Baylor softball is celebrating a double dose of Big 12 recognition this week, as two of its brightest stars earned well-deserved postseason honors. The conference announced Wednesday that center fielder Brooklyn Carter was named to the All-Big 12 Defensive Team, while freshman infielder Kaygen Marshall secured a spot on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team—a testament to the program's growing depth and talent.

Carter, who entered the season as a preseason All-Big 12 selection, anchored the outfield with a stellar .978 fielding percentage. In 93 chances, she recorded 87 putouts and committed just two errors, all while showcasing exceptional range and closing speed that turned potential gap hits into routine outs. Her arm strength also proved a weapon, tallying four outfield assists that kept opposing baserunners honest. But Carter's impact didn't stop in the field—she dominated on the basepaths too, leading the Big 12 in stolen bases during conference play with 10, proving she's a threat in every phase of the game. She becomes the third Bear in the last two seasons to earn All-Defensive Team honors, following Presleigh Pilon and Shaylon Govan, who were both recognized in 2025.

Meanwhile, Kaygen Marshall wasted no time making her mark in her debut season. Starting all 52 games she appeared in, the freshman showed remarkable versatility by transitioning between first and third base early on before settling in at the hot corner—a position she had never played before arriving in Waco. That adaptability paid off in a big way: Marshall led the team with 10 home runs, the most by a Baylor freshman since Kassidy Krupit's 10 in 2019, and she's now one of just five freshmen in the Glenn Moore era to reach double-digit homers. Defensively, she was a rock at third base, handling 153 chances and recording 83 assists to anchor the left side of the infield. Marshall is Baylor's first All-Freshman Team selection since 2023, a sign of bright things to come for the program.