MONTEVALLO, Ala. – Senior infielder Sierra Easterwood finished her career as one of the most decorated players in Falcons softball history. On Monday, Easterwood added another accolade to the list as the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced the 2022 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II National Player and Pitcher of the Year Top Twenty-five list. The list of student-athletes are selected from softball programs across the country 

Easterwood led the Falcons in 2022, batting .395, with a slugging percentage of .901. She was at the top of the list in nearly every offensive category, leading in runs scored, hits, RBIs, doubles, triples and home runs. Her 20 home runs set a new school record for a single season. She also concludes her career as the Falcons all-time career home run leader with 31. 

Easterwood was a First Team All-Gulf South Conference selection. She finished the season as the league leader in slugging, runs scored (52), RBI (59), and home runs. Easterwood was also sixth among GSC leaders in hits (64) and seventh-overall in batting average.

The Player of the Year award was created in 2015 to honor the outstanding athletic achievements among softball student-athletes throughout NCAA Division II. 

In 2019, the Association expanded the award to include a Player and Pitcher of the Year. The list is compiled and the award is voted on by the elected members of the NFCA Division II All-American Committee with one head coach representing each of the eight NCAA regions. To be eligible, a student-athlete's head coach must be a member.

The list features a graduate student, 10 seniors, nine juniors, four sophomores, and one freshman representing 25 programs from 15 different conferences. 

The California Collegiate Athletics Association, Gulf South Conference and the Lone Star Conference each had three honorees. The Great Lakes Valley Conference, Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association and the South Atlantic Conference earned two plaudits apiece.