BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University junior third baseman Maleah Andrews and senior shortstop Hailey Rath are listed on the 2026 NFCA Division II Player of the Year Watchlist.
 
The Vikings duo is part of a list that includes 118 players across the country, with up to 15 players from each of the eight regions (Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, South Central, Southeast, West).
 
Andrews is one of 13 returning All-Americans that headline the list after earning First Team All-America honors in 2025. Rath has been an All-West Region selection from the NFCA each of the last two seasons.
 
Rath (Eatonville, WA) is batting a team-best .407 (33-for-81) with 26 runs, 7 doubles, 10 home runs and 38 RBI through the first 29 games of the season. She is among the West Region leaders in on-base percentage (.555) and slugging percentage (.864). The four-year starter has reached base safely in 25 consecutive games and leads the team with 10 multi-RBI contests. In 202 collegiate games she has combined to bat .355 (233-for-657) while setting program records for hits, extra-base hits (95), doubles, RBI (176) and ranks second with 32 home runs.
 
Andrews (Shoreline, WA) is having another All-America-worthy season batting .395 (34-for-86) with 13 doubles, 2 triples, 5 home runs and 27 RBI in 29 games. The third baseman has a current 15-game hitting streak and has at least one hit in 23 of 29 games with a team-best nine multi-hit contests. Andrews is also among the top five in the region in on-base percentage (.532) and slugging percentage (.767) and is tied with Rath for the region lead averaging 0.83 walks per game (24 walks). In 153 career games Andrews is WWU's current all-time leader in batting average (.407/195-for-479), on-base percentage (.518), runs scored (152), walks (109) and ranks third with 79 extra-base hits.
 
"I am very proud of the legacy these two players continue to build in our program," said WWU head coach Sheryl Gilmore. "It's a testament to their worth ethic and commitment to the process. They show up every day determined to find a way to get better."
 
Here is the list of the 14West Region players on the NFCA Player and Pitcher of the Year Watchlist, with Andrews and Rath joining Heather Ebner of Saint Martin's as the players from the GNAC.
 

• Jill Albayati, UTL, Sr., Cal State San Marcos
• Maleah Andrews, 3B, Jr. Western Washington
• Marissa Brody, DP,  So., Cal Poly Humboldt
• Shaunessy Cardwell, 1B, Sr., San Francisco State
• Jeslyn Cuellar, SS, Sr., Cal State East Bay
• Julia Doan, OF, Jr., Azusa Pacific
• Heather Ebner, 1B, Jr., Saint Martin's
• Kacie Gossett, P, So., Concordia Irvine
• Jordan Hill, P, Gr., California State San Marcos
• Morgan Kneubuhler, C, Jr.,  Concordia Irvine
• Marissa Quintero, P, Jr., Cal State East Bay
• Hailey Rath, SS, Sr., Western Washington
• Shelby Shanks, SS, Sr., Cal Poly Humboldt
• Maddy Ybarra, UTL, Sr., Jessup

 
Voted on by the NFCA's Division II All-American Committee, the 2026 NFCA Player of the Year and NFCA Pitcher of the Year will be announced on May 27, a day prior to the start of the NCAA Division II National Championships. All players are eligible for the end-of-the-season award and do not have to be on this list to be considered.