Watch: Delaney Kroll, Elite NJ Power Hitter, Talks Recruiting, Leadership and Dreams

Her exit velocity coming off the bat is 80 mph. Her bat swing speed is mid-60s mph- a speed usually presented by professional athletes.  Her ranking? Number thirty-seven on the 2026 Extra Inning Softball National Hitter Hotlist. And last year, she was the top 2026 Power Hitter in New Jersey.

A Nationally Ranked Power Hitter

Her name is Delaney Kroll and she is a junior softball player at Cinnaminson High School, NJ, and Williamsburg Starz Gold National-Bunn. With a record of 9 home runs, 30 RBIs, and 28 runs for Cinnaminson HS last year, this summer Kroll has her sights set on being recruited to play at the college level. When asked, “What type of player and person would you bring to a competitive college team?” She replies, “I bring leadership and a lot of energy…I like trying to get everybody to be their best and bring up their game”

Early Start and Family Influence

Kroll started playing softball at the young age of six in her hometown of Cinnaminson, NJ. Her biggest influence to pick up the ball and bat was her older sister, Grace.

“I would always go to her games and watch her, and I wanted to be exactly like her,” says Kroll.  Her father, John Kroll, was also her coach from a young age. “From age six to fifteen my Dad coached me,” she says, “the T-ball team, then I moved to the travel team for my town, and then I moved to a club team, the Jersey Mystics, which turned into the Jersey Outlaws, then I made the choice to leave that team(and my dad as coach) last summer when I joined Starz Gold Bunn.”   

From Jersey Outlaws to Starz Gold

Transitioning from a local club team to a national team proved to be challenging for Kroll, but it was a challenge that she gladly accepted.

“It’s a very different level of playing, it’s very fast-paced. I was with all of my friends that I’ve played with since I was six or seven, and to switch from the (Jersey) Outlaws to the Starz (Gold), playing with a Duke commit and a Virginia Tech commit next to me, that’s not normal for a Jersey Girl. But I love the fast pace of the game.”

Starz Gold National Bunn is a 16u Travel Fastpitch team based out of Williamsburg, VA which competes all over the country and is known for consistently having players recruited at the highest level. Kroll sought out the opportunity to play for the team herself.

“So near the end of my summer season last year, I started emailing and texting different club coaches in the southern areas because I knew that’s where I wanted to get my options in (to go to college) and I really liked their commits. I started texting with the coach, and I had a video call with him and one other person, and I felt like this was my place to be. I texted him a day later and I was on the team” says Kroll.

A Summer of High-Stakes Competition

This summer the team will compete in the SG Summer Showcase and SG Gold Standard Showcase in Richmond, VA, Team 1 in Kansas City, the Scenic City T25 in Dalton, GA, and TC Nationals in Grand Park, IN. Kroll is a utility for the team, playing mostly corners.

Leader on the Field and in the Classroom

In addition to being on Starz Gold Bunn, Kroll also plays for Cinnaminson High School who is 14-8 this season so far and eyeing a playoff run. During Kroll’s time on her HS team, she has been nominated for Freshman and Sophomore Player of the Year and she holds several single-season and career school records. Kroll considers herself one of the leaders on the team, as demonstrated by a change in defensive positions she experienced this season.

“So my freshman and sophomore year, I played right field, and I batted like third or fifth in the lineup. And this year, I got moved to first base because it’s just what the team needed. Our first baseman last year graduated, so I came in and immediately our entire infield turned around and we just started making double plays like crazy, and everybody on the team became a leader as soon as I stepped in, so it was really cool to see…I like seeing my teammates succeed as much as they like to see me succeed- so I think it’s easy when you have a good support system” she says.

Not only is Kroll a star on the softball diamond, but she is also a star in the classroom. She has earned honor roll or principals list every marking period since the 10th grade.  In college, Kroll has an interest in studying exercise science, kinesiology, or law while playing softball.

The Transfer Portal Challenge

At the time of this article, Kroll has yet to be recruited. When asked if the Transfer Portal may be affecting her chances she replied “It’s really not in my hands right now. It’s kind of just up to what a college coach wants,” Kroll says. She continues, “The real deciding factor is what a college coach wants, a 16-year-old girl who’s never been in a college environment, or a 20-year-old girl who has already been through it. It’s literally not up to me, all I can do is work harder and be better. I have to be a better option than a seasoned college player, so it’s on me to get that work done.”