LOUISVILLE, Ky. —Randolph-Macon’s Gracie Ellis and East Texas Baptist’s Tristen Maddox claimed the first Division III Wilson/NFCA Pitcher and Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player of the Week honors of the 2025 season on Tuesday.
Both student-athletes are no stranger to awards, as both have been Division III All-Americans the past three seasons. In addition, Maddox is the reigning NFCA Division III Player of the Year.
Senior right-hander Ellis went 2-0 this past week for the No. 23 Yellow Jackets (5-1) with two shutouts, including her second perfect game in three starts. On Saturday, she tossed a two-hitter against Southern Virginia with a walk and 11 strikeouts.
The New Kent, Va., product tied former Virginia Wesleyan superstar, NFCA Player of Year (2017, 2018) and NFCA Pitcher of the Year (2021) honoree Hanna Hull’s Old Dominion Athletic Conference single-game record with 19 punchouts in her perfect game against Meredith on Sunday. For the week, she fanned 30 batters and allowed two hits, one walk and zero runs.
Meanwhile, graduate shortstop Maddox helped the top-ranked Tigers (13-1) win five of six games at the NFCA Division III Leadoff Classic by hitting .609 with a double, triple, five home runs and 15 runs batted in. The Mission, Texas, product slugged 1.391, scored nine runs and collected 32 total bases, while walking twice and compiling a .640 on-base percentage.
She went 3-for-4 versus Alma with two homers and five RBI, and hit a two-run blast in the fourth to break a 3-3 tie and put East Texas Baptist ahead for good against then-No. 25 Huntingdon. Maddox had two more hits and another two-run homer against then-No. 10 Trine, added three hits in a win over DePauw, three hits against then-No. 6 Tufts and two hits versus then-No. 7 Case Western Reserve.
Other Top Performances
Kamalani Doctor, Pacific Lutheran – .318 AVG, 5 HR, 10 RBI, 2 BB, 22 TB, 1.375 OPS; KaiLi Gross, Case Western Reserve – .444 AVG, .565 OBP, .778 SLG, 1.343 OPS, 3 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 5 BB, 4 SB; Avery Holland, East Texas Baptist – 2-0, 2.44 ERA, 14.1 IP, 4 BB, 12 K; Jada Howard, Agnes Scott – .583 AVG, 2 RBI, SB; Brooke Hunderman, Calvin – two wins, 1.53 ERA, 13.2 IP, 14 K; Ellie Jones, Belhaven – .552 AVG, 2B, 6 HR, 11 RBI, 5 BB; Jesse Klicker, Wisconsin-Stevens Point – .900 AVG, 2B, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 2 BB, 3 SB; Rylee Lutz, Rowan – 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 12 IP, 2 H, 7 BB, 14 K; Molly Marquardt, Wisconsin-Eau Claire – .524 AVG, 5 R, 2 2B, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 4 BB, 1.048 SLG; Olivia McClammy, Swarthmore – .417 AVG, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 1.167 SLG, .500 OBP, 1.000 FLD at two positions; McKenzie Melvin, Rowan – .600 AVG, 2B, 2 #B, HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB, .615 OBP, 1.400 SLG, 2.015 OPS; Lexi Miskey, Case Western Reserve – 3-0, 33.7 ERA, 18.2 IP, 10 H, 16 K, 1.29 WHIP; Kaitlin Pratt, Edgewood – 6 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 6 K; Jacie Schultz, Wisconsin-Eau Claire – 2-0, 1.17 ERA, 12 IP, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K; Taylor Selby, Agnes Scott – .428 AVG, 3B, 6 RBI, 4 SB; Emma Shepherd, Centenary (La.) – 2-0, 0.66 ERA, 10.2 IP, 5 BB, 10 K; Cat Smetana, Saint Benedict – .500 AVG, 3 2B, 8 RBI, .636 SLG; Ellen Stockman, Salisbury – .438 AVG, 5 R, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI; Abby Touchet, Centenary (La.) – .538 AVG, 2 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 1.154 SLG;
Winners are selected by the NFCA Division III Top 25 Committee, which has a representative for each of the 10 NCAA regions.
2025 Wilson/NFCA Division III National Pitcher of the Week
March 4 — Gracie Ellis, Randolph-Macon, Sr., RHP, New Kent, Va.
2025 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III National Player of the Week
March 4 — Tristen Maddox, East Texas Baptist, Gr., SS, Mission, Texas
2025 NFCA Division III Top 25 Committee
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