Smith named to 2023 Tucci/NFCA Division III Player and Pitcher of the Year Watchlist

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) has released its 2023 Tucci/NFCA Division III Player and Pitcher of the Year watchlist, naming Muskingum senior pitcher Hannah Smith amongst 141 softball student-athletes across the country. Smith is among one of 16 players in Region Vll and is among five Ohio Athletic Conference softball student-athletes to land on the watchlist.

Smith has made 14 appearances, drawing 13 starts from the circle this season. The senior ranks third in the Ohio Athletic Conference in earned-run average (1.74), while ranking second in strikeouts (82) and wins (11). Additionally, she is holding opponents to a .179 batting average and has pitched 80.1 innings for Muskingum this 2023 campaign.

New for 2023, the list is broken down into regions, with student-athletes representing one of the 10 NCAA regions. This list is compiled by the elected members of the NFCA Division III All-America Committee, who will also vote to choose the Player and Pitcher of the Year honorees at the conclusion of the season.

Voted on by the NFCA's Division III All-America Committee, the 2023 Tucci/NFCA Player and Pitcher of the Year will be announced on June 9. All student-athletes are eligible for the end-of-the-season award and do not have to be on this list to be considered by the committee.

The Player of the Year award was created in 2016 to honor the outstanding softball achievement in NCAA Division III. In 2019, the Association expanded the award to include separate Player and Pitcher of the Year honors.