2025 Diamond Sports/NFCA Catcher of the Year collegiate recap

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Over the course of the NFCA’s 2025 collegiate awards season, the Association recognized nine student-athletes as Diamond Sports/NFCA Catchers of the Year. Announced during a division’s All-America or Major Awards release, the distinction is bestowed on the student-athlete who was voted a first-team All-America catcher.

The NFCA All-America teams are voted on by the Association’s All-America Committees, or in the case of NJCAA Division III, Cal JC and NWAC, teams are voted on by the respective membership’s head coaches. The High School recipient will be announced on July 18.

This year’s collegiate Diamond Sports Catcher of the Year recipients are as follows:

NCAA Division I

Reese Atwood – University of Texas

Atwood, a unanimous All-American, was pivotal in Texas’ run to its first-ever Women’s College World Series title. She was the first Longhorn with 20 or more home runs in back-to-back seasons and finished with a team-best 21 in 2025. Atwood led Division I with 89 RBI, which was the second most in program history, one behind her own record of 90 set just last season. She also batted .393 with 13 doubles, 41 walks, .504 on-base percentage, .822 slugging percentage and 1.326 OPS.

NCAA Division II

Carleigh Knowles – University of North Georgia

Knowles enjoyed a successful freshman campaign for the NightHawks. Not only was Knowles a first-team NFCA All-American, she was named the Association’s Division II Freshman of the Year. She batted .384 with a single-season program record 21 home runs, tied for second in Division II, powering UNG to a NCAA DII Softball Championship. Knowles knocked in 70 run, slugged .803, reached base at a .443 clip and swiped 13 bases. She finished ranked fifth in RBI, fifth in total bases and tied for 17th in slugging.

NCAA Division III

Annabelle Calderon – Denison University

Calderon, a repeat recipient of the award, boasted a .983 fielding average with just three errors in 179 defensive chances for the Big Red. Calderon also batted a team-leading .458, with 41 runs, 55 hits, 20 doubles, 11 home runs, 39 RBI, a .917 slugging average, .549 on-base percentage and 1.466 OPS across 39 games.

NAIA

Tiffany Paul – Oklahoma City University

Paul batted .442 for the national runner-up Stars this season, with 77 runs, 96 hits, 17 doubles, nine triples, 19 home runs and 75 runs batted in. She ranked in the NAIA’s top four in most offensive categories, including runs (2nd), home runs (3rd), total bases (3rd – 185), hits (4th) and RBI (4th), along with being ranked eighth in slugging (.856) and ninth in triples. On defense, she gunned down 15 of 36 runners attempting to steal (41.7 percent) and made just four errors in 261 fielding chances (228 putouts, 29 assists, .985 fielding percentage) behind the plate.

NJCAA Division I

Gabriela Sosa – Paris Junior College

Sosa won two-thirds of the NJCAA DI triple crown with 41 home runs and 117 RBI. She also led the Division with a 1.197 slugging percentage and 219 total bases to go along with 66 runs scored, a .545 batting average and .547 on-base percentage. Sosa homered more than once in 15 games, including a three-home run outing against Hill College. She drove in a season-high seven runs versus Hill and recorded four more contests with five RBI.

NJCAA Division II

Katie Hoffmann – Phoenix College

Hofmann made just two errors in 222 chances for Phoenix (54-8). She had only two passed balls, and, of the eight runners who attempted to steal on her, she cut down two. On offense, Hofmann batted .483 with 46 runs, 84 hits, nine doubles, 21 homers, 97 RBI and 44 walks over 61 games.

NJCAA Division III

Caitlyn Dannenfelzer – North Dakota State College of Science

Dannenfelzer, who was also the NFCA NJCAA DIII Player of the Year, batted .384 with 10 doubles, four triples, seven home runs, 52 RBI and 75 runs scored. She swiped 40 bases, drew 29 walks and reached base at a .472 clip. She ranked top-10 national in runs scored (3rd), stolen bases (5th), walks (5th), base hits (8th-68). Dannenfelzer sported a .988 fielding percentage and threw out nine runners attempting to steal.

Cal JC

Morgan Kneubuhler – Mt. San Antonio College

Kneubuhler starred behind the dish and at the plate again this season for the (26-15) Mounties. She made just one error in 147 chances at catcher (136 putouts, 10 assists) and threw out five of 12 runners attempting to steal, while also hitting .394 with 24 runs, 39 hits, seven doubles, a triple, seven homers, 33 RBI and a 1.139 OPS. Kneubuhler was voted the South Region NFCA Cal JC All-America catcher and Diamond Catcher for a second straight year.

NWAC

Brooklyn Loose – Lower Columbia College

Loose, the second consecutive Diamond Catcher from LCC, batted .480 with 18 home runs, 64 RBI and 73 runs scored. She slugged .947 and reached base at a .548 clip. Additionally, Loose was NWAC’s Rawlings Gold Glove recipient, posting a .997 fielding percentage and throwing out seven of nine base runners attempting to steal (.778).

About Diamond Sports

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The NFCA is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded awards program, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from podcasts to and extensive drills database, to in-person events and National Convention.

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Diamond Sports/NFCA Catcher of the Year