MARSHALL, Texas – Given another major accolade for her play, East Texas Baptist University softball player Tristen Maddox has been named the Tucci/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III National Player of the Year. She becomes the first player in program history to earn the national player of the year award.
 
Maddox helped ETBU to the 2024 NCAA Division III National Championship while being named the Tournament MVP. She is only the second player from the State of Texas to win the award, too.
 
Below is the release from the NFCA on Maddox.
 

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NFCA Release
East Texas Baptist University senior shortstop Tristen Maddox claimed 2024 Tucci/NFCA Division III Player of the Year awards, the Association announced on Friday afternoon.
 
Earlier this week, three-time NFCA All-American Maddox helped propel the (48-3) Tigers to the NCAA Division III national championship and complete what has been a stellar senior season. The Mission, Texas, product hit .437 with 69 runs, 69 hits, 16 doubles, 17 home runs, 63 runs batted in, a 1.411 OPS and just 12 strikeouts over 197 plate appearances. She tied for second nationally in homers, was third in total bases (138) and tied for seventh in RBI, as the Tigers won the most games in program history.
 
In 181 career games, Maddox has a .393 average, 190 runs, 230 hits, 55 doubles, 40 homers, 182 RBI and a .706 slugging percentage. Over that span, East Texas Baptist has gone 153-29, made four NCAA Regional appearances, captured one Super Regional and Division III crown, and collected three American Southwest Conference tournament titles.
 
The Tucci/NFCA Player of the Year award was created in 2016 to honor outstanding softball achievement in NCAA Division III. In 2019, the Association expanded the award to include separate Player and Pitcher of the Year honors.
 
The awards are voted on by the members of the NFCA Division III All-America Committee with one head coach representing each of the 10 NCAA regions. To be eligible, a student-athlete's head coach must be a member.
 
Tucci/NFCA Player & Pitcher of the Year recipients
2024 — Tristen Maddox, East Texas Baptist (player) & Tayah Kelley, Linfield (pitcher)
2023 — Lindsey Windsor, Salisbury (player) & Kayla Simacek, Bethel (pitcher)
2022 — Kaitlyn Hasty, Christopher Newport (player) & Alexis Michon, Eastern Connecticut State (pitcher)
2021 — Jessica Goldyn, Virginia Wesleyan (player) & Hanna Hull, Virginia Wesleyan (pitcher)
2020 — no awards presented due to COVID-19
2019 — Mackenzie Chitwood, Lynchburg (player) & Ally Wiegand, Illinois Wesleyan (pitcher)
2018 — Hanna Hull, pitcher, Virginia Wesleyan
2017 — Hanna Hull, pitcher, Virginia Wesleyan
2016 — Kelsey Batten, pitcher, UT Tyler