LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Florida State University’s Jaysoni Beachum was selected as the 2024 TUCCI/NFCA Division I Freshman of the Year, the Association revealed on Tuesday evening at the 2024 NCAA Women’s College World Series banquet in Oklahoma City. A unanimous selection, Beachum is the first Seminole as well as the first Atlantic Coast Conference student-athlete to capture this award.
Collecting ACC Freshman of the Year and first-team NFCA All-Southeast Region honors, Beachum enjoyed a tremendous rookie campaign helping FSU to its 10th Super Regional appearance in the last 11 seasons. She topped the Seminoles with a .417 batting average, 78 hits, 16 home runs, 66 RBI, 139 total bases and a .509 on-base percentage (tie). Additionally, Beachum was second on the squad with a 1.252 OPS, 55 runs scored, .743 slugging percentage and 34 walks. Of those numbers, she ranks tied for ninth in the NCAA in RBI and 14th in base hits. The Tallahassee, Fla. native was a top-10 finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year and just the third true freshman to earn first-team NFCA All-Region honors.
Joining Beachum as finalists were the University of Oklahoma’s Ella Parker and University of Florida’s Keagan Rothrock. The winner was voted by the Association’s Division I All-America Committee.
The TUCCI/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year award was created in 2014 to honor outstanding athletic achievement among Division I freshmen softball student-athletes. To be eligible, student-athletes must be nominated by their member head coach and in their first year of NCAA Division I collegiate competition as a true freshman or redshirt freshman.
In 2024, the NFCA will award Freshman of the Year honors to a student-athlete from NCAA DI, NCAA DII, NCAA DIII and NAIA. For more information about all NFCA Awards, visit nfca.org.
TUCCI/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year previous winners
2023 – Jaysoni Beachum, Florida State; 2023 – NiJaree Canady, Stanford; 2022 – Jordy Bahl, Oklahoma; 2021 – Tiare Jennings, Oklahoma; 2019 – Danielle Williams, Northwestern; 2018 – Jocelyn Alo, Oklahoma; 2017 – Rachel Garcia, UCLA; 2016 – Amanda Lorenz, Florida; 2015 – Paige Parker, Oklahoma; 2014 – Annie Aldrete, Tennessee & Kasey Cooper, Auburn
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!
