The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 1/1 Softball’s Henry, Kavan selected as TUCCI/NFCA Division I Freshman of the Year Top 10 Finalists
05.09.2024 | Softball
Kayden Henry, Teagan Kavan earn additional honors for standout freshman campaigns
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Twenty-five hours after receiving their first-ever All-Big 12 Conference honors, the Texas freshman duo of Kayden Henry and Teagan Kavan were selected as to the Top 10 list for the 2024 TUCCI/NFCA Division I Freshman of the Year, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced Thursday morning.
The duo become not only the first pair of teammates in program history to be named as a top 10 finalist during the same season but are also the first Longhorn softball student-athletes to be recognized as one of the 10 best freshmen in Division I softball since Shea O'Leary during the 2019 season. Texas is the only Division I program with multiple representatives on the organization's 2024 top 10 finalist list.
Kavan, who was not only named the Big 12's Freshman of the Year but also the first Texas freshman softball student-athlete to be selected to the All-Big 12 First Team since Erica Wright following the 2025 campaign, leads the Longhorn pitching staff, which has a 1.72 earned run average (ERA), with a team-high 16 wins in 24 appearances in the pitching circle. She also leads the team with 99 strikeouts, while holding 355 batters faced to a .177 batting average. She's tossed six complete games with three solo shutouts and three saves.
Henry enters the Big 12's postseason conference tournament with a .387/.432/.613 slash line in 150 official plate appearances. She's second on the team with 43 runs scored to go along with 58 hits, including 10 doubles and eight home runs, 92 total bases and 29 runs batted in (RBI). In addition to 12 walks drawn and two sacrifice hits, Henry also leads the Big 12 with 22 successful stolen bases in 25 attempts.
The three finalist for the award will be revealed on Thursday, May 23 with the winner being announced on Tuesday, May 28 prior to the beginning of the 2024 Women's College World Series.
2024 TUCCI/NFCA Freshman of the Year Top 10 Finalists
|
Name |
School |
Position |
|
Jaysoni Beachum |
Florida State |
Infielder |
|
Karli Godwin |
Oklahoma State |
Infielder |
|
Maddia Groff |
Southern Illinois |
Pitcher |
|
Texas |
Outfield |
|
|
Texas |
Pitcher |
|
|
Bridget Nemeth |
Penn State |
Pitcher |
|
Ella Parker |
Oklahoma |
Utility |
|
Keagan Rothrock |
Florida |
Pitcher/First Base |
|
Regan Shockey |
Arizona |
Utility |
|
Sophie Sun |
Harvard |
Infielder |
UP NEXT
- Texas (45-6, 23-4) will begin its time at the 2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Softball Championship with a quarterfinal matchup against Texas Tech at 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, May 9.
- Thursday's game between the Longhorns and Red Raiders will mark the fourth consecutive game between the two programs after concluding the regular season with a three-game series in Lubbock, Texas last weekend.
FOLLOW US
- For the latest information on the team, follow @TexasSoftball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at @TexasLonghorns on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
