LOUISVILLE, KY -- Four Peach Belt Conference softball players are among the 116 named to the NFCA Division II Player and Pitcher of the Year watchlist. Georgia College & State University's Kam Caldwell, Columbus State's Julianna Franklin, North Georgia's Carleigh Knowles and Flagler's Sydney Stewart were all named to the list from the southeast region.
Caldwell leads the team and is ranked fourth in the Peach Belt in batting average. A senior infielder from Athens, Ga., she is hitting .438 on the season and is ranked in the PBC's top 10 in slugging percentage, hits, on-base percentage, OPS and triples. She also leads the PBC in doubles with 15 on the season and is tied for fifth in NCAA Division II in doubles per game.
Franklin has been named a PBC Pitcher of the Week this season and leads the conference in ERA, innings pitched and strikeouts. A senior lefty from Leesburg, Ga., she is 12-7 on the season with a 1.81 ERA, 14 complete games and 120 strikeouts. She is currently 11th in NCAA Division II in strikeouts and second in innings pitched.
Knowles has twice been named the PBC Freshman of the Week and once the PBC Player of the Week this season. The Hawkinsville, Ga. native is currently hitting .419 at the plate which leads the Nighthawks and ranks fourth in the conference. Her 12 home runs lead the league and are third-most in the country and her 40 RBI also lead the PBC while ranking top 10 nationally. Knowles' 12 homers this year are already the most in program history for a freshman since Ansley Williams smacked 13 bombs back in 2011.
Stewart has twice been named the PBC Player of the Week, leading the Peach Belt with a .456 batting average. A senior infielder from Fortson, Ga., she also leads the conference in slugging percentage and on-base percentage. She is second in the PBC with 37 RBIs, tied for second with 11 doubles and third with 10 home runs.
Voted on by the NFCA’s Division II All-American Committee, the 2025 NFCA Player and Pitcher of the Year winners will be announced on May 30 following the conclusion of the NCAA Division II National Championships. All student-athletes are eligible for the end-of-the-season award and do not have to be on this list to be considered.
Previous winners of the NFCA National Player of the Year from the Peach Belt are UNG's Courtney Poole in 2015, UNG's Kylee Smith in 2018 and GSW's Zoe Willis in 2023.