Oklahoma's Kendall Wells Wins National Award

 Oklahoma catcher Kendall Wells was named the winner of National Fastpitch Coaches Association Freshman of the Year on Tuesday.

Wells beat out teammate Kai Minor and Nebraska's Alexis Jensen for the award. Minor and Jensen were the other finalists for the award.

Wells is the fifth Sooners freshman to win the award and the first since Jordy Bahl in 2022.

Tiare Jennings won the award in 2021, Jocelyn Alo in 2018 and Paige Parker in 2015.

Wells, from Bogart, Ga., set NCAA freshman and OU program record with 39 home runs.

She was named SEC Freshman of the Year and was a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 10 Finalist.

Wells spent most of the season leading the nation in home runs. She set an SEC record for home runs March 31, set the NCAA and OU single-season freshman home run mark April 10, and broke Alo's program record for home runs in a season April 24.

Wells finished the season hitting .358 with 88 RBIs, 70 runs scored, three doubles, 40 walks, a 1.028 slugging percentage and a .480 on-base percentage.

She opened the season by hitting a game-winning two-run home run in Oklahoma's season-opening win over Arizona State on Feb. 5.

Wells had six multi-home run games this season, with the first coming Feb. 19 against San Diego State. The most recent game in Friday's 11-9 loss to Mississippi State in the opening game of the Norman Super Regional when she hit a two-run home run in the third inning and a go-ahead, three-run shot in the sixth.

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The Sooners went on to drop two of three in the Super Regional to miss the Women's College World Series for the first time since 2015.

Wells was excellent in the series, though, going 5 for 11 with three runs and seven RBIs.

She was also named Softball America's Freshman of the Year, and earned a place on the site's Freshman All-America team and was also a first-team All-American by the site.

Wells and Minor made up one of the best freshmen duos in college softball history.

Minor hit .444 with 11 home runs, 18 doubles, seven triples, 11 home runs and 45 RBIs to go along with 70 runs scored. Minor also stole 17 bases.

Wells' home run total is second-most in a season in NCAA history, behind only UCLA's Megan Grant, who has 40 heading into the WCWS.