Completed Event: Softball versus #21/21 Oklahoma State on April 15, 2026 , Loss , 4, to, 6
Final
Softball
4
vs #21/21 Oklahoma State
6
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Minor, Wells Tabbed to NFCA Freshman of the Year Top 25 List
April 23, 2026 | Softball
NORMAN — Oklahoma Softball freshmen Kai Minor and Kendall Wells were both named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Freshman of the Year Top 25 list as announced Thursday, April 23.
Oklahoma is one of three programs across the country to have two honorees. This year's finalists come from 22 different universities. OU leads all programs nationwide with 14 named to the all-time top 25 watch list.
On May 7 the list will be narrowed to a top ten and the final three will be released May 20. The NFCA National Freshman of the Year will be announced May 26 ahead of the Women's College World Series.
Minor, a center fielder from Irvine, Calif., paces DI freshmen in batting average at .451 across 47 games played and 43 starts. She has doubled 11 times and tripled another five times to go along with her team-leading 17 stolen bases. Minor paces OU with 22 multi-hit games and also tallied a team-best 17-game hitting streak earlier this year.
Wells leads the nation with 34 home runs in just 48 games, tied for the OU single-season home run record. The Bogart, Ga., native has driven in 76 and scored 61 times, garnering two D1Softball National Player of the Week honors. She was also named SEC Player of the Week April 8 and SEC Freshman of the Week April 21.
From the NFCA on the NFCA National Freshman of the Year Top 25
The list of 25 was selected by the NFCA. The top 10, top three and winner are voted by the NFCA Division I All-America Committee. 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. Nominated student-athletes remain in consideration for Top-10 selection.
The 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. The NFCA awards 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.
2026 NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year Top 25
Bri Alejandre, University of California, Los Angeles
Brinli Bain, University of Arkansas
Ella Boyer, University of Kansas
Abby Carr, University of Missouri
Bree Carrico, Virginia Tech
Bronwyn Conroy, College of Charleston
Kenzie Farrier-Pilon, California Baptist University
Tarisa Frans, Cornell University
Aleena Garcia, University of California, Los Angeles
Madi George, University of Mississippi
Mia Gomez, University of Utah
Camille Hamilton, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Alexis Jensen, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Sophia Lundstrom, Sam Houston State University
Marina Mason, Northwestern University
Kai Minor, University of Oklahoma
Anna Moore, Purdue University
Makenna Moore, Jacksonville State University
Vic Moten, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
Allison Oneacre, Pennsylvania State University
Kaitlyn Pallozzi, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
Dani Rauscher, University of California, Santa Barbara
Kendall Wells, University of Oklahoma
Katelyn Wetteland, University of Nevada
Kinzey Woody, Wichita State University
Oklahoma is one of three programs across the country to have two honorees. This year's finalists come from 22 different universities. OU leads all programs nationwide with 14 named to the all-time top 25 watch list.
On May 7 the list will be narrowed to a top ten and the final three will be released May 20. The NFCA National Freshman of the Year will be announced May 26 ahead of the Women's College World Series.
Minor, a center fielder from Irvine, Calif., paces DI freshmen in batting average at .451 across 47 games played and 43 starts. She has doubled 11 times and tripled another five times to go along with her team-leading 17 stolen bases. Minor paces OU with 22 multi-hit games and also tallied a team-best 17-game hitting streak earlier this year.
Wells leads the nation with 34 home runs in just 48 games, tied for the OU single-season home run record. The Bogart, Ga., native has driven in 76 and scored 61 times, garnering two D1Softball National Player of the Week honors. She was also named SEC Player of the Week April 8 and SEC Freshman of the Week April 21.
From the NFCA on the NFCA National Freshman of the Year Top 25
The list of 25 was selected by the NFCA. The top 10, top three and winner are voted by the NFCA Division I All-America Committee. 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. Nominated student-athletes remain in consideration for Top-10 selection.
The 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. The NFCA awards 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.
2026 NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year Top 25
Bri Alejandre, University of California, Los Angeles
Brinli Bain, University of Arkansas
Ella Boyer, University of Kansas
Abby Carr, University of Missouri
Bree Carrico, Virginia Tech
Bronwyn Conroy, College of Charleston
Kenzie Farrier-Pilon, California Baptist University
Tarisa Frans, Cornell University
Aleena Garcia, University of California, Los Angeles
Madi George, University of Mississippi
Mia Gomez, University of Utah
Camille Hamilton, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Alexis Jensen, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Sophia Lundstrom, Sam Houston State University
Marina Mason, Northwestern University
Kai Minor, University of Oklahoma
Anna Moore, Purdue University
Makenna Moore, Jacksonville State University
Vic Moten, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
Allison Oneacre, Pennsylvania State University
Kaitlyn Pallozzi, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
Dani Rauscher, University of California, Santa Barbara
Kendall Wells, University of Oklahoma
Katelyn Wetteland, University of Nevada
Kinzey Woody, Wichita State University
Players Mentioned
C
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