GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) - Three Atlantic Coast Conference softball student-athletes are among the 25 finalists for the 2022 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year award, the association announced on Thursday.
Florida State catcher Michaela Edenfield, Notre Dame infielder Jane Kronenberger and Virginia Tech pitcher Emma Lemley earned the recognition. The ACC’s three student-athletes are the second most of any conference.
Edenfield currently leads the ACC with 16 home runs, while her 48 RBI and .720 slugging percentage are both team highs. She has been named the ACC Player of the Week twice this season (Feb. 22, April 5). The Sneads, Florida, native has started all 48 games for the Seminoles and owns a .304 batting average.
Kronenberger has been a key offensive piece for the Fighting Irish, one of the nation’s top offenses. The freshman is hitting at a .400 clip and is third on the team with 27 RBI. Kronenberger has recorded seven multi-hit games in her 22 starts, scoring 12 runs with nine doubles, three home runs and a .424 on-base percentage.
Lemley has posted a 14-4 record over 22 appearances and 104.0 innings pitched in the circle for the second-ranked Hokies. She has struck out 178 batters, which currently ranks second in the ACC. Her 12.0 strikeouts per seven innings ranks first in the ACC and third in Division I. The Forest, Virginia native threw a no-hitter against Longwood and has been named ACC Pitcher of the Week three times this season (March 9, March 29, April 26), the most of any student-athlete.
The Schutt Sports/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.
This year’s finalists hail from 25 different universities and represent 15 NCAA Division I conferences.
On May 12, the list will be trimmed to the top 10 and the three finalists will be released on May 26. The 2022 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year will be announced on May 31. 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.
In 2022, 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.
Three ACC teams are ranked among the top 10 of the most recent D1Softball Poll - the most of any conference. Virginia Tech leads among league teams at No. 2, followed by No. 3 Florida State, No. 10 Duke, No. 18 Clemson and No. 20 Notre Dame.
Additionally, seven ACC teams are ranked among the top 40 of the most recent NCAA RPI - the second most of any conference.