HUNTSVILLE | The Tucci/NFCA Division II National Player & Pitcher of the Year Watch List was announced on Thursday afternoon, and The University of Alabama in Huntsville softball team was represented by Katie Bracken amongst the 15 players represented on the watch list from the South Region.
 
A native of Decatur, Alabama, Bracken has been one of the best pitchers in the Gulf South Conference in her first collegiate season, as she boasts a league-leading 1.18 ERA over 65.0 innings to go along with 85 strikeouts.
 
She has twice recorded a no-hitter in her freshman campaign, holding opponents to a GSC-best .141 batting average against. Bracken additionally enters the weekend series at Delta State with a 9-0 record over her 10 starts so far in 2023.
 
New in 2023, the list is broken down into the eight NCAA Regions (Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, South Central, Southeast and West) with up to 15 student-athletes represented in each region. The list is compiled and the award is voted on by the elected members of the NFCA Division II All-American Committee with one head coach representing each of the eight NCAA regions. To be eligible, a student-athlete's head coach must be a member.
 
Voted on by the NFCA's Division II All-American Committee, the 2023 Tucci/NFCA Player and Pitcher of the Year will be announced on June 1. All student-athletes are eligible for the end-of-the-season award and do not have to be on this list to be considered.