LOUISVILLE, Ky. – East Texas Baptist University graduate shortstop Tristen Maddox won her second straight NFCA Division III Player of the Year award and Randolph-Macon College senior right-hander Gracie Ellis claimed NFCA Pitcher of the Year honors, the Association announced on Friday afternoon.
Both Maddox and Ellis received their fourth career NFCA All-America honor this season. Maddox is a three-time first team selection (2023-25), while Ellis earned the Yellow Jackets’ first first-team accolade in program history in 2025.
Maddox had another stellar season for the Tigers, who won 43 games and their fourth American Southwest Conference (ASC) tournament title in her five seasons in 2025, advancing to the NCAA Super Regionals one year after winning a national championship. She hit .378 with 57 runs, 62 hits, 19 doubles, three triples, 16 homers, 55 RBI and 23 steals. Maddox slugged .823 and compiled a .482 on-base percentage, tying for the fourth-most total bases (135) and seventh-most homers in Division III this season.
Over 231 career games, the Mission, Texas, product batted .390 with 247 runs, 292 hits, 74 doubles, seven triples, 56 homers, 237 RBI, 117 steals and just 57 strikeouts. Maddox helped East Texas Baptist win 196 games (.852 win percentage) over her five-year run in Marshall.
She is a two-time ASC Player of the Year (2023-24) and a five-time all-conference selection. Maddox was the 2024 Division III Honda Athlete of the Year, earning a trip to the Collegiate Women Sports Awards ceremony in New York City, and was recognized as the Rawlings/NFCA Gold Glove winner in 2023 when she made just three errors in 142 chances at shortstop.
Meanwhile, Ellis pitched a one-hitter (11 strikeouts) in the decisive third game of their NCAA Super Regional against Moravian to help the Yellow Jackets advance to just their second Division III World Series in program history. Once there, she led Randolph-Macon to a semifinal finish, with both losses coming to national runner-up and Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) rival Virginia Wesleyan.
The Yellow Jackets won three straight elimination games at the eight-team event, including an Ellis three-hitter (eight strikeouts) in a 6-2 triumph over the Marlins and a two-hitter (seven strikeouts) in a 1-0 victory versus fellow All-American Rylee Lutz and No. 2 finals seed Rowan. She fanned 32 and tossed all 32.1 innings of Randolph-Macon’s five games there.
Ellis went 29-6 in 39 appearances this season, with 29 complete games, 15 shutouts, 294 strikeouts and a .159 opponent batting average — all career bests. She ranked first this season in Division III in innings pitched (238.1), strikeouts and shutouts, was third in strikeout-to-walk ratio (13.4) and fourth in both fewest hits per seven innings (3.99) and appearances. Ellis also had her third straight errorless year in the circle, and made just one miscue in 119 career fielding chances.
For her career, Ellis totaled five perfect games and five no-hitters (two each in 2025). Over 129 appearances, she went 95-18 with a 1.26 ERA, 95 complete games, 41 shutouts, nine saves, just 137 earned runs over 764 innings, 82 walks and 961 strikeouts (11.7 strikeout-to-walk ratio). The 2,913 batters she faced over her four years in the circle managed just a .176 average.
She collected her third career ODAC Pitcher of the Year honor this season, which was her fourth on the all-conference team. Ellis won 20 games every season and leaves as the program leader in appearances, earned-run average, saves, shutouts, strikeouts and wins.
Randolph-Macon won 153 games over her four years, averaging 38 triumphs and winning 77 percent of their contests. With her in the circle, The Yellow Jackets won one ODAC title (2023), and were the tournament runner-up this season. They appeared in four straight NCAA Regionals and three Super Regionals.
The NFCA Player of the Year award was created in 2016 to honor outstanding softball achievement in NCAA Division III. In 2019, the Association expanded the award to include separate Player and Pitcher of the Year honors.
The awards are voted on by the members of the NFCA Division III All-America Committee with one head coach representing each of the 10 NCAA regions. To be eligible, a student-athlete’s head coach must be a member.
NFCA Player & Pitcher of the Year recipients
2025 — Tristen Maddox, East Texas Baptist (player) & Gracie Ellis, Randolph-Macon (pitcher)
2024 — Tristen Maddox, East Texas Baptist (player) & Tayah Kelley, Linfield (pitcher)
2023 — Lindsey Windsor, Salisbury (player) & Kayla Simacek, Bethel (pitcher)
2022 — Kaitlyn Hasty, Christopher Newport (player) & Alexis Michon, Eastern Connecticut State (pitcher)
2021 — Jessica Goldyn, Virginia Wesleyan (player) & Hanna Hull, Virginia Wesleyan (pitcher)
2020 — no awards presented due to COVID-19
2019 — Mackenzie Chitwood, Lynchburg (player) & Ally Wiegand, Illinois Wesleyan (pitcher)
2018 — Hanna Hull, pitcher, Virginia Wesleyan
2017 — Hanna Hull, pitcher, Virginia Wesleyan
2016 — Kelsey Batten, pitcher, UT Tyler
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