It took all of one day for Arizona’s Sydney Stewart to one-up herself.
After being named a second-team All-American by D1Softball on Tuesday, Stewart earned first-team honors from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
Arizona's Sydney Stewart awaits a pitch vs. Houston at Hillenbrand Stadium, April 24, 2026.
The NFCA All-American team is considered the most prestigious in the sport of softball. Stewart is the Wildcats’ first first-teamer since fellow catcher Dejah Mulipola in 2021. Stewart and teammate Devyn Netz earned second-team recognition last year.
Stewart was named the 2026 Big 12 Player of the Year after ending the regular season atop the league in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, home runs, RBIs and walks drawn.
The senior catcher finished the season slashing .390/.534/.919 with a 1.453 OPS, 20 home runs, 76 RBIs and 42 walks. Her career slugging percentage of .866 is the highest in program history.
People are also reading…
The NFCA All-American teams are constructed like real rosters, including “at-large” positions (i.e., reserves). Stewart made the 18-player first team as the at-large catcher.
Contact sports reporter/columnist Michael Lev at mlev@tucson.com. On X (Twitter): @michaeljlev. On Bluesky: @michaeljlev.bsky.social
Michael Lev
Sports Reporter/Columnist
Salpointe, CDO titles cinch Southern Arizona’s superiority in prep softball | Michael Lev
