WICHITA, Kan. — Awards and accolades continue to arrive for former Fatima softball standout Kinzey Woody, but the freshman phenom infielder admits she never expected to be discussing All-American honors at the end of her first season at Wichita State.

While coaches, teammates, and national voters viewed Woody’s debut season as one of the best freshman campaigns in the country, the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Player of the Year spent most of the spring focused on a much simpler goal.

“I put myself at such a high standard that I didn’t think I had the best season, but everyone else thinks I did,” said Woody, who hit .359, with 11 doubles, 14 home runs, and 50 RBIs, while nearly hitting for the triple crown during conference play. Woody led the league in batting average (.476), slugging percentage (1.000), on-base percentage (.587), hits (39), and RBIs (36), while she was two home runs two shy of her teammate, Ausha Moore. “So it’s really cool to look like, wow, you know, I’m the only mid-major kid that made first-team Freshman All-American.”

Softball America recently named Woody to the All-American team after a remarkable first season with the Shockers. The honor came on the heels of a historic year in which she became the first player in AAC history to earn both Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors in the same season.

Wichita State opened its schedule in February against national competition, including Mississippi State, which later played in the Women’s College World Series. Woody recorded her first collegiate hit against the Bulldogs and hit .500 during opening weekend.

“I got my first career hit off of them and had a great weekend,” she said.

Woody posted a hit in each of her first four games to start her career, but the transition wasn’t seamless.

She also delivered one of the year’s signature moments when she launched a walk-off grand slam against Creighton University on Feb. 21. “It was that 3-2 count that I like to get myself into,” Woody said with a laugh. “But I never felt the pressure in that moment. I just felt kind of like myself.”

After the strong start, Woody encountered the inevitable growing pains that accompany the jump from high school to Division I athletics.

“It’s a learning curve,” she said. “This is college, and I’m not going to go up there and bat .500 every single weekend.”

Woody may not have chased it, but she nonetheless had a highlight reel for a season:

— Her first four home runs were a reverse HR cycle, starting with a grand slam and moving down to a solo shot.

— Woody homered twice and drove in four runs at Charlotte on April 18

— On April 22, Woody hit a game-winning three-run HR at Kansas City

— She hit the third of her three grand slams on the season against Memphis on April 30

One of the season’s defining moments arrived during a tournament appearance at the University of Missouri.

Returning home to play in front of family, friends, and supporters created a different kind of pressure. “Part of it was just, you know, I’m back home, and I want to do it for the people that have been there for me,” Woody said. “I think I just pressed too much, put too much pressure on myself, and I didn’t do what I wanted to do.”

Woody’s struggles eventually led Wichita State coaches to remove her from the lineup for three games.

Rather than allowing the setback to derail her season, Woody now views it as the turning point. “I think she was just trying to let me take a step back and look at it like, ‘Hey, this is just a game. You don’t need to add too much pressure on yourself,’” Woody said of her coach, Kristi Bredbenner.

When conference play began in March, Woody returned to the lineup with a different mindset.

“It was like, all right, I’m fine. That is what it was,” she said. “This is when my team really needs me to lock in and be the player that I am.”

The response was immediate.

Her confidence returned. Her swing returned. The production followed.

Woody enjoyed dominant stretches during conference play, including a 5-5 start against UAB and an explosive series against FAU in which she hit .800.

“I felt the best I had ever felt,” she said.

In 2026, she earned NFCA All-Central Region Third Team, American Conference Player of the Year, American Conference Freshman of the Year, First Team All-Conference, American Conference All-Freshman Team, NFCA DI Freshman of the Year Top 25, and American Conference Player of the Week honors.

For those who have followed Woody’s journey from her travel ball days through her standout career at Fatima, the recognition may seem like a natural progression. Woody, however, sees a path filled with adjustments, challenges, and lessons learned.

Despite the accolades she accumulated throughout the spring, Woody remained grounded using lessons instilled long before she arrived on campus. “I’ve got to give that credit to my parents,” she said. “They’ve always raised me to not stay in the highs and not stay in the lows.”

The philosophy helped her navigate both success and adversity. “I’ve never been someone that’s like, ‘Oh, I hit a home run, look at me,’” Woody said. “No, it was just another hit, and it helped my team.”

The same approach has carried into the classroom as she finished her freshman year with a 4.0 grade-point average while balancing the demands of Division I softball.

Despite the individual accomplishments, Woody remains keenly aware of the example she sets for younger players.

During Wichita State’s appearance at the University of Missouri Tournament, several girls Woody has worked with through private lessons attended games to support her.

When they approached her after a frustrating performance, Woody used the moment as a teaching opportunity: “I told them, ‘This is a good learning point for you guys. I’m not perfect. I’m going to get out, and I’m going to make mistakes. It’s about how you handle it afterward.’”

The perspective comes from personal experience.

Growing up, Woody closely followed former Fatima standout Sammey Bunch and learned by watching how older athletes handled both success and disappointment.

“I grew up idolizing Sammey, so I watched her every move,” Woody said. “I know exactly what it was like to be those girls and look up to someone.”

Away from the diamond, Woody is active in Fellowship of Christian Athletes and has developed a special connection through Wichita State’s participation in Team Impact, a program that matches children facing serious medical challenges with collegiate athletic teams.

Through the program, the Shockers welcomed Amelia, a young girl who has undergone multiple surgeries and now serves as an honorary member of the team.

“Her mom threw out the first pitch for us one night,” said Woody. “Amelia comes on the field with us after games. She comes and visits us quite a bit.”

Woody added that the relationship with Amelia has become one of the most meaningful aspects of her college experience.

As impressive as the statistics, awards, and national recognition may be, those who know Woody best likely won’t be surprised by her response to a Freshman All-American season.

Instead of dwelling on what she accomplished, she is already looking toward what comes next. “That was cool. That was good,” Woody said of her success. “But tomorrow we need to win the one, too.”

For a player who has spent years chasing the next challenge, that mindset may explain her success as much as any statistic ever could.

Woody plans to be home for the summer, working with young players on skills development, and maybe umpiring some softball games.