Chippewa Valley Times

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) has included the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's Paige Lathrop on its Division III Player of the Year watchlist. Lathrop, a junior from South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is one of 15 athletes from Region VIII selected from a total of 119 watchlist candidates for the DIII Player and Pitcher of the Year awards.

Lathrop's performance this season includes a team-leading .514 batting average over the Blugolds' initial 20 games. Her statistics also show 24 runs scored, 15 runs batted in, 14 stolen bases from 17 attempts, and two triples. Her recent accolade as the NFCA/Louisville Slugger Division III Player of the Week reflected her standout play at the Space Coast Spring Games.

The NFCA Division III All-America Committee, responsible for voting the winners, will announce the 2025 Players and Pitcher of the Year on June 6, following the NCAA Division III Finals. Student-athletes do not have to be on the watchlist to be eligible for the award. Established in 2016 by the NFCA to recognize exceptional talent in NCAA Division III softball, the award categories were expanded in 2019 to distinguish between player and pitcher achievements.

Eligibility for these awards requires a student's head coach to be a NFCA member. Each of the 10 NCAA regions contributes one head coach to the NFCA Division III All-America Committee to participate in the voting process.

For updates on the Blugolds season, visit Blugolds.com, or follow their activities on the Blugold Sports app, as well as social media platforms including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.