(UW OSHKOSH COMMUNICATIONS) – UW-Oshkosh pitcher Kiran Sanford was voted the 2026 National Fastpitch Coaches Association NCAA Division III Freshman of the Year, the organization announced on Tuesday (May 26).
Sanford becomes the first player from Region VIII to be named Freshman of the Year since the award debuted in 2016. She was previously named the NFCA Region VIII Freshman of the Year, NFCA All-Region VIII First Team, WIAC Pitcher of the Year, WIAC Newcomer of the Year and All-WIAC First Team. Sanford was also tabbed WIAC Pitcher of the Week on four occasions.
Sanford compiled a 16-4 record with one save, a 1.41 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 10 complete games, six shutouts, a .215 opponent batting average and 168 strikeouts in 139 innings pitched across 29 appearances, including 24 starts. She currently ranks 11th in the country in strikeouts, 14th in strikeouts per seven innings (8.5) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.22), 18th in WHIP, 23rd in shutouts and 25th in ERA.
Sanford, who allowed three earned runs or fewer during each of her 29 outings, helped the Titans to a 33-10-1 record overall as Oshkosh won the WIAC regular season title and the NCAA Division III Championship St. Louis Regional crown before falling in the Jackson (Miss.) Super Regional to finish the year tied for ninth in the nation.
Sanford was the ace of an Oshkosh pitching staff that produced a 1.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 14 shutouts, a .213 opponent batting average and 317 strikeouts in 309.1 innings. The staff’s strikeout and shutout totals are fourth most in program history while ranking sixth and 10th, respectively, in WIAC history.
Sanford, who won 16 of her first 17 decisions this season, tossed shutouts against St. Norbert College (one-hitter), Ramapo University (N.J.) (two-hitter), UW-La Crosse (two-hitter), Marian University (two-hitter), UW-River Falls (three-hitter) and UW-Eau Claire (four-hitter). She also recorded four 10-plus strikeout performances, punching out 18 against St. Norbert, 13 against Ramapo, and 10 against both Illinois College and UW-Whitewater on the way to fanning 30 percent of the batters she faced this year. Sanford’s 18 strikeouts versus St. Norbert are tied for the second most in WIAC history and tied for fifth most by a Division III player this year.
Oshkosh won at least 30 games for the fourth straight year and the ninth time in program history. The Titans also extended their WIAC record to 22 consecutive full seasons with 20 or more victories.
The other finalists for the NFCA Freshman of the Year award were Tufts University (Mass.) shortstop Paige Murphy in Region I, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Mass.) pitcher Abby Merchant in Region II, Nazareth University (N.Y.) outfielder Alexis Brown in Region III, Stockton University (N.J.) first baseman Camryn Harry in Region IV, Muhlenberg College shortstop Josie Hoffacker in Region V, (Pa.) Piedmont University (Ga.) shortstop Anslee Saunchegraw in Region VI, Heidelberg University (Ohio) shortstop Cara Meyer in Region VII, Bethany Lutheran College (Minn.) designated player Olivia Sanborn in Region IX, and East Texas Baptist University shortstop Emma Boren in Region X.
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 Division III 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.
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