KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- Brianna Hughes (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland) stepped into a starting role for the Golden Bear softball team from the get go and never looked back in a season brimming with success. On Tuesday afternoon, Hughes was named the 2020-21 Kutztown University Female Freshman of the Year.
The everyday center fielder on a KU team that went 33-15 and earned the top seed in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Championships, Hughes hit .333 (54-for-162) with a team-high 47 runs scored while starting all 48 games. She produced a stellar 1.041 on-base plus slugging (OPS), 12 doubles, 11 home runs and 39 runs batted in.
It didn't take long for Hughes to show off the skills that have the makings of a program great. She connected for a double and scored three runs in her collegiate debut at Millersville, March 5. A day later, she belted homers in each half of a doubleheader against the Marauders and posted her first-career four-hit game in the nightcap.
At season's end, the Hatboro, Pa., native ranked third in the Pennsylvania Staet Athletic Conference (PSAC) in runs scored, third in total bases (105), sixth in home runs, seventh in triples (three) and 10th in RBIs. Her 47 runs scored were tied for the 10th most in a season in program history. Hughes was also a stalwart defensively, converting 65-of-66 chances with 62 putouts and three assists for a .985 fielding percentage.
League coaches voted Hughes to the All-PSAC East First Team and PSAC East Rookie of the Year. She was later selected to the D2CCA All-Atlantic Region Second Team and named a finalist for Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II National Freshman of the Year as the Atlantic Region's representative.
Hughes is the 10th recipient of the KU Female Freshman of the Year award to come from coach
Judy Lawes' softball program since its inception in 1993. Four softball student-athletes have earned the award in the last seven years.
Kutztown University's annual athletic award winners are selected from a vote of the department's administration, head coaches and support staff.
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KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS FEMALE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
| YEAR |
WINNER |
SPORT(S) |
| 1993 |
Nora Dollarton |
Volleyball |
| 1994 |
Deidre Lynn Rhodes |
Track & Field |
| 1995 |
Shannon Daggett |
Field Hockey/Track & Field |
| 1996 |
Claudine Gruver |
Swimming |
| 1997 |
Angie Rideout |
Volleyball/Track & Field |
| 1998 |
Brianne Homyak |
Basketball/Softball |
| 1999 |
Keri Suydam |
Basketball |
| 2000 |
Kellie Evans |
Softball |
| 2001 |
Jessie Didier |
Volleyball/Track & Field |
| 2002 |
Sophia Vucetaj |
Basketball |
| 2003 |
Jessica May |
Golf |
| 2004 |
Molly Lare |
Cross Country/Track & Field |
| 2005 |
Kim Kelty |
Soccer |
| 2006 |
Steph Denlinger |
Softball |
| 2007 |
Kaitlin Arbogast |
Sofball |
| 2008 |
Ashley Pinter |
Track & Field |
| 2009 |
Chelsea Bressler |
Soccer |
| 2010 |
Katie Lynch |
Softball |
| 2011 |
Erin Reynolds |
Field Hockey |
| 2012 |
Mary Kociencki |
Softball |
| 2013 |
Katie Catania |
Track & Field |
| 2014 |
Katie Miller |
Soccer |
| 2015 |
Danielle Amato |
Softball |
| 2016 |
Sara Keeny |
Softball |
| 2017 |
Maddie Mohr |
Soccer |
| 2018 |
Rylee Derr |
Basketball |
| 2019 |
Bridget Bailey (Norwood, Pa./Interboro) |
Softball |
| 2020 |
Casey Remolde |
Basketball |
| 2021 |
Brianna Hughes (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland) |
Softball |
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