Indiana Softball's Taryn Kern Named Top 3 TUCCI/NFCA National Freshman of the Year Finalist

Indiana second baseman Taryn Kern is in the top three for YUCCI/NFCA National Freshman of the Year. The rookie is currently second in the nation with 23 home runs on the season and is the reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Thursday afternoon Indiana softball's Taryn Kern was named a top three finalist for the TUCCI/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association committee announced.

The second baseman from San Jose, Calif. started all 62 games for Indiana and finished with a .404 batting average, the best of all Hoosier starters. Kern broke the program's single season home run (23), RBI (68) and runs (68) records as she earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year and was selected to All-Big Ten First Team. 

She leads the Big Ten in eight offensive categories including slugging percentage (.930), on base percentage (.575), OPS (1.505), runs scored, RBI, home runs, walks (45) and hit by pitch (23). 

She's currently second in the nation in total homers behind Tennessee's Kiki Milroy, who has 25 and counting on the season. The Volunteers, who took out the Hoosiers in their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011, will face No. 8 seed Texas on Friday in the Super Regionals.

Indiana may have exited the tournament in the regional round but still had an excellent season finishing 44-18 under sixth year head coach Shonda Stanton. Before the NCAA Tournament, Stanton talked about why Kern was such a threat to opponents all season long with more to come. 

[Kern] is with the best of the best," she said. "She's elite. She's got one of the best arcs I've ever seen, but I think what separates her as a freshman is her mindset. She has her mindset and has the methods, so when you have those two things and you're a smart hitter and you work hard, she knows what it takes to be successful. She knows what she needs. She puts her mindset and methods to work, and that's a fun thing to watch as a coach."

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