LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) released their Tucci/NFCA Division II National Players and Pitchers of the Year watchlist on Wednesday, as seven Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) student-athletes from five different institutions were named to the Midwest Region list.
Indianapolis had three players appear on the list, leading GLVC squads in representation. Caitlin Bunte (pitcher), Cheyanne Eads (pitcher), and Brooklyn Willis (outfielder) made the list for the Greyhounds. McKendree infielder, Lauren Harris, the reigning NFCA Player of the Year was named to the watchlist, while Lewis first base Anna Frafjord, Truman State outfielder Cassie Smith, and William Jewell outfielder Mikayla Chairez rounded out the GLVC contingent.
The list is broken down into the eight NCAA Regions (Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, South Central, Southeast and West) with up to 15 student-athletes represented in each region. The list is compiled by the elected members of the NFCA Division II All-American Committee with one head coach representing each of the eight NCAA regions. To be eligible, a student-athlete’s head coach must be a member.
Voted on by the NFCA’s Division II All-American Committee, the 2026 Tucci/NFCA Player and Pitcher of the Year winners will be announced later this year following the conclusion of the NCAA Division II National Championships. All student-athletes are eligible for the end-of-the-season award and do not have to be on this list to be considered.
The Player of the Year award was created in 2015 to honor the outstanding athletic achievements among softball student-athletes throughout NCAA Division II. In 2019, the Association expanded the award to include a Player and Pitcher of the Year.