LOUISVILLE, Ky. — One-hundred-eighteen student-athletes from across the country were named to the 2026 NFCA Division III Pitcher and Player of the Year watchlist on Thursday afternoon.
The list is separated into the 10 NCAA regions and is compiled by the elected members of the NFCA Division III All-America Committee with one head coach representing each of the 10 NCAA regions.
Click HERE to view watchlist.
Headlining the list are 17 returning NFCA All-Americans, four from the first team, five from the second team, and eight from the third. Both Trine’s Debbie Hill and Williams’ Sadie Leonard are three-time All-America honorees, while four others on the list — Bowdoin’s Anika Ewert, Trine’s Tyra Marcum, Simpson’s Ashlyn Steen and Makayla Steffes of Saint Mary’s — are two-time All-Americans. Last year’s NFCA Freshman of the Year, Lilly Goldberg of Swarthmore, is also on the list.
Top-ranked Virginia Wesleyan has the most players of any school on the list, with six.
Voted on by the NFCA’s Division III All-America Committee, the 2026 NFCA Player and NFCA/Portolite Pitcher of the Year winners will be announced on May 27 prior to the start of the NCAA Division III World Series.
Student-athletes do not have to be on this watchlist to be considered for end-of-season awards, which will be voted on by the members of the NFCA Division III All-America Committee. To be eligible to be selected for NFCA Player and NFCA/Portolite Pitcher of the Year honors, a student-athlete’s head coach must be a member.
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.
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)
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
Awards were not presented in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded NFCA Player and NFCA/Portolite Pitcher of the Year awards, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from webinars to legal counsel, to in-person events and the National Convention.
Learn more about the NFCA and consider joining over 7,000 coaches today!
