Following the unveiling of the 2026 D1Softball All-Americans on Tuesday, we now present the 2026 D1Softball Awards.
Recognizing the best of the best at their craft, these awards include both National Player of the Year and National Pitcher of the Year, as well as Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year.
Rounding out the awards slate are Mid-Major Player and Coach of the Year, recognizing the best outside the Power 4 conferences, and Comeback Player of the Year, awarded to a player who missed the 2025 season and enjoyed great success in her return to the field this season.
D1Softball Player of the Year
Isa Torres, Florida State
Torres excelled in every category this season, finishing the year as one of the nation’s top hitters and shining at all turns on defense.
Her .530 batting average ranks third in the nation, and her numbers include 16 home runs, 56 RBIs, 21 doubles, 78 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases. She did all of that from the leadoff spot in the batting order and despite missing eight games midseason.
If Torres’ offense was all-encompassing impressive, then her defense was even better. She made just two errors on the season, both of them late in the year, and holds a .989 fielding percentage for her efforts.
D1Softball Pitcher of the Year
Jocelyn Briski, Alabama
Briski has led the Crimson Tide from the circle this season, establishing herself as one of the nation’s best players and a top arm.
The Alabama ace enters the Women’s College World Series with a 1.30 ERA, a 22-3 overall record, and 198 strikeouts in 156.2 innings of work. What she did well throughout the entirety of the regular season, she’s continued that consistency in the postseason.
Opponents are batting just .173 against Briski this season and, perhaps her most impressive statistic, she’s given up just 21 walks on the year. That’s a strikeout/walk ratio better than 9/1.
D1Softball Freshman of the Year
Kendall Wells, Oklahoma
Wells left no doubt as the best in a talented freshman class, setting records left and right with her powerful bat and beginning her career in style.
As a rookie, Wells set program, conference, and NCAA single-season records with 39 home runs and stands second all-time for home runs in a single season. She was one of two players this season to break the previous existing record of 37.
In addition to the home runs, Wells led the SEC in RBIs, total bases, and slugging percentage. She was solid on defense, posting a .993 fielding percentage with just two errors charged to her.
D1Softball Comeback Player of the Year
Tyrina Jones, Duke
Jones missed the 2025 season with injury, transferred to Duke, and immediately became an incredibly valuable bat in the Blue Devil batting order in her return to the field.
Jones dealt with injuries throughout her career at Purdue, but she excelled in every way in her first and only season at Duke. She batted .330 on the year with 27 home runs, a number that finished top-5 in the nation. Her numbers included 10 doubles, 85 RBIs, 51 runs scored, and a 1.143 OPS.
D1Softball Coach of the Year
Patrick Murphy, Alabama
Credit for the Crimson Tide program’s rise this season belongs heavily on Murphy’s shoulders, as Bama has excelled on every side of the ball and earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Under Murphy’s shepherding, Alabama won seven of their eight SEC series, dropping only a road contest against Tennessee, and went 19-5 in SEC play during the year. The Crimson Tide finished second in the SEC regular-season standings, were runners-up in the conference tournament, and earned the top seed in the NCAA tournament.
The Crimson Tide enjoyed a seven-win improvement in conference play from a year ago and already are +14 in the overall win column from the 2025 season.
D1Softball Mid-Major Player of the Year
Maya Johnson, Belmont
In her final collegiate season, Johnson enjoyed what might have been the best year yet in her already-legendary career with the Bruins.
Returning for her final season of eligibility as a Bruin, Johnson posted a career-best 0.78 ERA, 28 wins, and 31 complete games on the year. Her 15 shutouts, .146 opponent’s batting average, 397 strikeouts, and 24 earned runs allowed were all career-best marks.
D1Softball Mid-Major Coach of the Year
Sonja Garnett, Saint Mary’s
Wins over Power 4 teams, yet another conference championship, and a regional final appearance all made for a historic year for Garnett and the Gaels.
