The Sports Inquirer

Release from Georgia State Athletics:

Georgia State’s true freshman standout Ivie Drake was named one of 25 finalist for the NFCA Division I National Freshman-of-the-Year award the organization announced Thursday afternoon.

Drake leads the Sun Belt conference in batting average (.463), RBI (55) and runners picked off (3). The catcher is second in slugging (.933) and on-base (.556) percentage, third in home runs (16), fourth in doubles (13) and fifth in runs scored (43).

In the national statistics standings, she ranks in the top 35 in seven different categories including six in the top 25, three in the top 20 and one in the top 10. Drake is ninth in RBI, 15th in slugging percentage, tied for 17th in home runs, 21st in on-base percentage and RBI per game, tied for 23rd in batting average and 34th in home runs per game.

Nationally among freshman, Drake is first in home runs, RBI, RBI per game and slugging percentage. She is also second in batting average, second in on-base percentage and third in home runs per game. Drake was one of two freshman from the Sun Belt to be named a finalist along with Texas State’s Ariel Ortiz.