Indiana University Athletics
Kern Featured on TUCCI/NFCA National Freshman of the Year Top 10 List
5/11/2023 2:00:00 PM | Softball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana freshman Taryn Kern was named as one of the ten finalists for the TUCCI/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year award, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association committee announced on Wednesday afternoon.
Kern was most recently awarded with four Big Ten postseason awards including the Big Ten Player and Freshman of the Year. She was also named to the All-Big Ten First Team and the All-Big Ten Freshman Team.
The San Jose, Calif., native was unanimously selected by the league's coaches for the underclassman awards. She is the only Hoosier to win both Player and Freshman of the Year awards in program history.
Kern is also a six-time Big Ten weekly award winner, most recently winning the award after her performance in the series sweep over Michigan State to close out the regular season.
She continues to lead the Hoosiers offense as well as eight offensive statistical categories in the Big Ten: slugging percentage, OBS, OPS, RBI, home runs, walks, and hit by pitch and runs scored.
In addition, she is tied for most home runs in the nation with 22. Kern has also set new program single season records for home runs and RBI.
The top 10 finalists will be announced on May 11, with the three finalists being named on May 25. The TUCCI/NFCA Freshman of the Year is set to be revealed on May 30.
The TUCCI/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year award was created in 2014 to honor outstanding athletic achievement among Division I freshmen softball student-athletes. In order to be eligible for this award, each student-athlete must be a true freshman or a redshirt freshman and be nominated by their member head coach.
2023 TUCCI/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year Top 10
NiJaree Canady, Stanford
Cassidy Curd, Duke
Megan Grant, UCLA
D'Auna Jennings, Duke
Reagan Johnson, Arkansas
Taryn Kern, Indiana
Karlyn Pickens, Tennessee
Alexis Pupillo, Northern Iowa
Makenna Reid, Florida State
Jordan Woolery, UCLA
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Kern was most recently awarded with four Big Ten postseason awards including the Big Ten Player and Freshman of the Year. She was also named to the All-Big Ten First Team and the All-Big Ten Freshman Team.
The San Jose, Calif., native was unanimously selected by the league's coaches for the underclassman awards. She is the only Hoosier to win both Player and Freshman of the Year awards in program history.
Kern is also a six-time Big Ten weekly award winner, most recently winning the award after her performance in the series sweep over Michigan State to close out the regular season.
She continues to lead the Hoosiers offense as well as eight offensive statistical categories in the Big Ten: slugging percentage, OBS, OPS, RBI, home runs, walks, and hit by pitch and runs scored.
In addition, she is tied for most home runs in the nation with 22. Kern has also set new program single season records for home runs and RBI.
The top 10 finalists will be announced on May 11, with the three finalists being named on May 25. The TUCCI/NFCA Freshman of the Year is set to be revealed on May 30.
The TUCCI/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year award was created in 2014 to honor outstanding athletic achievement among Division I freshmen softball student-athletes. In order to be eligible for this award, each student-athlete must be a true freshman or a redshirt freshman and be nominated by their member head coach.
2023 TUCCI/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year Top 10
NiJaree Canady, Stanford
Cassidy Curd, Duke
Megan Grant, UCLA
D'Auna Jennings, Duke
Reagan Johnson, Arkansas
Taryn Kern, Indiana
Karlyn Pickens, Tennessee
Alexis Pupillo, Northern Iowa
Makenna Reid, Florida State
Jordan Woolery, UCLA
Follow Indiana Softball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
#GoIU
Players Mentioned
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