LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. revealed the nine inaugural recipients of 2023 NCAA Division III Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, presented by the NFCA, on Thursday afternoon.
East Texas Baptist University junior shortstop Tristen Maddox and Linfield University graduate outfielder Katie Phillips lead the winners, as both were just announced as first-team All-Americans during Wednesday night’s NCAA Division III Championship banquet at the Bear Creek Smokehouse in Marshall, Texas. Phillips was also a first-team All-American last year, while Maddox was a second teamer in 2022.
Phillips is the only player of the nine to still be playing, as her Wildcats are one of the eight teams who advanced to the NCAA Division III Championship at Bell Park at Taylor Field on the campus of East Texas Baptist University.
Joining Maddox in the infield are Tufts freshman Haley Leimbach at first base, New York University junior Margaux Lesser at second, and Wooster freshman Julia Jennings at third. Guilford junior Grace Calus is the Gold Glove center fielder, with Phillips in left and Gustavus Adolphus sophomore Greta Dahlen in right.
Leimbach’s Tufts teammate Sophia DiCocco, a junior, is the honoree at pitcher, while Wisconsin-Oshkosh sophomore Sophie Wery is the choice at catcher.
Recipients of the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, presented by the NFCA, were selected by the 10 regional representatives of the NFCA’s NCAA Division III All-America Committee, following regional voting to identify the finalists at each position. The group utilized fielding statistics and school-submitted video to closely examine finalists and select the winners at every defensive position. Any student-athlete that competed in the current championship year and was nominated by their head coach who is a member in good standing with the NFCA was eligible for consideration for this prestigious accolade.
Pitcher
Tufts
(.983 fielding %, 60 chances, 1 error)
Catcher
Wisconsin-Oshkosh
(1.000 fielding %, 253 chances, 0 error)
First Base
Tufts
(.994 fielding %, 310 chances, 2 errors)
Second Base
NYU
(.980 fielding %, 148 chances, 3 errors)
Third Base
Wooster
(.952 fielding %, 165 chances, 8 errors)
Shortstop
East Texas Baptist
(.979 fielding %, 142 chances, 3 errors)
Left Field
Linfield
(1.000 fielding %, 105 chances 0 errors)
Center Field
Guilford
(1.000 fielding %, 107 chances, 0 errors)
Right Field
Gustavus Adolphus
(1.000 fielding %, 62 chances, 0 errors)
About Rawlings
Established in 1887, Rawlings is an innovative leading global brand and manufacturer of premium baseball and softball equipment, including gloves, balls, and protective headwear. Rawlings' unparalleled quality, innovative engineering and expert craftsmanship are the fundamental reasons why more professional athletes, national governing bodies and sports leagues choose Rawlings.
Rawlings is the Official Baseball, Helmet, Face Guard and Glove of Major League Baseball, the Official Baseball of Minor League Baseball and the Official Baseball and Softball of the NCAA and the NAIA. The company is headquartered in St. Louis. For more information, please visit www.Rawlings.com
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About National Fastpitch Coaches Association
Celebrating 40 years in 2023, the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its vast library of digital education, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from podcasts to an extensive Awards & Scholarships platform, to NFCA Webinars and a National Convention.
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