshman, it is their first All-SSC selection of their young careers.

It is also the first time in the program’s history that three freshmen have made the All-Conference Team.

This season, Fariello played incredibly at three different positions: first base, left field, and pitcher. She gave the conference no choice but to name her to the All-SSC Second Team for the utility/pitcher position.

The Lake Worth native started all 51 games for the Panthers, compiling a .311 batting average, 31 runs, four doubles, two triples, 17 RBI, 20 walks, and her first career home run.

Fariello was also a menace on the base paths, going 23-for-24 on steal attempts, making the top 10 in the conference. From the circle, she appeared 17 times and started 11 games, finishing 2025 with five complete games, two shutouts, two saves, and 34 strikeouts in 60 innings pitched.

She was also named SSC pitcher of the Week after a 1-0 shutout performance against No. 3 Tampa. In the field, Fariello tallied 133 putouts, 25 assists in 166 chances for a .952 fielding percentage.

Nelson sparked many Panther runs from the bottom of the lineup, stroking a .338 overall batting average and a stellar .375 in conference play. The freshman also recorded 23 runs, four doubles, two home runs, 23 RBI, and 11 steals in 48 starts.

Nelson compiled 11 multi-hit games, including three 3-for-3 games. As an outfielder, the Snohomish, Washington native held a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in her 55 chances, tallying 53 putouts and two assists.

Rider was not only one of the best freshmen in the SSC but also one of the best players during the 2025 season. The Viera native led the Panthers with a .378 batting average, four triples, a .597 slugging percentage, and a .432 on-base percentage in 40 starts.

Her batting average was seventh in the SSC and second in slugging. She also recorded 17 runs, six doubles, four home runs, and 22 RBI. Rider’s 1.029 OPS is the fourth highest in a season in program history, and it made her the first freshman and fifth Panther to have an OPS above 1.000.

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