LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Over the course of the NFCA’s 2024 collegiate awards season, the Association recognized nine student-athletes as Diamond Sports/NFCA Catchers of the Year. Announced during a division’s All-America or Special Awards release, the distinction is bestowed on the student-athlete who was voted a first-team All-America catcher.
The NFCA All-America teams are voted on by the Association’s All-America Committees, or in the case of NJCAA Division III, Cal JC and NWAC, teams are voted on by the respective membership’s head coaches. The High School recipient will be announced on July 19.
This year’s Diamond Sports Catcher of the Year recipients are as follows:
NCAA Division I
Jocelyn Erickson – University of Florida
Erickson, a unanimous All-American, was also voted the NFCA’s Division I Player of the Year, as well as the Rawlings Gold Glove Award recipient for Division I catchers. Finished the season batting .382 with 15 doubles, 15 home runs and a team-best 86 RBI. Erickson, the SEC Player of the Year, collected 73 base hits, scored 50 runs, drew 44 walks and registered a .494 on-base percentage. The left-handed catcher threw out 13 of 20 runners attempting to steal and sported a .994 field percentage in 322 chances.
NCAA Division II
Kendall Andrews – Trevecca Nazarene University
Andrews was both a threat at the plate and on the base paths as she led the Trojans in nearly every offensive category. Andrews batted .387 with 14 doubles, 15 home runs, 66 RBI, 59 runs scored and 51 walks to go along with .757 slugging and .521 on-base percentages for a 1.278 OPS. Fueled by her high OBP, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year also swiped 49 bases in 51 attempts.
NCAA Division III
Annabelle Calderon – Denison University
Calderon boasted a .982 fielding average with just three errors in 171 defensive chances for the Big Red this season. Calderon also batted a team-leading .495, with 32 runs, 51 hits, 15 doubles, three triples, 12 home runs, 43 RBI, a 1.049 slugging average, .558 on-base percentage and 1.607 OPS across 35 games.
NAIA
Lauren Johnson – Cottey College
Johnson batted .393 for the Comets this season, with 48 runs, 59 hits, 15 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs and 49 runs batted in. On defense, she gunned down six runners attempting to steal and made just five errors in 213 fielding chances (165 putouts, 43 assists, .977 fielding percentage) behind the plate.
NJCAA Division I
Adelyn Becerra – Temple College
Sophomore Becerra hit .495 with 84 runs, 103 hits and a 1.130 slugging percentage for Temple. She collected 65 extra-base hits, including 28 doubles, seven triples and an NJCAA Division I second-best 30 homers, plus 103 RBI (third nationally). The first-team NFCA All-America catcher made zero errors in 229 chances on defense and cut down seven runners attempting to steal against her this season.
NJCAA Division II
Taylor McQueen – Louisburg College
McQueen keyed the Hurricanes to an NJCAA DII Softball World Series appearance, where they posted a 2-2 record. She batted .357 with 14 doubles, 13 home runs, 50 RBI and 63 runs scored. McQueen walked 31 times and recorded a .459 on-base percentage. Behind the dish, only seven runners attempted to steal all season and she threw out three of those.
NJCAA Division III
Avery Martin – North Dakota State College of Science
Martin, the NFCA’s NJCAA DIII Player of the Year, was the top offensive threat leading Division III in hits (100), home runs (20), RBI (94), total bases (199), runs (77) and doubles (31), while finishing eighth in slugging (.909). The NJCAA DIII National Tournament’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player also compiled a .992 fielding percentage on the year. Martin topped NJCAA DIII in RBI.
Cal JC
Morgan Kneubuhler – Mt. San Antonio College
Freshman Kneubuhler made just two errors in 162 chances at catcher (149 putouts, 11 assists) and threw out nine of 18 runners attempting to steal, while also hitting .464 with 37 runs, 65 hits, 14 doubles, nine homers, 51 RBI and a .771 slugging percentage. The South Region All-American ranked fourth in the 3C2A in homers and total bases (108), fifth in RBI, eighth in slugging, and 10th in batting average.
NWAC
Sawyer Stenson – Lower Columbia College
Stenson led the NWAC with 80 RBI and ranked third with 24 home runs and a .988 slugging percentage. The sophomore batted .444 with 16 doubles, 66 runs scored and a .513 on-base percentage. She exploded at the NWAC Championships, launching seven home runs, driving in 17 and scoring nine times, helping the Red Devils reach the semifinals.
About Diamond Sports
Diamond Sports is an official sponsor of the NFCA. Based in Southern California, Diamond Sports designs and manufactures high-quality softball and baseball products for all levels, while striving to inspire participation in softball and baseball with character, integrity, and respect to the game.
About National Fastpitch Coaches Association
The NFCA is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded awards program, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from podcasts to and extensive drills database, to in-person events and National Convention.
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