OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma’s Paige Parker has been named the NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year, announced the Association.

Parker was presented with the trophy on Tuesday evening at the NCAA Women’s College World Series Student-Athlete Banquet at the Beacon Club in downtown Oklahoma City.

Parker, the Big 12 Pitcher and Co-Freshman of the Year, made herself known in the circle and at the dish in 2015 as the southpaw played a key role in the Sooners reaching the Super Regionals and pushing sixth-seeded Alabama to the brink in a tightly contested three-game series in Tuscaloosa. She is just the third player in NCAA Division I history to twirl four perfect games in a season. The Independence, Mo. native is a league-best 28-7 with a Big 12-low 1.65 ERA and .170 batting average against. She has struck out 224 in 217 innings with nine shutouts and three saves. Offensively, Parker hit 394 with five doubles, nine home runs, 43 RBI and 27 runs scored.

Oregon's Jenna Lilley and Alabama's Alexis Osorio joined Parker as the other two finalists for this prestigious award.

The NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year award is voted on by the members of the NFCA’s Division I All-American & Coaching Staff of the Year Committee.

With the Association always searching for innovative ways to promote the sport of softball, the NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year award grew from an idea to honor outstanding athletic achievement among freshman softball student-athletes throughout Division I.

-- Photo Courtesy of Richard T. Clifton