D1 Rookie of the Year: Tiare Jennings

Now that everyone caught their breath after the longest Women’s College World Series on record, it’s time to sit back and celebrate the best and brightest of the 2021 season. We’ll hand out a slew of D1Softball awards in the coming days, leading up to the reveal of the first D1Softball Nine — the most exclusive club in college softball. 

2021 D1Softball Rookie of the Year: Tiare Jennings, 2B, Oklahoma

Let’s start with the easiest call of them all, with someone who hit a home run in her first at-bat as a collegian and never looked back. Jennings would have led the nation in slugging percentage (1.000) in two of the past six seasons. She would have led the nation in RBIs (92) in each of the past seven seasons. Total bases? She would have led Division I in those in each of the past 13 seasons. Not led among freshmen, mind you. Led the nation. Everyone. 

Jennings led the nation in doubles, setting an Oklahoma single-season record with 25, and ranked second nationally with 27 home runs. No other player had even 20 of each. In fact, no other Power 5 player had more than 18 doubles. 

She just happened to share a lineup with Jocelyn Alo this season.

Previous D1Softball awards

• Coaching Staff of the Year: James Madison
• Batting Champion: Kayla Kowalik