Oklahoma's Kendall Wells win NFCA Freshman of the Year award

Oklahoma Sooners catcher Kendall Wells had a season for the ages. Though Oklahoma's year came to an end, Wells had a historic performance in her freshman year, earning the NFCA Freshman of the Year award on Tuesday night. Outfielder Kai Minor was also a finalist for the award.

Wells hit 39 home runs in 2026, setting the single-season SEC, Oklahoma, and national freshman record for home runs in a season. She's second in the nation in home runs behind UCLA's Megan Grant and now second all-time in home runs in a season, passing Laura Espinoza's mark of 37, which stood for nearly 30 years.

In addition to leading the Sooners in home runs, Wells led OU in RBIs, walks, and hit .358 on the season.

In her true freshman season, Wells became one of the biggest stories in sports as she and Grant chased Espinoza's record.

After such a tremendous season, it'll be fun to see what she has for an encore in 2027.

Oklahoma NFCA Freshmen of the Year

• Kendall Wells - 2026
• Jordy Bahl - 2022
• Tiare Jennings - 2021
• Jocelyn Alo - 2018
• Paige Parker - 2015

Ready Player ☝️

Kendall is your 2026 NFCA Freshman of the Year!#ChampionshipMindsetpic.twitter.com/rIgrM48CmT— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) May 27, 2026

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma Sooners catcher Kendall Wells named NFCA Freshman of the Year