LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The National Fastpitch Coaches Association has released its watchlist for this season's Player and Pitcher Watchlist, and making that list for the Blue and Gold are Emma Duncan, Maddie Leal, and America Rubio.
 
The three members of Team 28 are three out of the four in the Great American Conference to make the list for the Central Region.
 
Emma Duncan
The local of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Canada has been the Muleriders' ace this campaign, as the grad student leads the Great American Conference in complete games (12 | 19^th DII), earned run average (1.74), hits allowed per seven innings (4.13 | 13^th DII), innings pitched (128.2 | 8^th DII), shutouts (6 | 2^nd DII), strikeouts (135 | 6^th DII), strikeouts per seven innings (7.3), and WHIP (0.91 | 13^th DII).
 
Maddie Leal
The grad student from Houston, Texas is currently the GAC's most-efficient batter in terms of average and hits, as Leal leads the league batting average (.468 | 26^th DII) and hits (52 | 21^st DII). The Texan is also the Muleriders and the GAC's most-efficient scorers, with Leal having scored 40 runs this season and ranking 18^th in DII.
 
Ame Rubio
With the GAC's third-best batting average, the El Paso, Texas local is recording .429 at the plate, as she also ranks third in the league for home runs (0.32 | 21^st DII), second in runs batted in (41 | 20^th DII), RBI per game (1.32 | 18^th DII), second in total bases (85 | 20^th DII), and second toughest to strikeout (0.019 | 18^th DII).
 
The 2026 NFCA Player of the Year and NFCA/Portolite Pitcher of the Year will be announced on May 27, the day before the start of the NCAA DII National Championships.