Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, the creator of the Gold Glove Award that celebrates defensive excellence in baseball, announced on Wednesday that the award will be presented to NCAA Division I softball athletes for the first time in its 65-year history following the 2022 season.
Nine softball student-athletes – one at each defensive position – will earn the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, presented by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), on an annual basis, with recipients being announced at the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
The NFCA’s Division I All-American Committee will select the Gold Glove recipients during the annual All-American selection meeting held prior to the WCWS. According to an organizational press release, “the selection committee will use advanced fielding analytics, fielding statistics, strength of schedule and compilations of video to closely examine finalists and select the winners at every defensive position.
Any student-athlete competing in the current championship year who has been nominated for All-Region status and whose head coach is a member in good standing with the NFCA is eligible for consideration for this prestigious accolade.”
Only four softball players have ever won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award; for a short period, the organization presented a Gold Glove to the top defensive player in the now-defunct National Pro Fastpitch league.
One of those four previous professional winners, USSSA Pride third baseman Jessie Warren, shared her thoughts following Wednesday’s announcement.
“I think Rawlings adding this award into college athletics is AMAZING,” Warren said. “You have so many players that may be exceptional defensive players but may not have all the tools on the offensive side, so to give everyone a shot and a dream on both sides of the ball is so cool! Being a recipient of this award, it makes my heart happy.”
Although in the inaugural year of the award, it will be presented to Division I student-athletes only, Wednesday’s announcement also noted that Rawlings and the NFCA are discussing the best way to recognize and honor defensive achievement for student-athletes in all divisions for future years.
