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We continue our list of the Top 15 Softball Stories of 2021, which will run through December 31st when we’ll present our No. 1 story of the year.
Here are the previous stories (clink on link to read):
- #15… FAU’s Riley Ennis Feels Her Team’s Support After Hurricane Devastation
- #14… Four Football Helmets, One Anonymous Bidder, and a Difference Made for ULM Softball
- #13… High School & Club Coaching Great Mark Campbell Remembered in Collegiate Classic Bearing His Name
- #12… TV Ratings Continue to Climb – & Viewership Records Set – on Softball Telecasts
- #11… Former Softballer Rachel Balkovec Makes History in Professional Baseball
- #10… The Transfer Portal Winds On; Are College Superteams Now a Thing?
- #9… Mental & Emotional Health Pressures Lead to Anxiety, Depression & Even Suicides in Young Athletes
- #8… Carol Hutchins Retires as the NCAA All-Time Wins Leader
Also, on New Year’s Day 2023, we’ll list all 15 of the top stories of the year as well as run 15 more that were considered.
We’ve surveyed the softball community and talked internally as well to come up with what were the most impactful and relevant stories of the year pertaining to the world of fastpitch softball.
Where applicable, we are providing the text to the original articles and/or references when the story first happened.
- Click Here to see the Top 15 Stories of 2021
- Click Here to see the Top 15 Stories of 2020
- Click Here to see the Top 15 Stories of 2019
- Click Here to see the Top 15 Stories of 2018
To provide comments, insights or thoughts, email: [email protected].
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Today’s Story of the Year: #7:
Rawlings Gold Gloves Expand to College Softball
For decades, the Gold Glove has been one of the premier awards handed out after every Major League Baseball season. Designed to spotlight and honor players strictly for their defensive prowess, the Gold Glove is a known commodity among even general sports fans.
A few years back, Rawlings brought the award to softball when they handed out a single Gold Glove award to the top defender in the National Pro Fastpitch professional league. Only four players received the award before the NPF went defunct as an entity.
Gold Gloves in softball did not go away, though, when Rawlings announced this spring that they would hand out the awards to elite defenders in college softball. The college awards followed the classic MLB format, with one disbursed per defensive position.
Elite and well-known defenders like Florida’s Hannah Adams and Northwestern’s Jordyn Rudd were part of the inaugural class. College softball’s first Gold Gloves got the attention and prestige they deserved.
Then this fall, Rawlings expanded even that offering, announcing they would award Gold Gloves to defenders at every collegiate division. Players at Division II, Division III, and beyond will receive the award in 2023 and beyond.
Below, you can check out our write-ups from the spring announcement and this winter’s announcement of the Gold Gloves’ expansion. These awards were and are prestigious and the award winners have one of the most recognizable trophies in sports.
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Rawlings to Present Gold Glove Awards to College Softball Players for First Time
Originally published February 16, 2022 on Extra Inning Softball
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.
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Rawlings Announces Gold Glove Expansion; Award Now to be Presented Across Multiple Levels of College Softball
Originally published December 3, 2022 on Extra Inning Softball
Rawlings Gold Glove awards were handed out to college softball players for the first time ever in 2022. Now the company is expanding the award to new levels.
In the inaugural presentation, Gold Gloves were awarded to the best defenders at each defensive position in Division 1. Players including Northwestern catcher Jordyn Rudd and Florida second baseman Hannah Adams were among the recipients following the 2022 college softball season.
Announced on Monday, Gold Gloves will be awarded to stellar defenders at multiple levels of college softball beginning in 2023.
In addition to Division 1 athletes, Gold Gloves will be presented to athletes from Division II, Division III, and NAIA, as well as NJCAA Divisions I, II, and III, the California Community College Athletic Association, and Northwest Athletic Association.
Julie Tobyansen, the softball sport marketing manager for Rawlings, said in a statement:
“We believe in honoring the women who are growing the game of softball through their excellent defensive play and work ethic. We want to recognize the talented women playing at all collegiate levels who are worthy and deserving of the honor associated with being a Rawlings Gold Glover.”
For the inaugural D1 Gold Gloves, the award’s winners were decided on by the NFCA’s D1 All-American committee. The NFCA will facilitate selecting the award’s winners in each of the multiple levels that are now eligible.