LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of Florida catcher Jocelyn Erickson and Stanford University’s NiJaree Canady, both pivotal to their team’s national semifinal appearances, captured the 2024 TUCCI/NFCA Division I Player and Pitcher of the Year awards, respectively.
Erickson is the second straight Gator to earn this coveted award, joining 2023 recipient Skylar Wallace. It is the first time two different student-athletes* from the same program have won the award. The unanimous first-team All-American 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.
Recognized for her prowess behind the plate, Erickson was named Diamond Sports/NFCA Catcher of the Year and picked up a Rawlings Gold Glove Award®. The left-handed catcher threw out 13 of 20 runners attempting to steal and sported a .994 field percentage in 322 chances.
*UCLA’s Rachel Garcia won the Player of the Year award in 2018 and 2021
Canady, a unanimous first-team All-American, was a dominant force in the circle for the Cardinal all season, keying Stanford to its second-ever 50-win season (54 in 2001) and their second consecutive WCWS semifinal. The sophomore hurler sported Division I’s lowest ERA at 0.73 (only pitcher with a sub-1.00 ERA) and also topped the charts with 337 strikeouts, 72 more than her nearest competitor. Canady surrendered just 3.39 hits and fanned 10.6 batters per seven innings, ranking third and fourth nationally.
Finishing 2024 with a 24-7 record, the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year surrendered multiple runs in just three games (37 appearances) and struck out double-digit batters 18 times, which included a career-best 18-strikeout performance against Georgia on March 3.
Both Canady and Erickson were also selected as Collegiate Woman in Sports Award (CWSA) Honda Award top four finalists.
The Player of the Year award was created to honor the outstanding athletic achievements among softball student-athletes. In 2019, the Association expanded the award to include a Player and Pitcher of the Year.
The awards are voted on by the selected members of the NFCA Division I All-American Committee with one head coach representing each of the NFCA’s 10 regions. To be eligible, a student-athlete’s head coach must be a member.
TUCCI/NFCA Player & Pitcher of the Year Winners
2024 – Jocelyn Erickson, Florida (Player) / NiJaree Canady, Stanford (Pitcher)
2023 – Skylar Wallace, Florida (Player) / Ashley Rogers, Tennessee (Pitcher)
2022 – Jocelyn Alo, Oklahoma (Player) / Georgina Corrick, USF (Pitcher)
2021 – Rachel Garcia, UCLA (Player) / Montana Fouts, Alabama (Pitcher)
2019 – Abbey Cheek, Kentucky (Player) / Rachel Garcia, UCLA (Pitcher)
2018 – Rachel Garcia, UCLA
2017 – Megan Good, James Madison University
2016 – Sierra Romero, Michigan
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!
