Last night we revealed our Line Softball High School Americans for the “Multi-Purpose” category, meaning those players who play multiple positions at a high level or pitchers who also hit well.

In case you missed it, here is the All-American schedule from this week (links highlighted in RED are live and the remaining articles are coming up this week):

LINE DRIVE SOFTBALL 2025 HIGH SCHOOL ALL-AMERICAN TIMELINE

• Monday, July 7 – Line Drive Softball 1st Team All-Americans (Pitchers)
• Tuesday, July 8 – Line Drive Softball 1st Team All-Americans (Catchers)
• Wednesday, July 9 – Line Drive Softball 1st Team All-Americans (Infielders)
• Thursday, July 10 – Line Drive Softball 1st Team All-Americans (Outfielders)
• Friday, July 11 – Line Drive Softball 1st Team All-Americans (Multi-Purpose)
• Monday, July 14 – Line Drive Softball 2nd Team All-Americans
• Tuesday, July 15 – Line Drive Softball High School Player of the Year
• Wednesday, July 16 – Line Drive Softball High School Coach of the Year

One of those who received the Multi-Purpose All-American honor is Erin McDaid, a senior pitcher from Smithtown, New York who is headed to College of Charleston this fall to play softball for the Cougars, who compete in the Coastal Athletic Association made up of programs along the East Coast – from Massachusetts to South Carolina.

Her talent and accomplishments are superb and the future D1 pitcher full deserved to be included as an All-American, which she can feel proud of forever.

Along with her stats and honors, there is another aspect of Erin that I admired greatly: how she presented herself in a positive light to market and publicize her successes.

Young players (and your parents) take note!

Below is an email the athlete sent to me to present herself as viable candidate for All-American consideration. Certainly, you must be deserving as she was, but what is impactful here is how Erin respectfully but impactfully presented her case.

THIS is a great example of powerful this is for anyone to present themselves in life… be it for an athletic honor, to be considered for a job position or anything else where it’s crucial to demonstrate the skills to write/speak and to present oneself in a positive light.

VERY well done, Erin… and, if in four years post-college (unless you on to get a graduate degree) you are seeking employment, look me up… your “resume” and how you showcase it in a personal letter (e-mail) is the perfect example of what employers like me and others are looking for in a potential employee: a take-charge attitude.

Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball

*****

The following was sent Friday, June 27, 2025 bu Erin via e-mail. Some edits were made for clarity and style format. Links included were inserted by Line Drive Softball…

Good afternoon Mr. Eads:

I hope this email finds you well. As you may recall my name is Erin McDaid, a senior softball player at Smithtown High School West and a College of Charleston softball commit.

I’m reaching out to respectfully submit my application for consideration as a Line Drive Softball First Team All-American (Pitcher) and Line Drive Softball High School Player of the Year (realistically as a runner up).

As you are aware my journey has been built on hard work, sacrifice, and a love for the game.

Coming from New York—where opportunities for pitchers to break into elite Southern softball programs are limited—I made the decision to push myself outside of my comfort zone.

I earned a roster spot with Team NC through a tryout in North Carolina, and for the past two years, I’ve competed across the South against top-level national talent. It’s been an honor to represent the Northeast—particularly as one of the few pitchers from New York—to be recruited as a pitcher by a Southern Division 1 program.

This season, I was humbled to be honored with the 2025 Butch Dellecave Award for Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year in Suffolk County, one of the highest honors for a Long Island student-athlete.

This is one of the top honors that can be given to a student athlete from Long Island could receive. This prestigious award recognizes student-athletes who strive for excellence in athletics, academics, and community service.

I’m truly humbled to have been chosen among so many outstanding athletes, especially in a region known for its strength in sports like lacrosse and soccer.

I am also grateful for being named by the New York State Sportswriters and Coaches Organization for Girls Sports (NYSSCOGS) the Class AA 2025 New York State Player of the Year.

I am also the first softball player from Smithtown to every receive this honor.  This is an unbelievable honor to be named the top overall player in Clase AA especially when we have such an inexperienced team.  As you are aware we had graduated six starters this past season.

Our team’s growth has been just as rewarding.

