LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Eight finalists, one from each of the NCAA’s eight regions, have been selected by the Association’s Division II All-America Committee for the 2024 TUCCI/NFCA Division II Freshman of the Year award.

East Stroudburg’s Sarah Davenport (Atlantic), Augustana’s Desi Cuevas (Central), College of Saint Rose’s Kelsey Higgins (East), Ferris State’s Kozlowski (Midwest), Nova Southeastern’s Maliyah Lawson (South), UT Tyler’s Makayla Garcia (South Central), North Greenville’s Emily Blackwell (Southeast) and Western Washington’s Alli Kimball (West) are now in the running for the award, which will be announced on Tuesday, May 21.

Five of the eight finalists were voted NFCA First- or Second-Team All-Region. Davenport was voted the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference’s East Division Player and Freshman of the Year with Cuevas, Higgins, Kozlowski, Lawson, Garcia and Blackwell winning their league’s freshman or rookie honors.

Six of the finalists – Davenport, Higgins, Kozlowski, Garcia, Blackwell and Kimball - are representing their institutions for the first time, while it is the third nod for Augustana and second for Nova Southeastern.

Created in 2015, the award honors the outstanding athletic achievement among freshman softball student-athletes throughout NCAA Division II. To be eligible, student-athletes must come from a NFCA member institution.

Sarah Davenport
Pitcher
East Stroudsburg

Desi Cuevas
Outfield
Augustana

Kelsey Higgins
Outfield
College of Saint Rose

Alexis Kozlowski
First Base
Ferris State

Maliyah Lawson
Outfield
Nova Southeastern

Makayla Garcia
DP or Utility/Non-Pitcher
UT Tyler

Emily Blackwell
Shortstop
North Greenville

Alli Kimball
Pitcher
Western Washington

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

2023 - Macauley Bailey, Carson-Newman; 2022 - Caleigh Rister, PennWest California; 2021 - Kenzee Smith, Indianapolis; 2019 - Bailey McKittrick, Central Oklahoma; 2018 - Callie Nunes, Concordia; 2017 - Autumn Humes, Harding; 2016 - Charlotte Romero, Colorado Christian; 2015 - Janessa Bassett, Dixie State.

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 II National Freshman of the Year