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Nebraska Softball Phenom Named Top 3 Finalist for Freshman of the Year

The winner of the award will be announced on Tuesday, May 26, prior to the start of the WCWS in Oklahoma City.
Maren Angus-Coombs|
Nebraska softball's Alexis Jensen is a top 3 finalist for the 2026 NFCA Freshman of the Year.
Nebraska softball's Alexis Jensen is a top 3 finalist for the 2026 NFCA Freshman of the Year. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

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Nebraska CornhuskersNebraska Cornhuskers

Alexis Jensen was named one of the three finalists for the 2026 NFCA Division I Freshman of the Year award, the organization announced on Thursday afternoon.

Jensen joins Oklahoma’s Kai Minor and Kendall Wells as the top three freshmen. The winner of the award will be announced on Tuesday, May 26, prior to the start of the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.

The 2026 Big Ten Freshman of the Year has helped Nebraska to its second consecutive NCAA Super Regional and first home Super Regional in program history.

Jensen leads all freshmen with 210 strikeouts this year and ranks 14th nationally. She is 24-2 with a 2.45 ERA and three shutouts over 145.2 innings of work. Her 210 strikeouts and 24 wins tie the Huskers’ single-season freshman strikeouts and wins records. 

The Gretna, Neb., native has appeared in 33 games and started 24. She as held her opposition to a .205 batting average and issued just 22 walks for a 6.18 strikeout-to-walk ratio, fourth best in the NCAA. She also contributes with her bat, hitting .329 with six home runs, 17 RBI and 13 runs scored.

At the plate, Jensen has a .329 batting average with six homers and four doubles, along with 17 RBIs.

2026 marks just the second time in Oklahoma program history and the third time in the history of the award that two players on the same team were named TUCCI/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Freshman of the Year Top 3 Finalists.

The first instance came in Florida's Amanda Lorenz and Kelly Barnhill were named finalists in 2016. In 2021, OU's Jayda Coleman and Tiare Jennings were selected as finalists.

Kai Minor, Oklahoma Sooners

Centerfielder Kai Minor has started 53 games in center field for the Sooners, tallying a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.

Minor leads all freshmen nationally in batting average (.446) and is tied with Wells for the team lead in runs. Minor also paces the team in hits (79), doubles (17), triples (six), and stolen bases (17).

The Irvine, Calif., native has recorded 27 multi-hit games, leading the Sooners, two of which came last weekend when she hit a double and home run in a pair of games in the Norman Regional.

Kendall Wells, Oklahoma Sooners

Kendall Wells has been a rockstar behind the plate and in the linep for the Sooners this season.

The Bogart, Ga., native set the Southeastern Conference, NCAA freshman and OU single-season home run records this year, standing with 37, which is tied for second in NCAA single-season history.

Wells has 81 RBIs on the year, which leads the team, while her 1.030 slugging percentage is best in the SEC and fifth in the country. 

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Maren Angus-Coombs
MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. She has been covering college softball since 2016 and spent the 2023 season covering Husker Softball for Hail Varsity. In addition to All Huskers, she is a staff writer for the Los Angeles Sports Report.

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