MEDFORD, MA (May 28, 2026) – For the second time in her career,
Haley Leimbach of the Tufts University softball team has earned a NCAA Division III Rawlings Gold Glove Award for her play at first base.
Recipients of the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, presented by the NFCA, were selected by the 10 regional representatives of the NFCA's NCAA Division III All-America Committee, following regional voting to identify the finalists at each position. The group utilized fielding statistics and school-submitted video to closely examine finalists and select the winners at every defensive position.
Leimbach also won the Gold Glove in 2023, her first season with the Jumbos and the first year in which the honor was presented. The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Defensive Player of the Year this spring, Leimbach is the only player from a New England team to receive the honor this year.
She wins the award at first base after playing shortstop for the Jumbos in 2025. This spring, while playing primarily at first, she also spent some time at third base. Starting all 43 games for the Jumbos, she finished with 324 putouts and 17 assists. She made just two errors in 343 total chances for a .994 fielding percentage. One of her two errors came at third base, giving her just one miscue at first base all year.
Tufts has had a player on all four Rawlings Gold Glove teams. Leimbach and pitcher
Sophia DiCocco were on the inaugural team in 2023. DiCocco would be a three-time honoree, earning the award for 2024 and 2025 as well.
Leimbach also hit .333 with two home runs, 22 runs batted in and 33 runs scored for head coach Lauren Estein's team this year. The Jumbos won 31 games, were the #1 seed for the NESCAC regular-season and hosted an NCAA Regional at Spicer Field.
"I'm so incredibly proud of and happy for Haley," Coach Ebstein said. "She had such a great career at Tufts, and she loved playing defense so much. She played wherever the team needed. It was so fun to be able to watch her back at first this year. She is so athletic at the corners, covering so much ground on bunts, balls in the air and on ground balls, and her receiving skills are excellent. This honor is so well deserved, and I'm so glad she could finish out her career with her second Gold Glove."
See the full NCAA Division III Rawlings Gold Glove Award Team
HERE.
--JUMBOS--