From just two wins during my 8th-grade season to reaching the County Championship this year, it’s been an unforgettable five-year varsity journey.

 As a sophomore, we made the playoffs and upset the #2-seeded Commack. In my junior year, we captured our first league title since 2018. Then, as a senior—despite being one of the youngest teams in program history and entering the season as underdogs—we overcame early challenges, especially in games when I wasn’t in the circle, where we had just one win in six starts.

Still, we fought hard, pulled together, and made it all the way to the county final, proving our team’s grit, heart, and resilience.

A highlight of my season was at the end of the season, pitching 55 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run, setting a school record and helping propel us through the playoff stretch.

I also pitched our school’s first every playoff no-hitter.

On the season I gave up earned runs in only eight of my 116 innings pitched, and we managed to beat the eventual County Champions three out of five times—just not in the final matchup.

Statistically, I finished the season with 14 wins, 116 innings pitched, 187 strikeouts, a 0.845 ERA, a 0.853 WHIP, and a .144 batting average against. Offensively, I batted .455 with a .591 on-base percentage and .652 slugging percentage. I added one home run, eight doubles, 16 RBIs, 23 runs scored, nine stolen bases, and drew 19 walks as I was often pitched around.

Nationally, I was honored to be ranked #99 overall and #41 among pitchers in the 2025 class by Line Drive Softball. I was also named Line Drive’s National Player of the Week on May 13 and runner-up for the honor on both May 21 and May 27. In addition, Sports Illustrated recognized me on April 18 as one of New York’s top high school pitchers.

Locally and statewide, I’ve been recognized as the New York State Class AA Pitcher of the Year and League Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive year. I was also named 1^st team All-State, 1^st team All-Long Island, and All-County for the fourth time. I was included in the Newsday Top 100 for the fourth consecutive year, selected as a Newsday Diamond Star twice, named a Playoff All-Star, the SCSCA All-Star MVP, and honored as Smithtown West’s Female Athlete of the Year.

I leave Smithtown West holding multiple career school records including 50 wins, 774 strikeouts, 505.2 innings pitched, and 72 walks drawn as a hitter.

I also set single-season records for 17 wins, 220 strikeouts, a 0.845 ERA, 0.834 WHIP, and 18 strikeouts in a 7-inning game (achieved twice) in addition to the 55-inning scoreless streak.

I’m also proud to be the first player in school history to earn both the Butch Dellecave Award and the NY State Player of the Year honor.

Beyond the field, I’ve maintained a 4.0 GPA all four years and actively participated in a variety of school and community programs.

I was honored to receive the 2025 Bernard Paley Memorial Scholarship which is given to a graduating senior who shows a strong sense of community and is pursuing a career in political science.

I’m also a member of the National Honor Society, Math, Science, Spanish, English, and Social Studies (Rho Kappa) Honor Societies, as well as Athletes Helping Athletes and High School Heroes.

As part of my Junior year Leadership Class, I helped organize and implement a school-wide environmental initiative that included launching a composting system, teaching fourth-grade students about Earth Day, and planting a certified butterfly garden at our school to fulfill the requirements for the Civic Seal of Readiness.

Community service has always been a priority for me.

I’ve volunteered for the Town Hall Tree Lighting, the Town of Smithtown Beach Cleanup, the Fall Carnival, and events at Northeast and Accompsett Elementary Schools  including the Winter Olympics. I’ve also helped with the Christmas Magic Goodie Bag Project and participated in food drives over multiple years.

It would be a tremendous honor to be selected as a Line Drive Softball 1^st team All-American (pitcher) and a Runner-Up for High School Player of the Year. I’m proud to represent New York softball on the national stage and to have left my mark at Smithtown West—not just in the record books, but as a student, leader, and teammate.

Thank you for your continued support of high school athletes and the game we love. Your platform has made a powerful impact, and I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to be considered among the nation’s best.

Warmest regards,
Erin McDaid

College: College of Charleston Softball Commit – Class of 2025
High School: Smithtown High School West (N.Y.)

Cell: withheld by Line Drive Softball
Email: withheld by Line Drive Softball

Twitter: @erinmcdaid2025;
Instagram: erin.mcdaid2025;
YouTube: @erinmcdaid2025