Alabama Pitcher Montana Fouts Wins 2023 Honda Sport Award

Crimson Tide ace the first player in program history to win prestigious honor described as the "best of the best."

Alabama Athletics

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – For the first time in program history, an Alabama softball player has won the honor that goes to the "best of the best" in each college sport. 

Monday afternoon, Montana Fouts was named the softball winner of the Honda Sport Award. 

The winners of this year’s sport awards become finalists for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2023 Honda Cup, which will be presented live on CBS Sports Network on June 26 at 4:30 p.m. CT.

“I am so honored to be the recipient of this year’s Honda Sport Award,” Fouts said in a statement. “I want to thank the committee who chose me to represent the sport of softball and express how grateful I am to be chosen. I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today without my amazing support system. I want to thank Coach Murphy and the rest of our coaching and support staff for allowing me to live out my dream and creating this family for me the past five years that will have a piece of my heart forever. I would like to thank my family for all of the sacrifices they have made along the way to allow me to play the sport I love while being my rock. 

"To my teammates who have my back on and off the field and made me fall in love with softball all over again, they are the real rockstars. I am so grateful for this platform softball has given me and I am honored to represent my home, The University of Alabama. Giving God all of the glory, Roll Tide.”

The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards for the past 47 years to the top women athletes across 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports.

The Honda Sport Award is the 12th for Alabama, but its first for softball. Previous Crimson Tide winners include cross country runner Mercy Chelangat (2021), gymnasts Penney Hauschild (1985-86), Dee Foster (1993), Andree Pickens (2002), Jeana Rice (2004), Ashley Miles (2006), Kayla Hoffman (2011) and Kim Jacob (2014) along with golfers Brooke Pancake (2012) and Emma Talley (2015). Jacob would go on and earn Alabama’s first Honda Cup in 2014.

Fouts is the ninth of 12 nominees announced so far this year, joining Rose Zhang (Golf, Stanford) Trinity Thomas (Gymnastics, Florida), Caitlin Clark (Basketball, Iowa), Kate Douglass (Swimming and Diving, Virginia), Logan Eggleston (Texas, Volleyball), Erin Matson (Field Hockey, North Carolina), Lilly Reale (Soccer, UCLA) and Katelyn Tuohy (Cross Country, NC State). 

Honorees have yet to be announced for lacrosse, tennis and track and field. The 12 nominees will be narrowed to a top three, with the eventual Honda Cup winner coming from that group of three.

SEE ALSO: Alabama Softball Transfer Tracker