LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Over the course of the NFCA’s 2025 collegiate awards season, the Association recognized nine student-athletes as New Balance/NFCA Golden Shoe Award recipients. Announced during each division’s All-America or Special Awards release, the distinction is bestowed on the student-athlete who was voted as the top base stealer.
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 recipients are as follows:
NCAA Division I
Kai Luschar – University of Oregon
Luschar ran away with the NCAA DI stolen base crown, swiping 60 bases, 10 more than her nearest competition, and ranked second at .94 per game. Luschar, a NFCA All-Mountain Region second teamer, batted .415 and led the Ducks with 86 hits, 65 runs scored, 35 walks and a .508 on-base percentage.
NCAA Division II
Leah Oberkehr – Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Oberkehr, a junior outfielder, finished 2025 swiping 50 bases in 51 attempts, the second highest total in Division II. Her 1.06 steals per game is tops in NCAA Division II and .980 percentage is third amongst players with 30-plus steals. Oberkehr batted .335 and scored a team-best 42 runs.
NCAA Division III
Annie Kay – Texas Lutheran University
Kay dethroned teammate and two-time reigning New Balance/NFCA Golden Shoe award winner Caelee Clark as Division III’s most prolific base stealer in 2025. She finished with 63 steals in 64 attempts (.984 success rate) and averaged 1.29 swipes per game. A first-team NFCA All-American in the outfield (at-large), Kay topped the Bulldogs with a.467 batting average, 71 hits, 52 runs scored and a .514 on-base percentage.
NAIA
Fiona Crane – St. Xavier University
Crane ranked first in the nation with 1.58 steals per game and had 71 steals in 73 attempts. The junior outfielder had 20 games with multiple stolen bases, including five steals in five attempts in the first game of a doubleheader with Judson on April 23. She logged five games with four steals, four games with three steals and 10 contests with two.
NJCAA Division I
Bailey Backhaus - Hutchinson Community College
Backhaus swiped 57 bases in 58 attempts, ranking fifth nationally. The sophomore infielder recorded multiple steals 17 times, including a season-best three Fort Hays Tech Northwest twice, Seward County Community College and Colby Community College. Offensively, she recorded the second-highest batting average at .524 and a .539 on-base percentage to go along with 97 hits (3rd), 10 triples (2nd) and 78 runs scored (12th).
NJCAA Division II
J’Kaia’ Graves - Phoenix College
Graves stole 72 bases (second in NJCAA II and fifth-most across all divisions) for the Bears and was caught just five times in 77 attempts. The freshman third baseman also batted .510 with 86 runs, 10 doubles, four triples and 42 RBI.
NJCAA Division III
Meridith Frey – North Dakota State College of Science
Frey stole a NJCAA DIII-best 63 bases in 65 attempts. She also helped out the national champions at the plate with a .407 batting average, .485 on-base percentage and scored the fourth-most runs in NJCAA DIII with 69.
Cal JC
Tyla Arbuckle – West Valley College
Arbuckle was the top baserunner in the 3C2A this season, swiping 48 bases in 50 attempts for the Vikings. The freshman center fielder collected the second most runs (64) and base hits (75), of anyone in 3C2A from West Valley’s leadoff spot, helping solidify her selection on the NFCA Cal JC North All-America team.
NWAC
Serena Hattori – Mt. Hood Community College
Hattori led the NWAC with 46 stolen bases and was caught just once all season. She swiped four bases against Blue Mountain and Centralia and stole three in contests versus Walla Walla CC, Chemeketa and Clark. Hattori slashed .482/.525/.726 with 79 hits, 18 doubles, 84 runs scored and 51 RBI. She also earned the Rawlings Gold Glove in left field recording 61 putouts, four assists and one error for a .985 field percentage.
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About National Fastpitch Coaches Association
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