University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: DALTON WAINSCOTT
LeGette Earns All-America & Most Improved Player-Of-The-Year Honors From Softball America
May 19, 2026 | Softball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Softball America has named Emily LeGette the Most Improved Player of the Year as well as earning Second Team All-America honors.
Â
LeGette earns All-America honors after rewriting the Carolina record book, setting the single season program records for home runs (27), best slugging percentage (1.117), and most total bases (153). Her RBIs (76), batting average (.467), on-base percentage (.573), and walks (46) were second in program history.
Â
The most improved honor comes after entering the year with 44 hits, six home runs, 24 RBI, 18 runs, and 10 walks in 58 games and 38 starts in two seasons at Virginia Tech. The junior made herself right at home in Chapel Hill outpacing her two seasons combined in hits, home runs, total bases, runs, walks, RBI, sac-flies, all in just three more at bats and seven fewer games than she had in the previous two seasons combined.
Â
The Fort Lauderdale native is the 12th Tar Heel to earn All-America honors. UNC has now had All-America selections in consecutive season with LeGette's high school teammate Kat Rodriguez earning first team honors from Softball America last year. This marks the first time since Tiffany Tolleson and Jacklyn Holden in 2002-03 that Carolina has had All-America selections in back-to-back seasons.
Â
LeGette has taken home a host of accolades this season. She was a top 25 finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. Softball America named her the No. 3 first baseman in the country. She won NFCA Player of the Week and Softball on SI Player of the Week twice, Softball America Player of the Week, D1Softball Player of the Week, and ACC Player of the Week once.
Â
Â
LeGette earns All-America honors after rewriting the Carolina record book, setting the single season program records for home runs (27), best slugging percentage (1.117), and most total bases (153). Her RBIs (76), batting average (.467), on-base percentage (.573), and walks (46) were second in program history.
Â
The most improved honor comes after entering the year with 44 hits, six home runs, 24 RBI, 18 runs, and 10 walks in 58 games and 38 starts in two seasons at Virginia Tech. The junior made herself right at home in Chapel Hill outpacing her two seasons combined in hits, home runs, total bases, runs, walks, RBI, sac-flies, all in just three more at bats and seven fewer games than she had in the previous two seasons combined.
Â
The Fort Lauderdale native is the 12th Tar Heel to earn All-America honors. UNC has now had All-America selections in consecutive season with LeGette's high school teammate Kat Rodriguez earning first team honors from Softball America last year. This marks the first time since Tiffany Tolleson and Jacklyn Holden in 2002-03 that Carolina has had All-America selections in back-to-back seasons.
Â
LeGette has taken home a host of accolades this season. She was a top 25 finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. Softball America named her the No. 3 first baseman in the country. She won NFCA Player of the Week and Softball on SI Player of the Week twice, Softball America Player of the Week, D1Softball Player of the Week, and ACC Player of the Week once.
Â
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballMLAX: NCAA Quarterfinal Post-Syracuse Press Conference
Saturday, May 16
UNC Baseball: Offense Powers Tar Heels to Series Win vs Wolfpack, 17-7
Saturday, May 16
UNC Baseball: Diamond Heels Win Battle at NC State in Series Opener, 9-4
Friday, May 15
UNC Women's Lacrosse: Tar Heels Move On to NCAA Semis with Win vs Stanford, 14-11
Friday, May 15