NORTHAMPTON, Mass. — Smith College junior outfielder Ally Knutson (Green Bay, WI/Bay Port) has been named to the 2026 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III All-Region Third Team, the association announced Friday from Louisville, Ky. Knutson is one of 386 student-athletes nationwide — and one of 37 from Region II — to earn All-Region recognition.
Knutson capped her junior season with a team-leading .422 batting average and a 1.055 OPS, ranking among the most productive bats in the Bears' lineup from start to finish. She started all 37 games in the outfield and led Smith in hits (57), doubles (21), runs (30), total bases (82), slugging percentage (.607) and on-base percentage (.448). She added two triples, 26 RBI and a 6-for-7 mark on stolen base attempts, while posting a .985 fielding percentage on 68 chances.
Her conference numbers were equally strong. In 20 NEWMAC contests, Knutson hit .429 with 30 hits, 12 doubles, 18 runs scored and a 5-for-6 effort on the basepaths, posting a 1.059 OPS against league competition. Her single-game season high came on March 15 against Worcester State, when she drove in five runs on three hits, including a double and a triple.
Knutson becomes the second Smith softball player to earn NFCA All-Region honors in the past four seasons, joining Juno Shantz '24, who collected Third Team recognition in 2023 and First Team honors in 2024. The selection caps a junior campaign in which Knutson anchored the Bears' offense alongside fellow standouts Bailey Gray (Missouri City, TX/Ridge Point), Violet Peverly (Granby, CT/Loomis Chaffee) and Riley Veenstra (Oakland, CA/Bishop O'Dowd).
All NFCA All-Region honorees advance for consideration to the three NFCA Division III All-America squads, which will be announced May 27.
About Smith Athletics Smith College is a NCAA Division III member of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) that sponsors 11 intercollegiate sports. For more information, log on to GoSmithBears.com and follow the Bears on Facebook and Instagram.
