Sean Stevenson
Associate Sports Communications Director (Volleyball, Softball)
University of Georgia Athletic Association
University of Georgia graduate second baseman Sydney Kuma has been awarded the 2024 Rawlings Gold Glove Award, bestowed upon the nation’s top defensive players.
The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) presents the Rawlings Gold Glove Award to the top nine defensive players from all collegiate divisions.
“What an honor for Sydney,” head coach Tony Baldwin said. “I am so proud of her. She has worked incredibly hard on her defense over the years. She is an incredible athlete who has done some extraordinary things on the field in her career. I’m thankful that she has been recognized for all she has done for our program on defense.”
Kuma becomes the first Georgia Bulldog to earn the Rawlings Gold Glove Award. The Fresno, California native has been one of the most prolific defensive players in the country in her career at UGA. In her final season in the Red and Black, Kuma fielded a career-best .974. She raised her fielding percentage year-over-year since her true freshman season in 2020. She committed just six errors in 230 chances in 2024. She completed 129 putouts with 95 assists and turned 19 double plays. Kuma finished fifth all-time at UGA with 390 assists.
As a team, Kuma led the defense to its best fielding percentage since the program record of .981 was set in 2009. The Bulldogs’ .976 fielding percentage is the second-highest in program history.
Honorees of the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards, presented by the NFCA, are selected by the NFCA All-America Committees. In 2022, the inaugural recipients from NCAA Division I were announced at the NCAA Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City. In 2023, the award expanded to include all the collegiate divisions.
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