College Softball News

USA Softball Announces Finalist for Player of the Year

OKLAHOMA CITY — USA Softball, the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States, announced today the remaining Finalists for the 2019 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, which is considered the most prestigious honor in Division I women’s collegiate softball, recognizes the outstanding athletic achievement by Division I female players across the country.

Previous recipients of the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award are Stacey Nuveman (UCLA, 2002), Cat Osterman (Texas, 2003, 2005 and 2006), Jessica Van der Linden (Florida State, 2004), Monica Abbott (Tennessee, 2007), Angela Tincher (Virginia Tech, 2008), Danielle Lawrie (Washington, 2009 and 2010), Ashley Hansen (Stanford, 2011), Keilani Ricketts (Oklahoma, 2012 and 2013), Lacey Waldrop (Florida State, 2014), Lauren Haeger (Florida, 2015), Sierra Romero (Michigan, 2016), Kelly Barnhill (Florida, 2017) and Rachel Garcia (UCLA, 2018).

With all three Finalists taking the stage this weekend at Super Regional play, the Los Angeles Super Regional features two of the Top 3 Finalists: Rachel Garcia (UCLA) and Megan Good (James Madison).

Back-to-back Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year and 2019 Pitcher of the Year, Rachel Garcia leads the UCLA Bruins pitching staff with a 23-1 record and 238 strikeouts. A dual-threat, Garcia also boasts a .340 batting average with 43 RBI through Regional play. 

Good, a four-time Colonial Athletic Association Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-Conference honoree, leads the Dukes pitching staff with a 21-6 record and a 1.38 ERA through Regional play. Also an offensive threat, Good has driven in 58 RBI this season while compiling a .342 batting average.

Fellow Top 3 Finalist Sydney Romero will take to the field at the Norman Super Regional with her No. 1 seed Oklahoma Sooners. Romero, the 2019 Big 12 Player of the Year, leads the Sooners with a .429 batting average and 18 home runs for the 2019 season.

The winner of the 2019 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award will be announced on May 28 at the team-only banquet just prior to the start of the NCAA WCWS.

The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year is voted on by coaching representatives of 10 Division I Conferences in the 10 USA Softball Regions, members of the media who consistently cover Division I Softball across the country as well as past winners of the award.

—————————————————

To Top