VENICE, Calif. – UC Santa Barbara Softball student-athlete, Dani Rauscher, will round out her rookie year with one final recognition. On Thursday morning, D1Softball.com announced its Freshman All-American teams, and Rauscher was named to the Second Team.

Rauscher had one of the best freshman seasons in program history. The San Jose native finished with a slash line of .395/.413/.424. She recorded 70 hits, drove in 12 runs and scored 37 times herself. While her 70 hits and .395 batting average led the team and ranked in the top five for a single season, she also finished in the top three in runs and stolen bases. The 2026 Big West Freshman Player of the Year earned First Team All-Big West honors, along with being tabbed by the NFCA to the National Freshman of the Year Top 25 Watchlist.

Rauscher and the Gauchos concluded their season at The Big West Championships, making it to the Championship final for the second consecutive season. The Blue and Gold finished with a 31-26 overall record and an 18-9 conference record. They earned 30 or more wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since doing it in 2013 and 2014. Additionally, the Gauchos 18 conference wins is a new program record, surpassing the 17-win mark they accomplished in 2025 and 1987. To see the full list of Freshman All-Americans, visit D1Softball.com.