BLOOMINGTON, ILL. – A quartet of Linfield University softball players were singled out Wednesday night at the Marriott Hotel and Convention Center as part of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association unveiling of the annual Division III All-America awards at the pre-tournament banquet prior to the start of Thursday's NCAA Championship Finals.
 
Wildcat standouts Claire Seats, Brynn Nelson, Jacey Leyvas and Ashlyn Aven were each honored among the top Division III softball players for their outstanding performance throughout the 2025 season.
 
Linfield and Rowan were the only two Division III programs to land four players on the 2025 All-America list. Over 600 student-athletes were nominated for All-America awards with fewer than 60 being accorded national honors.
 
Seats earned her third career NFCA All-America citation and second first team nod. The senior slugger became just the third player in Linfield history to hit at least 20 home runs in a single season. During the course of Linfield's 43-5 campaign, the center fielder from Seattle, Washington, became Linfield's and Division III's all-time leader in RBIs while hitting .469 with a slugging percentage of .994. In addition, she set a single-season record for doubles with 24 while driving in 77 runs, helping fuel Division III's highest-scoring offense.
 
Nelson, from Bonney Lake, Washington, was recognized for the second time in her career as a member of the NFCA All-America squad, picking up second team honors this spring after first team recognition a year ago. A starter in all 48 games in 2025, the durable second baseman hit .423 with eight doubles, nine home runs, 54 RBIs and 33 runs scored.
 
A native of Redlands, California, Leyvas secured her first NFCA All-America honor at third base, picking up second team recognition. In 48 starts, she drove in 55 runs, drew 17 walks, and swatted nine doubles and 15 home runs while hitting .424.
 
A second team NFCA All-America honoree, Aven was a first-time selection at designated player/utility. The Yelm, Washington, product hit .393 while starting 47 games. She registered 11 doubles, two triples and 13 home runs while driving home 34 runs and scoring 31 runs herself.
 
The four exceptional Wildcats helped propel Linfield to a third consecutive berth on the NCAA Championship Finals. The Wildcats begin the eight-team, double-elimination tournament Thursday at 11:30 a.m. PDT / 1:30 p.m. CDT versus St. Mary's (Minn.) in one of four opening-round contests.