LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire softball team's Paige Lathrop (Jr. - South Milwaukee, Wis.) was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Player of the Year watchlist on Thursday.

The NFCA announced 119 athletes to watch for its DIII Player and Pitcher of the Year awards. Lathrop is one of 15 players from Region VIII on the watchlist.

The outfielder sports a team-best .514 batting average across the Blugolds' first 20 games of the campaign. She has scored 24 runs and driven in 15. The junior has stolen 14 bases in 17 attempts and has knocked a pair of triples this season. She was named NFCA/Louisville Slugger Division III Player of the Week two weeks ago for her performance at the Space Coast Spring Games.

Voted on by the NFCA's Division III All-American Committee, the 2025 NFCA Player and Pitcher of the Year winners will be announced on June 6 following the conclusion of the NCAA Division III Finals. All student-athletes are eligible for the end-of-the-season awards and do not have to be on this list to be considered.

The NFCA Player of the Year award was created in 2016 to honor outstanding softball achievement in NCAA Division III. In 2019, the Association expanded the award to include separate Player and Pitcher of the Year honors.

The awards are voted on by the members of the NFCA Division III All-America Committee with one head coach representing each of the 10 NCAA regions. To be eligible, a student-athlete's head coach must be a member.

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