LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Softball) – The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) announced its shortened NFCA/Schutt Sports Division III National Player of the Year watch list on Friday. The inaugural watch list was first announced on March 5 with 50 players recognized. The list is now down to 25 with many of the teams entering their final weekend of the regular-season. The Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth (MAC Commonwealth) has two of 25 players named to the watch list, including Lebanon Valley’s junior Sammy Bost and Messiah’s sophomore Carrie Fix.
 
Bost set the NCAA record across all three divisions for consecutive stolen bases (79) earlier this week and broke LVC's single-season program records for hits (65) and runs scored (48) this spring. The team's lead-off hitter upped her career triples record to 15 and recently tied the career record for runs scored with 122.

Bost's .546 batting average is tops in the MAC Commonwealth by more than 100 points. She also leads the league in hits, runs scored, on-base percentage (.574), and triples (5). She ranks second among conference players with 25 stolen bases and fourth with a .664 slugging percentage.
 
Fix, a sophomore pitcher/utility player for the Falcons, is batting .382 with 47 hits and a conference-leading 17 doubles. From the mound, Fix has a 9-2 record for the seventh-most wins in the conference. She currently has a 2.77 ERA to rank ninth-best in the conference.
 
Fix also ranked in the top-5 of the conference in runs score (32), hits (47), hit-by-pitch (8) and at-bats (123). She also ranks in the top-10 in slugging percentage (.618), on-base percentage (.445), triples 3)

The list is a collaborative effort between the NFCA’s Division III Head Coaches and All-America committees. The original list of 50 players contained 26 returning NFCA All-Americans, including four first-team honorees, nine second-team selections and 13 from last year’s third team. The remaining 24 members of the first group all earned first team NFCA All-Region recognition last season.

Thirteen players from the initial list made the cut to 25, while the remaining 12 players are newcomers. 

The next list in two weeks will narrow the field to 10, and, after that, three finalists will be chosen. The winner will be announced following the completion of the NCAA Division III Tournament in May.

Schutt Sports and the NFCA are also presenting a Division III National Freshman of the Year award for the first time this season.