A pair of Jones College Bobcats are the recipients of 2023 NJCAA Division II Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, presented by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA).
Second baseman Kathryn Smith and right-fielder Aaliyah Dixon were recognized for their defensive excellence. Only nine players in NJCAA Division II were honored. They were the only two players from the MACCC and Region 23 to be chosen.
Smith, a sophomore from Luling, Louisiana, who prepped at Hahnville High School, had a .957 fielding percentage. She had 161 chances, 103 putouts, 51 assists and seven errors. She was involved with 10 double plays.
Dixon, a sophomore from Hillcrest Christian Academy in Jackson, had a .973 fielding percentage. She had 75 chances, 70 putouts, three assists and two errors. She was involved in one double play.
Smith and Dixon helped the Bobcats to a 50-10 record, an MACCC championship and a runner-up finish in the NJCAA Division II World Series.
Recipients of the Rawlings Gold Glove Award were selected by the NFCA’s Division II All-America Committee, following regional voting to identify the finalists at each position. Fielding statistics and school-submitted video were used to closely examine finalists and select the winners at every defensive position. Any student-athlete that competed in the current championship year and was nominated by their head coach who is a member in good standing with the NFCA was eligible for consideration for this prestigious accolade.
