Softball

Swarthmore's Goldberg Named NFCA Division III National Rookie of the Year

Release courtesy of Swarthmore Athletic Communications

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Swarthmore College's Lilly Goldberg has been named the 2025 NFCA Division III Freshman of the Year, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced on Tuesday afternoon.
 
Goldberg, a first-team NFCA All-Region pitcher, helped lead the Garnet to a program-record 33 wins this season, their second Centennial Conference tournament championship in the past three years, and a No. 22 ranking in the penultimate NFCA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll.
 
In her first year at Swarthmore, the Pittsford, N.Y. product went 18-6 in the circle with a 1.18 earned-run average and 0.89 WHIP across 28 appearances. Goldberg pitched 14 complete games, recorded seven shutouts and allowed just 26 earned runs in 154.2 innings.
 
She struck out 6.5 more hitters (156) than she walked (24), limited batters to 5.16 hits per game, and held opponents to a .198 average. Goldberg pitched Swarthmore past 16th-ranked Gettysburg in the Centennial Conference tournament championship on May 7, and tossed a five-hitter in a victory over Messiah in the NCAA regional opener on May 15.
 
Earlier this month, Goldberg was named the 2025 Centennial Conference Rookie of the Year and also earned first team All-Centennial honors.

Wesleyan (Conn.) pitcher Jacelyn Lees (Region I), Massachusetts Institute of Technology outfielder Delaney Benevides (Region II), Nazareth third baseman Kaijah Alexander (Region III), Lebanon Valley utility-pitcher Holly Grube (Region IV), Virginia Wesleyan first baseman Morgan Tucker (Region VI), Trine second baseman Whitney Duell (Region VII), Augustana (Ill.) first baseman Aubrey Gradin (Region VIII), Loras utility-pitcher Kaili Henning (Region IX) and Hardin-Simmons pitcher Gabby Montanez (Region X) were the other nine regional finalists.
 
Half of the finalists helped lead their team to the NCAA regionals and two — Duell and Tucker — will be playing for their schools in the Division III World Series later this week. All 10 finalists earned NFCA All-Region honors this season.