LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University's Maddi Rutan has been named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) DI Freshman of the Year Top 25 list, recognizing the top freshman collegiate softball players across the country, announced on Thursday afternoon.
 
Thursday's honor marks the first EKU softball freshman to be named to the award in program history.  Rutan is the only student-athlete from the Atlantic Sun Conference tabbed and is one of 12 players from a mid-major program on the list.
 
Rutan, a freshman two-way player from Columbus, Indiana, is riding one of the best seasons in program history that has seen 36 wins in 42 games and was the first team in the conference to secure a spot in the league championship in early May.  She was also named the No. 5 two-way player in NCAA DI just two weeks ago by Softball America.
 
From the circle, Rutan sports a 21-3 overall record with a 1.85 ERA and 126 strikeouts.  She threw an eight-strikeout perfect game in her collegiate debut at Wofford and has thrown two additional outings allowing less than two hits.
 
Rutan is 10-0 in ASUN Conference play with a 1.38 ERA and 63 Ks, only allowing 10 earned runs in 14 appearances.  Conference opponents are hitting just .161 off the Hoosier product.
 
As of Thursday, Rutan is third in the country in wins (21) and is 12th in shutouts (6).  She's thrown 10 complete games this season in 14 starts.
 
Offensively, Rutan is batting .299 with 38 hits, 32 RBIs, and 23 runs.  She is tied for the team lead with six home runs and has added two triples to her tally.  She's a two-time ASUN Pitcher of the Week and a one-time ASUN Player of the Week.
 
Rutan and the Colonels (36-6, 17-1 ASUN) return to action on Saturday with a doubleheader against North Florida on the road.  EKU leads the ASUN Conference by 3.0 games and just needs four wins of its next six to clinch the ASUN Regular Season Championship for the first time as a member of the league, and the first time since 2018.
 
EKU has won its last eight conference series dating back to the 2023 season, six of those have been dealt via sweep.
 
NFCA Freshman of the Year Top 25 List
Lorraine Alo | DP/UTIL | Portland State
Jaysoni Beachum | INF | Florida State
Sam Buckley | INF | Saint Mary's (Calif.)
Michelle Chatfield | INF | Virginia Tech
Rosie Davis | INF | Oklahoma State
Jesse Farrell | C | UNLV
Karli Godwin | INF | Oklahoma State
Maddia Grodd | P | Southern Illinois
Jensin Hall | P | Dartmouth
Kayden Henry | OF | Texas
Teagan Henry | P | Texas
Sophia Knight | OF | Boise State
Kennedy Miller | C | Arkansas
Bridget Nemeth | P | Penn State
McKenzie Oslanzi | P | Eastern Illinois
Ella Parker | DP/UTIL | Oklahoma
Kasidi Pickering | OF | Oklahoma
Keagan Rothrock | P | Florida
Maddi Rutan | DP/P | EKU
Regan Shockey | OF | Arizona
Brooklyn Shroyer | P | Fairleigh Dickinson
Desirae Spearman | P | New Mexico State
Sophie Sun | INF | Florida State
Sonia Zhang | INF |Princeton