LOUISVILLE, Ky. — California University of Pennsylvania two-way standout Caleigh Rister (Bucyrus High School) was chosen the Schutt Sports/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II National Freshman of the Year on Thursday afternoon.
Rister becomes the first player from the Atlantic Region, which is comprised of over 40 teams in three conferences, to be voted the NFCA National Freshman of the Year. Created in 2015, the award honors the outstanding athletic achievement among the freshman softball student-athletes throughout NCAA Division II.
Earlier, Rister was announced as one of eight finalists for the national award. She was then one of four freshmen selected to the NFCA All-America Teams, as she earned NFCA Second-Team All-America status at utility/pitcher. Additionally, she was the lone freshman tabbed to three Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-America Teams.
Rister ranked among the top 10 in the Atlantic Region with both a 1.58 ERA and a 1.389 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) as a freshman. She paced the team in nearly every offensive and pitching category while also serving as the team’s leadoff hitter.
Rister earned the distinction of being the first player in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) to receive multiple major awards in the same season since 2015, as she was selected both PSAC West Pitcher of the Year and PSAC West Freshman of the Year.
In the circle, Rister posted a 13-4 record and a 1.58 ERA while making 20 appearances. She finished with 102.0 innings pitched behind 11 complete games, including five shutouts. Rister went nearly two months without suffering a loss, as she won all seven decisions in divisional play. While in Florida in March, the 5-foot-4 freshman compiled a 4-1 mark with a 0.24 ERA over 28.2 innings pitched.
Rister registered a .415 average at the plate and scored 36 runs this season. She finished with an .829 slugging percentage behind 20 extra-base hits, plus boasted a .560 on-base percentage behind 19 walks and eight hit by pitch. Rister hit at a .444 clip with runners on base, as she finished second on the team with 23 RBI despite missing six games due to injury.
A native of Ohio, Rister was named both PSAC West Athlete of the Week and PSAC West Pitcher of the Week in the same week during February following her play in Arizona. She was tabbed the PSAC West Athlete of the Week twice more during the regular season, as the Vulcans tied for first place in the divisional standings with a 12-4 mark in league play.