The Apopka softball pitching staff for the upcoming 2026 season has the potential to make some waves. The Blue Darters have three star senior pitchers returning for the spring season.
The Blue Darters are coming off a historic 2025 season in which they finished 22-6, ranked 85th in the state, were District 3 runners-up, and Region 1 semifinalists. The team collected more wins this season than the last two combined.
It was a team effort all season, but a significant portion of their success can be attributed to their formidable pitching staff: Ava Millspaugh, Sydney Bartkin and Mia Aeschilman.
In the 2025 season, Apopka’s three junior pitchers had a combined ERA of 3.13 over 153.2 innings, allowing 98 runs, with only 70 of those being earned. These three pitchers gave up just 2.5 earned runs per game. They also collected 17 wins, two perfect games, three no-hitters and three saves.
As all three enter their senior year, the season should bring only improvement over the upcoming six months in travel and fall ball.
Ava Millspaugh
Millspaugh was Apopka’s top arm this year on the mound, and it’s easy to see why with her consistency. She has also been part of the varsity team since her freshman year.
In her time at Apopka and on the Blue Darter softball team, she earned many accolades, including the National Society of High School Scholars, second team Metro West Conference pitcher of the year, finalist for Central Florida pitcher of the year and Class 7A player of the year, and Apopka High School pitcher of the year, as awarded by head coach Mike MacWithey.
Millspaugh started playing softball in 2019 and says she got into the sport because her sister had started playing and it looked like fun. She said her favorite memory as a member of the Apopka softball team was Teacher Impact Night this season. She said it reminded her of the support she had on and off the field.
“Getting to honor a teacher who believed in me made the game feel even more meaningful, and sharing that moment with my team and the staff who’ve helped me grow was something I’ll never forget,” Millspaugh said.
Millspaugh pitched 85 of Apopka’s 155.2 innings, or 54.7%—almost double the next closest pitcher.
Millspaugh ended the season with a 3.07 ERA, 12 wins, one save, one perfect game and two no-hitters. She struck out 72 batters while giving up 36 walks, 36 earned runs, and two home runs. Opponents hit just .228 against her.
Millspaugh’s advice to other high school athletes is always to strive to be the best version of yourself and never give up on pursuing your goals in life. She loves the camaraderie with her teammates.
“I will always remember and cherish the atmosphere on the softball field with my girls behind me on the mound,” Millspaugh said. “They are always some of my biggest supporters on and off the field.”
After high school, Millspaugh wants to continue her athletic career at the collegiate level. She wants to study to be a radiologist or a reproductive endocrinologist and infertility (REI) specialist.
Sydney Bartkin
Right behind Millspaugh is Bartkin, who had the best ERA for the Blue Darters. She has also been a member of the varsity softball team for her entire high school career, as well as a member of the JV and varsity girls volleyball team.
Going into her senior year, Bartkin has already accumulated a handful of accolades on and off the field. She is the Senior Class Historian, one of the top 25 students in her senior class; Apopka’s Offensive Player of the Year in her freshman year; a 2025 first Team Metro West Conference member; and Apopka’s 2025 ROSE award winner.
Bartkin’s favorite moment as an athlete was this year in her game against Eustis. At the plate, she went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs while also belting in her first home run. She also finished with a 1.62 ERA after 4.1 innings on the mound.
She said that she got into softball at a very young age and stuck with it.
“When I was 7, I watched my very first softball game, which was my cousin’s high school game,” Bartkin said. “I was so intrigued by it that when I got home, I made my parents sign me up for the rec league in town.”
Bartkin finished the season with a 3.04 ERA, three wins, two saves and one perfect game. She collected 33 strikeouts while giving up 14 walks, 20 earned runs, and three home runs. In 46 innings, opponents hit .221 against her and had a meager .278 on-base percentage.
Bartkin plans to attend Florida State University and spend her freshman year abroad in London, England.
“My plan is to major in international business, then apply to law school to become an international lawyer,” Bartkin said.
Bartkin’s advice for other student athletes is to cherish every moment in front of them.
“Time will fly, and before you know it, the only thing you will have left are the memories you made while playing the sport,” Bartkin said.
What Bartkin will remember most about her time as a student athlete is her teammates and friends.
“Without the friends I’ve made, I wouldn’t have made it this far,” Bartkin said. “The people I’ve met have been my favorite thing about both sports. I will remember them the most.”
Mia Aeschilman
Mia Aeschilman is another four-year letterman. She said her favorite memory in her time as a member of the team was last season’s trip to Jacksonville to face Atlantic Coast for the first round of the state playoffs. Aeschilman enjoyed the long rides in the bus with her team.
“We battled the whole way through that game up until the seventh inning, winning 10-9 and moving on to regional semifinals,” Aeschilman said. “I started the game pitching four innings with only three earned runs. The energy of that game was electric. We all wanted to win to keep moving forward further in the playoffs.”
Going into her senior year at Apopka, Aeschilman is in the top 10% of her class and has received a BACE (Biotechnician Assistant Credentialing Exam) certification. Her plans after high school are to become a physician’s assistant (PA).
“After high school, I plan to attend college to become a PA. I don’t know exactly what I want to specialize in yet, but I love kids, psychology, and even emergency medicine,” Aeschilman said. “I’m passionate about medicine, and I know I’d love to go into that field.”
Aeschilman was injured for much of this season, so she didn’t put up the same cumulative numbers. Even so, she showed that her senior season might be one to look forward to with her impressive performance in so few games.
Aeschilman ended the season with a 3.27 ERA and two wins over 25.2 innings. She collected 22 strikeouts while giving up six walks, 12 earned runs, and two home runs. Opponents hit .266 against her with a .310 on-base percentage.
Each of Apopka’s incoming senior pitchers said that, more important than their athletics, is their academics. Each one pointed to Coach MacWithey for instilling the importance of being a student before being an athlete.
With such an elite group of senior pitchers, Apopka is bound to be a problem for many batters in the state. Paired with Apopka’s explosive offensive ability, the team’s pitching staff could be the key to securing victories and a deep playoff run come spring next year.