Akins, Cecil named to NFCA DII Player and Pitcher of the Year Watchlist
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – One hundred and eighteen student-athletes from across the country were revealed as part of the 2026 NFCA Division II Player and Pitcher of the Year watchlist.
Mars Hill junior pitcher Kamryn Akins and freshman second basemen Sadie Cecil were named to the list. They are the only pair from a South Atlantic Conference school to be named from the same institution, and one of three pairs of schools that had two players listed.
Akins boasts an 11-2 record with a 1.52 ERA, which leads the SAC. She has 111 strikeouts on the year, currently second in the league. She was named South Atlantic Conference Pitcher of the Week on March 24.
Cecil leads the team with a .413 batting average, with 43 hits, 36 RBI, nine doubles, and 33 runs scored; all tops within the Lions' program. She currently sits fifth in the SAC with 36 runs driven in. Cecil was named the SAC Player of the Week on March 17.
The list is broken down into the eight NCAA Regions (Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, South Central, Southeast and West) with up to 15 student-athletes represented in each region. The list is compiled 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.
Voted on by the NFCA's Division II All-American Committee, the 2026 NFCA Player of the Year and NFCA/Portolite Pitcher of the Year will be announced on May 27, a day prior to the start of the NCAA Division II National Championships. All student-athletes are eligible for the end-of-the-season award and do not have to be on this list to be considered.
To read the full release, please click here.
|
Kamryn |
Akins |
P |
Jr. |
Mars Hill University |
SAC |
Southeast |
|
Macauley |
Bailey |
1B |
Sr. |
Carson-Newman University |
SAC |
Southeast |
|
Emily |
Blackwell |
SS |
Jr. |
North Greenville University |
CC |
Southeast |
|
Sadie |
Cecil |
2B |
Fr. |
Mars Hill University |
SAC |
Southeast |
|
Taelor |
Chang |
DP |
Sr. |
University of South Carolina Beaufort |
PBC |
Southeast |
|
Brianna |
Gallagher |
IF/OF |
Sr. |
Catawba College |
SAC |
Southeast |
|
Carson |
Hobbs |
P/DP |
Sr. |
Anderson University |
SAC |
Southeast |
|
Emma |
King |
IF |
So. |
University of Mount Olive |
CC |
Southeast |
|
Julia |
Moore |
P |
So. |
Young Harris College |
CC |
Southeast |
|
Chloe |
Poss |
P |
Sr. |
University of North Georgia |
PBC |
Southeast |
|
Sydnee |
Reeves |
OF |
Sr. |
University of North Georgia |
PBC |
Southeast |
|
Aubree |
Ussery |
OF/1B |
So. |
Columbus State University |
PBC |
Southeast |
|
Jenna |
Walling |
P |
Gr. |
Francis Marion University |
CC |
Southeast |
|
Madalyn |
White |
OF |
Sr. |
Francis Marion University |
CC |
Southeast |
|
Madison |
Wilson |
P |
Jr. |
Lenoir-Rhyne College |
SAC |
Southeast |
