Top 26 Finalists Announced for Freshman of the Year

The twenty-six finalists for the second-annual National Freshman of the Year award have been announced.

2016 will be the third year the award is handed out; past winners include Kasey Cooper and Annie Aldrete (2014 co-winners) and Paige Parker a season ago.

The NFCA is the co-sponsor and presenter of the award.

The group of finalists represents twenty-three different schools and thirteen conferences. Florida, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma were the only teams to place two players on the list.

The SEC is represented by nine finalists, while the Big 12 has four and the ACC, three. The Big Ten and PAC 12, along with the Big East; Big South; Big West; Northeast; MAAC; Atlantic 10; and WAC, each placed a single player on the list.

Four finalists are "younger sisters", all with an older sister currently playing collegiately, as well. Oklahoma's Sydney Romero is the sister of Michigan's Sierra, while her fellow Sooner Shay Knighten is the younger sister of Nebraska's MJ Knighten. Notre Dame's Ali Wester is the sister of 2014 award finalist Karley Wester, also her Fighting Irish teammate, and Marist's Claire Oberdorf suits up alongside her own sister Jayne for the Red Foxes.

Five clubs are represented on both the Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year lists of finalists: Florida; Florida State; Oklahoma; Auburn; and Notre Dame.

The twenty-six finalists will be cut down to the final ten on May 12th, with the top three being announced on May 25th. The winner will be announced in Oklahoma City on May 31st.

The full list of finalists can be found below:

Kelly Barnhill	Pitcher	Florida
Ashley Diaz	First Base	Arkansas
Ebonee Echols	Utility	Michigan State
Taty Forbes	Outfield	Coastal Carolina
Sydney Golden	Pitcher	Cal State Fullerton
Carsyn Gordon	Utility	Florida State
Megan Hensley	Utility	Louisville
Jessica Hughes	Second Base	Fordham
Kelsey Horton	First Base	New Mexico State
Brianna Jones	Pitcher	Southern Illinois
Shay Knighten	Infield	Oklahoma
Amanda Lorenz	Outfield	Florida
Hailey Lunderman	Shortstop	Ole Miss
Taylor Lynch	Third Base	Oklahoma State
Maggie MacBeth	Second Base	Butler
Makayla Martin	Pitcher	Auburn
Keeli Milligan	Outfield	Texas A&M
Meehra Nelson	Pitcher	Oregon State
Hayley Norton	Outfield	Saint Francis
Claire Oberdorf	Utility	Marist
Sydney Romero	Infield	Oklahoma
Samantha Show	Pitcher	Texas A&M
Sydney Smith	Pitcher	LSU
Brooke Vines	Outfield	Tennessee
Kyla Walker	Utility	Baylor
Ali Wester	Utiltiy	Notre Dame