LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Carson-Newman senior second baseman Emily Harris (Cumming, Ga.) has been selected to the 2022 Schutt Sports/NFCA DII Player & Pitcher of the Year Top 25, the NFCA announced Monday afternoon.
Harris has produced a positively prolific season for the Eagles.
The Young Harris transfer has a .494 batting average with 83 hits, 18 doubles, a triple and 42 RBI this season.
Harris has the second-highest batting average in the country and ranks fourth in total hits with 83. She ranks 13th nationally with 36 stolen bases and 14th nationally with 18 doubles.
The senior has had a record-book impacting year for Carson-Newman. Her 83 hits register as the fourth 80+-hit season in school history. Harris sits nine knocks away from Kelli Hensley and Carol Mitchell for the single-season Carson-Newman and SAC record.
Her 18 doubles rank fifth in school history for a single season. She is two away from Hall of Famer Whitney Hickam Cruze and her single-season school record of 20.
A .494 batting average ranks second for a single-season in Carson-Newman history should she maintain it.
Harris is Division II's active leader in hits and at-bats for a career.
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. The list is compiled and the award is voted on 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.
The list features a graduate student, 10 seniors, nine juniors, four sophomores, and one freshman representing 25 programs from 15 different conferences.
The California Collegiate Athletics Association, Gulf South Conference and the Lone Star Conference each had three honorees. The Great Lakes Valley Conference, Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association and the South Atlantic Conference earned two plaudits apiece.
2022 Schutt Sports / NFCA Division II Player & Pitcher of the Year Top 25
Paige Austin, Biola
Kayson Boatner, Anderson
Kaite Burawski, Bridgeport
Katie Crogan, Upper Iowa
Paige Donnelly, Cal State San Marcos
Sierra Easterwood, Montevallo
Kylie Emanuele, Mount Olive
Jaycee Ginter, Washburn
Lydia Goble, Grand Valley State
Emily Harris, Carson-Newman
Teala Howard, West Florida
Hannah Hudson, West Virginia Wesleyan
Brooke Larsen, Chico State
Hannah Marsteller, Shippensburg
Andrea Morales, Rogers State
Matisen Onofrei, Texas A&M-Kingsville
Ashley Perez, UT Tyler
Samantha Richards, Valdosta State
Tymber Riley, Arkansas Tech
Paxton Scheurer, Angelo State
Kenzee Smith, UIndy
Olivia Stansbury, McKendree
Kaitlyn Stufft, Georgian Court
Brylynn Vallejos, San Francisco State
Mackenzie Ward, Minnesota State
