LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ten finalists, one from each of the NCAA’s 10 regions, have been selected by the Association’s Division III All-America Committee for the 2025 NFCA Division III Freshman of the Year award.
Wesleyan (Conn.) pitcher Jacelyn Lees (Region I), Massachusetts Institute of Technology outfielder Delaney Benevides (Region II), Nazareth third baseman Kaijah Alexander (Region III), Lebanon Valley utility-pitcher Holly Grube (Region IV), Swarthmore pitcher Lilly Goldberg (Region V), Virginia Wesleyan first baseman Morgan Tucker (Region VI), Trine second baseman Whitney Duell (Region VII), Augustana (Ill.) first baseman Aubrey Gradin (Region VIII), Loras utility-pitcher Kaili Henning (Region IX) and Hardin-Simmons pitcher Gabby Montanez (Region X) are the 10.
Half of the finalists helped lead their team to the NCAA regionals and two — Duell and Tucker — will be playing for their schools in the super regionals later this week. All 10 finalists earned NFCA All-Region honors this season.
Alexander’s selection gives head coach Margaret Yerdon-Grange two finalists in the past three seasons at two different schools. Pitcher Molly Broccolo was a finalist in 2023 during Yerdon-Grange’s final year of a 14-year run in charge at the University of Rochester, the duo helping the Yellowjackets win a school-record 38 games that season.
Alexander, Benevides, Goldberg, Grube, Henning, Lees, Montanez and Tucker were all named either Rookie or Freshman of the Year in their conference. Eight of the 10 finalists were first-team all-conference selections, while Henning was a second teamer in the highly-competitive American Rivers Conference.
Trine has had finalists all three straight seasons finalists have been announced. Infielder Tyra Marcum represented the Thunder last year, while utility-pitcher Debbie Hill was a finalist and the winner in 2023.
Rochester and Williams had finalists in both 2023 and 2024, while Virginia Wesleyan previously had a finalist in 2023, though the Marlins have won the award twice (pitcher Kandis Kresinske in 2016 and pitcher Hanna Hull in 2017).
Christopher Newport is the other school to collect the honor twice (third baseman Kaitlyn Hasty in 2019 and pitcher Jamie Martin in 2022). Other honorees include Linfield pitcher Tyler McNeley last season, Hill in 2023, Husson designated player Kenzie Dore in 2021 and UT Tyler catcher Ashley Perez in 2018. No award was given in 2020.
The award annually honors the outstanding athletic achievement of freshmen in NCAA Division III. The regional finalists and the winner are chosen by the NFCA All-America Committee, which includes one representative for each of the 10 regions. To be eligible, student-athletes must come from an NFCA member institution.
NFCA Division III National Freshman of the Year winners
2024 – Tyler McNeley, P, Linfield
2023 – Debbie Hill, Utility/Pitcher, Trine
2022 – Jamie Martin, P, Christopher Newport
2021 – Kenzie Dore, DP, Husson
2020 – (no award)
2019 – Kaitlyn Hasty, 3B, Christopher Newport
2018 – Ashley Perez, C, UT Tyler
2017 – Hanna Hull, P, Virginia Wesleyan
2016 – Kandis Kresinske, P, Virginia Wesleyan
The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) 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 nearly 6,700 coaches today!
Third Base
Nazareth
Outfield
MIT
Second Base
Trine
Pitcher
Swarthmore
First Base
Augustana (Ill.)
Utility-Pitcher
Lebanon Valley
Utility-Pitcher
Loras
Pitcher
Wesleyan (Conn.)
Pitcher
Hardin-Simmons
First Base
Virginia Wesleyan
NFCA DIVISION III NATIONAL FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR FINALISTS
