Carbondale, Ill. – Freshman Maddia Groff received more national recognition Thursday after as she was announced to the Tucci/NFCA National Freshman of the Year Top 25 list. Groff is the second Saluki in as many years to be named to the list after Jackie Lis made it a season ago. SIU has now had three freshman make the list since it began in 2014.
Groff is currently second in the nation in ERA (0.80) and wins (23) with a196 strikeouts on the season. In each of her last seven outings of four or more innings, the freshman has had at least eight strikeouts including games of 15, 14, and 13. She’s totaled 35 strikeouts in her last three starts with zero walks allowed.
Maddia marked the only Missouri Valley Conference to make the list as the Big 12 led all conferences with six recipients.
On May 9, the list will be reduced down to a top 10 with a top three finalists following on May 23. The winner for Freshman of the Year will be announced May 28.
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. In 2024, the NFCA will award Freshman of the Year plaudits to a student-athlete from NCAA DI, NCAA DII, NCAA DIII and NAIA. For more information about all NFCA Awards, visit nfca.org.
2024 TUCCI/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year Top 25
Lorraine Alo, Portland State
Jaysoni Beachum, Florida State
Sam Buckley, Saint Mary’s
Michelle Chatfield, Virginia Tech
Rosie Davis, Oklahoma State
Jesse Farrell, UNLV
Karli Godwin, Oklahoma State
Maddia Groff, Southern Illinois
Jensin Hall, Dartmouth
Kayden Henry, Texas
Teagan Kavan, Texas
Sophia Knight, Boise State
Kennedy Miller, Arkansas
Bridget Nemeth, Penn State
McKenzie Oslanzi, Eastern Illinois
Ella Parker, Oklahoma
Kasidi Pickering, Oklahoma
Keagan Rothrock, Florida
Maddi Rutan, Eastern Kentucky
Regan Shockey, Arizona
Brooklyn Shroyer, Fairleigh Dickinson
Desirae Spearman, New Mexico State
Sophie Sun, Harvard
Isa Torres, Florida State
Sonia Zhang, Princeton
