LOUISVILLE, Ky. – East Stroudsburg University’s Sarah Davenport has been named the 2024 TUCCI/NFCA Division II Freshman of the Year, the Association announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Davenport, an NFCA First-Team All-Region pitcher, made an immediate impact for the Atlantic Region’s No. 1 team and No. 15-ranked program in the NFCA’s final DII Top 25 Coaches Poll of the regular season. She finished her inaugural collegiate campaign with a 25-7 record, posting a program-record 322 strikeouts, 12.11 strikeouts per 7-innings, 42 appearances, a .188 batting average against and eight saves. She also ranked in the program annals in wins (2nd), 1.31 ERA (4th best since 1985), and innings pitched (186.2 / 4th). Not only did she set a new single-season strikeout record, Davenport became the first Warrior hurler to eclipse both the 200 and 300 mark.
The rookie right-hander currently leads all NCAA softball with her 322 strikeouts, which is seventh all-time in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) single season. Davenport, who also garnered PSAC East Pitcher of the Year and first-team all-conference honors, tops Division II in strikeout-per-7 innings and ranks in the top 10 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (10.06 / 2nd), saves (t-3rd) and wins (t-9th).
Joining Bailey as finalists were Augustana’s Desi Cuevas (Central), College of Saint Rose’s Kelsey Higgins (East), Ferris State’s Kozlowski (Midwest), Nova Southeastern’s Maliyah Lawson (South), UT Tyler’s Makayla Garcia (South Central), North Greenville’s Emily Blackwell (Southeast) and Western Washington’s Alli Kimball (West).
Created in 2015, the award honors the outstanding athletic achievement among freshman softball student-athletes throughout NCAA Division II. The winner is voted on by the NFCA Division II All-America committee, comprising of one head coach from each of the NCAA’s eight regions.
Past winners include: 2023 - Macauley Bailey, Carson-Newman; 2022 - Caleigh Rister, PennWest California; 2021 - Kenzee Smith, Indianapolis; 2019 - Bailey McKittrick, Central Oklahoma; 2018 - Callie Nunes, Concordia; 2017 - Autumn Humes, Harding; 2016 Charlotte Romero, Colorado Christian; 2015 - Janessa Bassett, Dixie State.
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
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