LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Pitcher Sydney Berzon has been selected to the 2023 TUCCI/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year Top 25 list announced by the NFCA Friday afternoon.
The list will be trimmed to the top 10 on May 11 and 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 prior to the start of the 2023 NCAA Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Berzon has a 13-5 record in the circle this season with a 1.60 ERA behind 106 strikeouts which ranks No. 9 in the SEC. Berzon’s 106 strikeouts currently lead all SEC freshman pitchers and ranks No. 8 in LSU history for the most strikeouts by a freshman. Berzon is the first LSU freshman pitcher to throw 100 or more strikeouts since Carley Hoover in 2015. In 109.1 innings pitched this season, Berzon has recorded eight complete games, three saves and three shutouts, while holding opposing batters to a .200 average.
Twenty-three universities across 11 NCAA Division I conferences are represented by this year’s finalists, including four representatives from the SEC, including Berzon. The list of 25 was selected by the NFCA, but 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 nominated 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.
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
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