Alabama softball player Audrey Vandagriff has been named one of three finalists for the 2025 NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year award, according to an announcement from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
Vandagriff becomes the third freshman from Alabama to be named a top-three finalist for this national honor. She follows in the footsteps of Alexis Osorio, who was a finalist in 2015, and Montana Fouts, who achieved the same distinction in 2019. Vandagriff, who is from Bogart, Georgia, leads the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and ranks second nationally with 50 stolen bases. This achievement makes her only the third player in Alabama program history to surpass 50 stolen bases in a single season. The last time an Alabama player reached this milestone was in 2011 when Kayla Braud, now an assistant coach with the team, stole 58 bases as a sophomore.
In addition to her base-stealing numbers, Vandagriff also leads Alabama’s team in several key categories: batting average (.406), hits (69), runs scored (51), doubles (eight), and walks (37).
The winner of the NFCA Freshman of the Year award will be announced on May 27 in Oklahoma City before the start of the Women’s College World Series. The other two finalists are Taylor Shumaker from Florida and Rylee McCoy from Oregon.
