Alabama softball ace named Pitcher of the Year

By WVUA 23 Sports Reporter Juliet Brown

Montana Fouts career at the Capstone may be over, but the accolades are still rolling in almost a month after the season ended. Softball America named Fouts the 2023 NCAA Pitcher of the Year Monday morning.

The honor from Softball America is the latest in a string of awards. Earlier this month, she became the first Alabama softball player to receive the Honda Sport Award for Softball from the Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards. Fouts is also a four-time First-Team All-SEC member, a four-time USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Finalist, and the 2021 NFCA Pitcher of the Year.

This season was a rollercoaster for the fifth-year senior. A lot of weight was put on Fouts’ shoulders this season as the team was inconsistent. She pitched in 44 of the 67 games Alabama played. The Grayson, KY native finished the year with a 25-11 record and a 1.49 ERA which was the second-lowest of her career. Fouts suffered a nearly season-ending injury against Arkansas during the SEC Tournament and managed to pitch two weeks later at the Tuscaloosa Super Regionals. While the season didn’t end the way the team hoped, Fouts’ impact on Alabama softball will be felt for years to come.

Fouts ended her career with 100 wins and over 1100 strikeouts. She ranks among the top five in program history for numerous categories including ERA (5th), opponent batting average (T-3rd), and strikeouts per seven innings pitched (3rd).