LOUISVILLE, Ky. --- Moravian University freshman catcher Marcie Silberman has been named as a finalist for the 2023 TUCCI/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III National Freshman of the Year Award.
The accolade recognizes outstanding athletic achievement by freshmen in NCAA Division III. To be eligible, student-athletes must come from an NFCA-member institution. There is one finalist from each of the 10 NCAA Division III regions.
Williams' Sadie Leonard (Region I), Springfield's Amelia DeRosa (Region II), Rochester's Molly Broccolo (Region III), The College of New Jersey's Elizabeth Gosse (Region IV), Moravian's Marcie Silberman (Region V), Virginia Wesleyan's Laci Campbell (Region VI), Trine's Debbie Hill (Region VII), Wisconsin-Platteville's Melissa Dietz (Region VIII), Saint Benedict's Ellie Peterson (Region IX) and Texas Lutheran's Caelee Clark (Region X) are the 10 finalists.
Eight of the 10 helped lead their schools to an NCAA tournament berth, and three are on squads that advanced to the super regionals later this week. All but one of the finalists was recognized as All-Region player on May 19, though all were nominated.
Pitcher Leonard was named both the Player of the Year and co-Rookie of the Year in the New England Small College Athletic Conference, while utility-pitcher DeRosa was the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference Athlete of the Year and Rookie of the Year. Broccolo pitched the Yellowjackets to the Liberty League tournament championship, while fellow pitcher Gosse was the New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year and catcher Silberman helped power the Greyhounds into the next round of the NCAAs.
Second baseman Campbell was the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year, pitcher Hill was one of six Thunder players to earn NFCA All-Region honors, and third baseman Dietz was both the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. Both Trine and Virginia Wesleyan earned spots in the super regional round. Peterson and senior Elly Novak were a powerful duo in the circle this season for the Bennies, winning 13 games each, while second baseman Clark was one of two Bulldog first-year players to win top awards from the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, winning Player of the Year.
Silberman, who was honored on the Landmark All-Conference First Team and named to the NCAA Division III Medford (Mass.) Regional All-Tournament Team, has posted a .347 batting average in her debut season while helping the Hounds to a 35-9 record and a spot in the NCAA Division III Super Regionals at MIT this weekend. Silberman has recorded 33 hits, 16 runs, six doubles, a triple, six homers and 28 RBIs at the plate, and she has 127 putouts and 11 assists in 139 chances in the field while throwing out three base runners.
Silberman is the second Greyhound to be a finalist for the NFCA Freshman of the Year with sophomore pitcher Madi Cunningham being in the final ten last spring.
The winner of the 2023 TUCCI/NFCA Division III Freshman of the Year award will be announced on May 30. Christopher Newport has collected the honor twice (pitcher Jamie Martin in 2022 and third baseman Kaitlyn Hasty in 2019), as has Virginia Wesleyan (pitcher Kandis Kresinske in 2016 and pitcher Hanna Hull in 2017). Other honorees include UT Tyler catcher Ashley Perez in 2018 and Husson DP Kenzie Dore in 2021. No award was given in 2020.
Parts of release courtesy of the NFCA
