LOUISVILLE, Ky. – No. 21/20 Virginia Tech softball not only has one but two of the best freshmen in the country, according to Schutt Sports and the NFCA on Thursday, as Jayme Bailey and Kelsey Bennett made the first cut for National Freshman of the Year, making the top 25 list.
The two players make Tech (39-6, 16-2 ACC) one of only two schools to boast two diaper dandies, joining No. 2/2 UCLA (37-2, 11-1 Pac-12). It also marks the first time in school history that a Hokie, let alone two, made the prestigious list.
The Hokies are the lone school out of the ACC to have a freshman on the list, while the SEC leads with four.
The winner will be presented prior to the start of the 2019 NCAA Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.
On May 9, the list will be trimmed down to the top 10 and the top three finalists will be released on May 21. The Schutt Sports / NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year trophy will be presented during a live ceremony at the Women's College World Series banquet on May 28.
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.
Bailey has the third-highest batting average among Power Five freshmen, owning a clip of .415. Her on-base percentage of .512 is the fourth-best nationally among freshmen. Her batting average ranks second on the team, while her 233 putouts are atop the team.
The utility player has made four starts at second base and 36 at first base. Bailey's longest hitting streak so far this year was seven games and her best reached base streak was 14 games.
Bennett, who just broke the school record for home runs in a season by a freshman with 13, similarly to Bailey, is one of only five Power Five freshmen to bat over .400. She also is one of only three Power Five freshmen to start at third base every game. Her 13 home runs are the second-most among freshmen nationally.
The Georgia native became the first Hokie freshman to hit back-to-back home runs in a game since 2016, following her consecutive homers against Texas State on Feb. 23. She has 14 multi-hit games and 12 multi-RBI games this year.
The Hokies are set for a critical showdown with North Carolina (27-14, 13-5), playing host to the Tar Heels in a three-game series starting on Friday at Tech Softball Park. The two teams are first (VT) and second (UNC) in the Coastal Division of the ACC.
2019 NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year Top 25
Jayme Bailey, UT, Virginia Tech
Kelsey Bennett, 3B, Virginia Tech
Lexie Blair, OF, Michigan
Peyton Cody, C, St. John's
Courtney Coppersmith, P, UMBC
Chenise Delce, P, Tulsa
Natalie DenHartog, OF, Minnesota
Kalita Dennis, 2B, Howard
Megan Faraimo, P, UCLA
Lacey Fincher, 1B, Georgia
Montana Fouts, P, Alabama
Meghan Giordano, 3B, Hofstra
Kelli Godin, OF, UCLA
Grace Green, 1B, Oklahoma
Katie Keller, 1B, Northern Illinois
Emma Nedley, OF, Penn
Shealyn O'Leary, P, Texas
Lexi Orozco, SS, Utah State
Autumn Owen, C, Gardner-Webb
Calista Phippen, P, Marist
Ashley Rogers, P, Tennessee
Jazmyn Rollin, SS, Missouri
Kassidy Wilbur, P, Stephen F. Austin
Danielle Williams, P, Northwestern
McKenzie Wilson, OF, Fresno State
