LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Fresh off her All-Region selection, Lebanon Valley Softball standout Holly Grube was named a finalist for the National Freshman of the Year award on Wednesday afternoon in a release by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA).
 
Grube finished the year with a .450 batting average which ranks sixth in the region. Her 63 hits are tied for fourth in the region while her on-base percentage of .510 is tied for seventh and her slugging percentage of .650 is 10th. Inside the pitching circle, the first-year made 28 appearances which was tied for the third-most in the region and recorded the eighth-most shutouts with four. Nationally, Grube ranks in the top 100 in batting average, hits, total bases, pitching appearances, saves, walks allowed per seven innings, and shutouts.
 
The second baseman/pitcher had 18 multi-hits games including eight games with three hits. During the season she had a team-best 15-game hitting streak and had six games with multi-RBI. One of her best games of the season was in an 8-1 victory over Misericordia during the MAC Freedom Tournament when she went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a season-high four RBIs and one run scored. Grube had three hits against two NCAA Tournament qualifiers as she went 3-for-4 and earned the win in relief during a nine-inning 8-7 victory over Concordia Wisconsin and she went 3-for-4 in a 10-4 defeat at Gettysburg. In the circle one of her top games was a four-strikeout and three-hit shutout in six innings as the Dutchmen defeated NCAA Tournament qualifier Johnson & Wales (R.I.) 8-0 in Florida.
 
Grube is LVC's first National Freshman of the Year finalist. The award annually honors the outstanding athletic achievement of freshmen in NCAA Division III. The regional finalists and the winner are chosen by the NFCA All-America Committee, which includes one representative for each of the 10 regions. To be eligible, student-athletes must come from an NFCA member institution.

NFCA Division III National Freshman of the Year winners
2024 – Tyler McNeley, P, Linfield
2023 – Debbie Hill, Utility/Pitcher, Trine
2022 – Jamie Martin, P, Christopher Newport
2021 – Kenzie Dore, DP, Husson
2020 – (no award)
2019 – Kaitlyn Hasty, 3B, Christopher Newport
2018 – Ashley Perez, C, UT Tyler
2017 – Hanna Hull, P, Virginia Wesleyan
2016 – Kandis Kresinske, P, Virginia Wesleyan

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