LOUISVILLE, Ky.- UW-Oshkosh freshman pitcher Kiran Sanford (Two Rivers/Mishicot) capped her impressive debut season by being selected to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association NCAA Division III All-America Third Team, the association announced Wednesday (May 27).
 
Sanford was voted to the NFCA All-America Third Team as an at-large pitcher. She becomes the eighth Titan to garner NFCA All-America accolades and first since pitcher Sydney Nemetz (Marinette/Marinette) was also a third team selection in 2024.
 
Oshkosh's other NFCA All-Americans were pitcher Nila Gruenewald (1985 Second Team), pitcher Jane Morgan (1988 Second Team), catcher/first baseman Hannah Ritter (2021 Third Team at catcher, 2022 Third Team at first base), pitcher Ronessa Stampfli (2007 First Team), outfielder Whitney Tornow (2009 Second Team, 2010 First Team), and catcher Jamie Ziegel (1987 Second Team).
 
Sanford, the only true freshman in program history to be named an All-American, was previously named NFCA Division III Freshman of the Year, NFCA Region VIII Freshman of the Year, NFCA All-Region VIII First Team, WIAC Pitcher of the Year, WIAC Newcomer of the Year and All-WIAC First Team in addition to WIAC Pitcher of the Week on four occasions.
 
Sanford produced a 16-4 record with one save, a 1.41 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 10 complete games, six shutouts, a .215 opponent batting average and 168 strikeouts in 139 innings pitched across 29 appearances, including 24 starts. She currently ranks 11th in the division in strikeouts, 14th in strikeouts per seven innings (8.5) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.22), 18th in WHIP, 23rd in shutouts and 25th in ERA. Sanford's six shutouts tied for seventh in program history.

Sanford, who gave up three earned runs or fewer during each of her 29 outings, helped the Titans to a 33-10-1 record overall as Oshkosh won the WIAC regular season championship and the NCAA Division III Championship St. Louis Regional title before falling in the Jackson (Miss.) Super Regional to finish the season tied for ninth in the country.

Sanford, one of six freshmen on the 2026 All-American Team, was the ace of an Oshkosh pitching staff that produced a 1.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 14 shutouts, a .213 opponent batting average and 317 strikeouts in 309.1 innings. The staff's strikeout and shutout totals are fourth most in program history while ranking sixth and 10th, respectively, in WIAC annals.

Sanford, who won 16 of her first 17 decisions this season, tossed shutouts against St. Norbert College (one-hitter), Ramapo University (N.J.) (two-hitter), UW-La Crosse (two-hitter), Marian University (two-hitter), UW-River Falls (three-hitter) and UW-Eau Claire (four-hitter). She also recorded four 10-plus strikeout performances, punching out 18 against St. Norbert, 13 against Ramapo, and 10 against both Illinois College and UW-Whitewater on the way to fanning more than 30 percent of the batters she faced this year. Sanford's 18 strikeouts versus St. Norbert are tied for the second most in WIAC history and tied for fifth most by a Division III player this year.

Oshkosh won at least 30 games for the fourth straight year and the ninth time in program history. The Titans also extended their own WIAC record to 22 consecutive full seasons with 20 or more victories.
 
The NFCA All-America teams are voted on by the association's All-America committees. In Division III the committee is comprised of one member head coach from each of the NCAA's 10 regions. All student-athletes who were nominated by a member head coach and voted to the First, Second or Third Team All-Region squads were eligible for All-America consideration.