After a stellar junior season, University of Rochester softball player Riley Laygo was named the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III National Player of the Year and First Team All-America, as announced by the organization on Wednesday afternoon.
 
Laygo becomes the first-ever Rochester softball player to be selected as NFCA Division III Player of the Year, and is just the third Yellowjacket to garner First Team All-America recognition. Laygo was previously a Second Team All-America selection in 2024, and becomes the first player in team history to earn multiple All-America honors. Her All-America honor is the ninth in team history, dating back to the program's inception as a varsity team back in 1998.
 
Overall, Laygo finished the 2026 campaign with a .535 batting average, going 85-for-159 at the plate across 46 games started. She had 68 runs scored, notched 24 doubles, 4 triples, 17 home runs and had 76 RBI. The junior recorded 168 total bases for a 1.057 slugging percentage, also chipping in 18 walks and one HBP for a .578 on-base percentage. Laygo added 24 stolen bases on 26 attempts and was stellar defensively, recording a .991 fielding percentage at first base, handling 318 of a possible 321 chances cleanly.
 
In 2026, the junior re-wrote the record books for Rochester softball, establishing nine new single-season team records. These include batting average, slugging, on-base percentage, runs, hits, doubles, home runs, RBI and total bases.
 
"Riley is a generational talent," says URochester head coach Abby Hurley-Martin. "Her offensive numbers are obviously impressive, but what has impressed me the most is her ability to stay focused on her individual and team goals throughout the course of the year. Her work ethic is unmatched and her moxie uplifts those around her. I know she is already at home working towards her goals for her senior season. Congratulations Riley!"
 
She was named Liberty League Player of the Year for the second time in 2026, also earning her third-straight First Team All-Conference award. Laygo was First Team All-Region in 2024 and 2026, garnering Second Team accolades in 2025.
 
This season, Laygo had 30 total games with multiple hits, recorded a URochester program-record 22-game hit streak and chipped in 19 multi-RBI contests, 12 of which were 3-RBI games or better.
 
Against top-100 NPI teams and NCAA tournament opponents, the junior hit .471 (33-70), with 27 runs, 8 doubles, 4 triples, 8 home runs and 31 RBI. She slugged 1.043 in those 21 contests and reached base at a .532 clip, showing her prowess against some of the top competition in Division III.
 
Laygo, statistically, was one of the top hitters in the country. She led Division III in total bases, was second in hits and slugging percentage and third in runs, doubles, home runs and RBI. Her batting average total ranked seventh in Division III and she also was top-15 in on-base percentage and doubles per game.
 
The historical marks continue for Laygo, as her runs, hits, doubles, RBI and total bases numbers all rank in the top-20 in a single-season in Division III history. She is tied for first among active Division III players in slugging percentage and is third in total bases and fifth in doubles.
 
As a team in 2026, Laygo and the Yellowjackets finished 36-10 overall, ranking as the second-most wins in a single-season in program history. URochester claimed its 11th all-time Liberty League title and qualified for the NCAA Division III Regionals for the 12th time.