LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of North Georgia’s Carleigh Knowles has been voted the 2025 NFCA Division II Freshman of the Year, the Association announced on Tuesday.
Knowles, an NFCA First-Team All-Region catcher, is enjoying a sizzling rookie campaign for the Southeast Region champions and No. 11-ranked program in the final NFCA/GoRout DII Top 25 Coaches Poll of the regular season. Her offensive output has helped the NightHawks to a NCAA Division II finals appearance, in which they are the No. 4 seed.
Knowles is batting .393 with a team-best 21 home runs and 68 RBI to go along with an .822 slugging percentage, a .452 on-base percentage and 13 stolen bases. She is currently tied for second in the NCAA in home runs, one off the current leader, tied for sixth in RBI, eighth in home runs per game (.34) and 11th in slugging. Behind the dish, the Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Year has made just one miscue in 340 attempts and thrown out 10 would-be base stealers.
Joining Knowles as finalists were Lock Haven University’s Blaire Balestrini (Atlantic), Missouri Southern State University’s Bailey Dillon (Central), Thomas Jefferson University’s Delaney Alix (East), Tiffin University’s Jessica Miller (Midwest), Rollins College’s Brianna Perantoni (South), Colorado Mesa’s Jessalyn Gallegos (South Central) and Sonoma State’s Sophia Newcomb (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: 2024 – Sarah Davenport, East Stroudsburg; 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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