LOUISVILLE, Ky. – For the second straight year, senior Kenzie Bessette (Cranston, R.I.) has been named a candidate for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III Player of the Year, as the organization released its Player and Pitcher of the Year Watchlist on Thursday evening.
 
The list, which includes 118 student-athletes from across the country, is divided into the 10 NCAA regions and compiled by the elected members of the NFCA Division III All-America Committee, with one head coach representing each region. Bessette is one of 13 players representing Region II and one of three from the Little East Conference (LEC), joined by sophomore Jillian Guilfoyle of Rhode Island College and senior Lauren Miner of UMass Boston.
 
Bessette is well on her way to another outstanding season. She is batting an even .500 through the team's first 18 games, a mark that ranks second in the LEC and 35th nationally. She leads the conference with 17 steals and ranks 17th in Division III with 1.13 steals per game. More than just a speedster, Bessette is also slugging .740 with six doubles, two home runs and 10 RBIs out of the leadoff spot. She has scored 18 runs and is 17-for-18 in stolen base attempts.
 
The NFCA Player of the Year award was established in 2016 to recognize outstanding softball achievement in NCAA Division III. In 2019, the association expanded the award to include separate Player and Pitcher of the Year honors.
 
Plymouth State heads to Mitchell College on Monday (Apr. 6) for a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch of game one is set for 3 p.m.