Bryce Hayes
SEGUIN, Texas — Texas Lutheran freshman Caelee Clark (Montgomery/Lake Creek) has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2023 TUCCI/NFCA Division-III National Freshman of the Year award, the NFCA announced the list Monday.
Clark was dominant in her first-year campaign with the Bulldogs. Clark, a member of the 2023 Tucci/NFCA Player of the Year Watch List, finished the season batting .407 with a homer, six doubles, a triple, and 25 RBI, earning SCAC Player of the Year and NFCA All-West Region Second Team honors in the process.
The Montgomery, Texas, native leads the NCAA across all divisions with 66 stolen bases so far this season. Clark led the SCAC in runs (59), hits (61), walks (31), stolen bases, and on-base percentage (.503) as an everyday starter at second base. Historically, her 66 stolen bases is currently tied for the second most all-time in a single season, while her 31 walks in a season is a new program and SCAC conference record and 59 runs scored sits second in a single TLU and SCAC season. Clark has registered a hit in 37 of her 48 games played, recorded 18 multi-hit efforts and from March 24th to April 14th orchestrated an impressive 14-game hit streak in a win over Southwestern on April 5th, Clark tied the SCAC single-game record with six steals. Clark also holds a .966 fielding percentage in the field at second base with 90 putouts, 50 assists and six double plays.
She is the first first-year athlete to win SCAC Player-of-the-Year honors since Dallas’ Jade Miller shared the honor with TLU’s Kaymee Gooden back in 2017.
Clark seeks to become the first Bulldog to win the award since the award began in 2016.
The winner of the 2023 TUCCI/NFCA Division III Freshman of the Year award will be announced on May 30.
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