LOUISVILLE, KY -- Georgia Southwestern's Zoe Willis was named the National Player of the Year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA).  It is the second national player of the year award for Willis, who was also received the D2CCA award last week.

She becomes the first PBC player to receive the honor since the NFCA split their year-end honor into Player and Pitcher categories in 2019.  North Georgia pitchers Kylee Smith (2018) and Courtney Poole (2015) were also named the NFCA Players of the Year when the organization had just the one post-season honor.

Willis is coming off a historic 2023 season that saw her lead NCAA Division II with 25 home runs. That is the second-highest single-season total in PBC history. The junior from Pine Mountain, Ga., was named the PBC Player of the Year for the second year in a row and the D2CCA Southeast Region Player of the Year. She was tied for the PBC lead (with Corbin) in slugging percentage and was fourth in RBIs, second in runs scored, second in OPS and second in batting average. After three seasons in Americus, Willis is currently seventh in career home runs.

She also pitched, making 16 starts and 26 appearances for 104.2 total innings to lead the team. She was 14-3 in the circle with a 2.54 ERA and 99 total strikeouts.

TUCCI/NFCA DII Player & Pitcher of the Year Winners

2023 – Zoe Willis, Georgia Southwestern State (Player) / Tatum Goff, UT Tyler (Pitcher)

2022 – Kayson Boatner, Anderson (Player) / Andrea Morales, Rogers State (Pitcher)

2021 – Shanna McBroom, West Texas A&M (Player) / Morgan Perry, Saint Anselm (Pitcher)

2019 – Julia Seader, LIU Post (Player) / Allison Lipovsky, Grand Valley State (Pitcher)

2018 – Kylee Smith, North Georgia

2017 – Coley Ries, Minnesota State

2016 – Lindsay Butler, Wayne State University

2015 – Courtney Poole, North Georgia

The NFCA began awarding a Player and Pitcher of the Year in 2019. 

Award not presented in 2020.