Desirae Spearman earned two All-American awards this week after a stellar freshman campaign. After Softball America named Spearman to their Freshman All-American list on Tuesday, D1 Softball granted her the same honor today. In her first season of collegiate softball, Spearman was an exceptional two-way player, earning Conference USA’s Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year selections, among many other honors.
Source: NMSU Athletics
Story and Photo: By: Matthew Knope
Desirae Spearman’s 2024 Awards
- 2024 CUSA Player of the Year
- 2024 CUSA Freshman of the Year
- All-CUSA First Team (Pitcher)
- All-CUSA First Team (Outfielder)
- All-CUSA Freshman Team
- CUSA All-Tournament Team (OF/P)
- CUSA Pitcher of the Week (March 25)
- 5x CUSA Freshman of the Week
- TUCCI/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year Top 25 List
- D1 Softball Freshman All-American (UT)*
- Softball America Freshman All-American (UT/P)*
D1 Softball and Softball America are national outlets that cover the biggest games and stories around the collegiate softball landscape. After announcing two 18-member First and Second Team All-Americans lists earlier this week, D1 Softball’s Freshman All-American Team was released earlier today, placing Spearman among the 18 best first-year players across the country. After a remarkable campaign at the plate and in the circle, Spearman earned a utility spot on the highly-coveted team. Softball America released two 17-member lists of First and Second Team All-Americans, followed by its Freshman All-American list that consists of 18 student-athletes.
In just her first season at the collegiate level, Spearman maintained a .366 batting average while pacing the conference in home runs (18), OPS (1.337) and ranking tied for third with 43 RBIs. The El Paso native also ranked second on the team in total bases (108) and fourth on the team in total hits (45) despite missing 14 of the Aggies’ 55 games due to injury. The two-way star held a remarkable .794 slugging percentage in league games, higher than any other CUSA batter. Spearman ranked 22nd in the nation and led the league with 18 home runs, including a conference-high 12 against CUSA opponents.
The Hanks High School product posted three multi-home run games, including two in conference play. Her most recent two-home run outing came at top-seeded Liberty on April 20, when she also tossed a complete game and held the Flames scoreless through 6.2 innings. Against Nebraska, Spearman went the distance again and allowed just one hit in a monumental 3-0 upset victory.
In the circle, Spearman was equally as dominant. She boasted an 8-4 record and 75 strikeouts while maintaining a 3.15 ERA in 17 appearances across 84.1 innings of work.
The El Paso native is now the fifth conference Freshman of the Year for NM State in the past nine seasons, and the first since 2021. She also became the first conference Player of the Year since Nikki Butler was the recipient of the 2021 WAC honor.
For complete coverage of NM State Softball during the 2024 season, visit NMStateSports.com – the official home of the Aggies – and follow the Aggies on Facebook (NM State Softball), Twitter (@NMStateSoftball) and Instagram (@NMStateSoftball).
