Softball | 4/28/2023 2:16:00 PM

Utah Tech freshman outfielder Tanya Windle has been named to the 2023 TUCCI/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year Top-25 list, which was announced by the NFCA on Friday. 
 
Windle (Peoria, Ariz./Cactus HS) has started in all 44 games for the Trailblazers this season and is the Western Athletic Conference's leading hitter with a .444 average. 
 
The freshman outfielder also leads the WAC in hits (63), triples (5), and on-base percentage (.527), and is ranked in the conference's top-10 in runs scored (41, t-4^th), total bases (87, t-5^th), stolen bases (11-13, t-7^th), and walks (20, t-8^th) out of the lead-off spot in the Utah Tech batting order.
 
Windle has hit safely in 39 of 44 games played with 21 multi-hit games, including four three-hit outings, and has reached base safely in 42 games overall. In fact, Windle has reached base safely in 28-straight games, with 26 of those as a result of a base hit. 
 
Windle has also scored at least one run in 28 games and has collected RBI in 17 starts overall. 
 
On May 11, the list will be trimmed to the top 10 and the three finalists will be released on May 25. The 2023 TUCCI/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year will be announced on May 30. The list of 25 was selected by the NFCA. The top 10, top three and winner are voted on by the NFCA Division I All-America Committee. If a nominated student-athlete did not make the top 25, they can still be in consideration for the top 10.
 
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 2023, the NFCA will award Freshman of the Year honors to a student-athlete from NCAA D-I, NCAA D-II, NCAA D-III and NAIA. For more information about all NFCA Awards, visit nfca.org.
 
2023 TUCCI/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year Top 25
Sydney Berzon, LSU
Kenleigh Cahalan, Alabama
NiJaree Canady, Stanford
Cassidy Curd, Duke
Mihyia Davis, Louisiana
Olivia DiNardo, Arizona
AB Garcia*, Houston Christian
Leighann Goode, Texas
Sarah Gordon, Louisville
Megan Grant, UCLA
Jade Hylton, Virginia
D'Auna Jennings, Duke
Maya Johnson, Belmont
Reagan Johnson, Arkansas
Izzy Kemp, Dayton
Taryn Kern, Indiana
Jackie Lis, Southern Illinois
KK Mathis, James Madison
Karlyn Pickens, Tennessee
Alexis Pupillo, Northern Iowa
Makenna Reid, Florida State
Kasey Ricard, Boston University
TANYA WINDLE, UTAH TECH
Jordan Woolery, UCLA
Kailey Wyckoff, Texas Tech
 
* denotes red-shirt freshman