2024 TUCCI/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year Top Three, nfca, tucci, tuccisFreshman of the Year Top 3, softball awards, nfca freshman of the year, jaysoni beachum, ella parker, Keagan rothrock

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Florida State University’s Jaysoni Beachum, University of Oklahoma’s Ella Parker and University of Florida’s Keagan Rothrock are the three finalists for the 2024 TUCCI/NFCA Division I Freshman of the Year award, the Association revealed on Thursday afternoon. The winner, which is voted on by the Association’s Division I All-America Committee, will be announced on Tuesday, May 28, prior to the start of the 2024 NCAA Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

Beachum, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Freshman of the Year, is the first Seminole to earn top-three recognition and the fourth from the ACC. A first-team NFCA All-Southeast Region selection, Beachum is enjoying a tremendous rookie campaign leading FSU with a .425 batting average, 77 hits, 15 home runs (tie), 65 RBI, 34 walks and a .516 on-base percentage. Of those numbers, she ranks 10th in the NCAA in RBI, is tied for 14th in base hits, 17th in batting average and 25th in on-base percentage. She was top-10 finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and also is just the third true freshman to earn first-team All-Region honors. 

Behind a strong freshman campaign, Parker is the seventh Sooner to be named as a top-three finalist. The third-team NFCA All-Central Region selection has seen her batting average climb 36 points over the last seven contests to .413, which is second on the team, as is her 57 RBI and .516 on-base percentage. Parker also has generated 14 doubles, 12 home runs and a team-best 15 stolen bases, while scoring 56 times.

Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year Rothrock landed on the NFCA’s All-Southeast Region second team. The rookie right-hander is the third Gator to earn top-three status and the first since Kelly Barnhill and Amanda Lorenz were finalists in 2016. Heading into Super Regionals, Rothrock is 28-6 with a 2.38 ERA and 174 strikeouts over 217.2 innings of work. She registered five shutouts, been part of six more and has held her opposition to a .200 batting average. In NCAA Division I, Rothrock currently ranks tied for third in victories, fourth in innings pitched and is tied for ninth in complete games. 

The TUCCI/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year award was created in 2014 to honor outstanding athletic achievement among Division I freshmen softball student-athletes. To be eligible, student-athletes must be nominated by their member head coach and in their first year of NCAA Division I collegiate competition as a true freshman or redshirt freshman.

In 2024, the NFCA will award Freshman of the Year plaudits to a student-athlete from NCAA DI, NCAA DII, NCAA DIII and NAIA. For more information about all NFCA Awards, visit nfca.org.

  

TUCCI/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year previous winners

2023 – NiJaree Canady, Stanford; 2022 – Jordy Bahl, Oklahoma; 2021 – Tiare Jennings, Oklahoma; 2019 – Danielle Williams, Northwestern; 2018 – Jocelyn Alo, Oklahoma; 2017 – Rachel Garcia, UCLA; 2016 – Amanda Lorenz, Florida; 2015 – Paige Parker, Oklahoma; 2014 – Annie Aldrete, Tennessee & Kasey Cooper, Auburn

 

The NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded TUCCI/NFCA Freshman of the Year Awards, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from podcasts to a comprehensive drills database, to in-person events and National Convention

Learn more about the NFCA and consider joining over 7,000 coaches today!

NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year

Keep Your Coaching Pitch Perfect.

cell wade, nfca partner, nfca bownet, nfca partner, nfca maxpreps, max preps, nfca partner, nfca

For Those Who Know Even
Days Off Are Days On.

Learn About The Perks And Join NFCA Today.

Benefits Join Today