Mahwah, NJ: The National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced the 2026 NFCA Division III Player and Pitcher of the Year Watchlist. Senior pitcher Brooke Knight and senior catcher Hannah Hensler were among the ten student athletes selected from Region IV.

One-hundred-eighteen NCAA DIII players were named to the watchlist this afternoon. The list is separated into the 10 NCAA regions and is compiled by the elected members of the NFCA Division III All-America Committee with one head coach representing each of the 10 NCAA regions.

Knight is currently 9-1 overall with a 0.97 ERA with three complete games. She's struck out 46 in 58 innings pitched with three shutouts while opponents are hitting .138 against her. Hensler currently leads the Roadrunners with a .458 batting average with 27 hits including 12 doubles, two home runs and one triple. Hensler has driven in 22 RBI and scored 21 runs. Behind the plate, Hensler has recorded 100 putouts and eight assists.

From the NFCA:
Voted on by the NFCA's Division III All-America Committee, the 2026 NFCA Player and NFCA/Portolite Pitcher of the Year winners will be announced on May 27 prior to the start of the NCAA Division III World Series. Student-athletes do not have to be on this watchlist to be considered for end-of-season awards, which will be voted on by the members of the NFCA Division III All-America Committee. To be eligible to be selected for NFCA Player and NFCA/Portolite Pitcher of the Year honors, a student-athlete's head coach must be a member. The NFCA Player of the Year award was created in 2016 to honor outstanding softball achievement in NCAA Division III. In 2019, the Association expanded the award to include separate Player and Pitcher of the Year honors.