Lowe tabbed finalist for NFCA National Freshman of the Year

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Behind one of the best debut season by an Auburn pitcher in program history, Shelby Lowe was tabbed one of 30 finalists for the 2021 Schutt Sports/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I National Freshman of the Year award, the association revealed on Thursday.
 
The Schutt Sports / NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year award was created in 2014 to honor outstanding athletic achievement among Division I freshmen softball student-athletes. Former Tiger Kasey Cooper and Tennessee's Annie Aldrete shared the award in its inaugural season. Cooper is Auburn's lone winner of the award.
 
To be eligible, student-athletes must be nominated by their member head coach. With the cancellation of last year's season due to COVID-19, candidates hail from the 2020 and 2021 freshman classes. Due to having two freshman classes eligible for the award, an additional five players have been added to the traditional top 25. Lowe was one of six honorees from the Southeastern Conference, which was the most candidates by any conference.
 
A left-hander from Carrollton, Ala., Lowe leads the SEC with a 1.06 earned run average. Lowe has allowed just 20 earned runs through her team-leading 132.1 innings pitched. Her ERA is the lowest recorded by an Auburn freshman in program history. She is also currently tied with Kristen Keyes for the program's single-season ERA record.
 
Lowe also leads the league with a 7.57 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 1.11 walks allowed per seven innings average. Lowe has only issued 21 walks through her 23 appearances this season.
 
With 13 wins to her credit, Lowe has tossed 11 complete games, three of which have been shutout performances. She has fanned at least 10 batters in seven of her appearances this season and ranks fifth in the SEC with an 8.4 strikeouts per seven innings average.
 
She leads all SEC true freshmen and ranks fifth overall in the league with 159 strikeouts. She is just the fifth Auburn freshman in program history to record 100 strikeouts in a season and the first to do so since Marcy Harper in 2013.
 
Lowe's 159 strikeouts are currently the third most in program history by a freshman. She just needs 12 strikeouts to not only move into second all-time by an Auburn freshman but to also jump into 10th in Auburn single-season history for most strikeouts. Auburn has not added a new entry in its top 10 season strikeout performances since the 2010 season.
 
Earlier this season, Lowe put together the eighth longest scoreless inning streak in program history, not allowing a run in 24.1 consecutive innings.
 
She is a two-time SEC Freshman of the Week winner, joining teammate Maddie Penta and Anna Thompson (2007) as the only Auburn pitchers to win multiple SEC Freshman of the Week honors in a season.
 
On May 13, the NFCA will trimmed down the list to its top 10 finalists. The final three candidate will be released on May 27.  The 2021 Schutt Sports / NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year will be announced on June 1.