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HomeDraft Page – PoY

Draft Page – PoY

Each NCAA Softball season, USA Softball recognizes a Collegiate Player of the Year based on outstanding play over the course of the entire season. At the beginning of each season, USA Softball issues a Top 50 “Watch List” for Player of the Year, followed by a list of finalists that narrows from Top 25 to Top 10 and Top 3. The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year is awarded during a team reception the week of the WCWS.

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

Player of the Year — Announcement Dates
  • Top 25 Finalists — May 1
  • Top 10 Finalists — May 15
  • Top 3 Finalists — May 20
  • Player of the Year — Prior to the WCWS

*To ensure that the award only considers regular season performance and to prevent any influence from post-season play, the Player of the Year voting will conclude after the Top 10 vote. The Top 3 athletes with the highest number of points at the conclusion of the Top 10 vote will be selected as the Top 3 Finalists and, from them, the Player of the Year will be chosen as the athlete with the most votes. 

Top 10 finalists pdf
Reese Atwood

Texas

Jaysoni Beachum

Florida State

Maya Brady

UCLA

NiJaree Canady

Stanford

Claire Davidson

Duke

Tiare Jennings

Oklahoma

Lexi Kilfoyl

Oklahoma State

Korbe Otis

Florida

Karlyn Pickens

Tennessee

Karli Spaid

Miami-OH

Top 50 watch list pdf
Jordy Bahl

Nebraska

Addison Barnard

Wichita State

Kayla Beaver

Alabama

Sydney Berzon

LSU

Maya Brady

UCLA

Ciara Briggs

LSU

Alyssa Brito

Oklahoma

Valerie Cagle

Clemson

NiJaree Canady

Stanford

Nia Carter

Arkansas

Jada Cody

UCF

Erin Coffel

Kentucky

Jayda Coleman

Oklahoma

Cassidy Curd

Duke

Michaela Edenfield

Florida State

Kendra Falby

Florida

McKenna Gibson

Tennessee

Megan Grant

UCLA

Kinzie Hansen

Oklahoma

Stevie Hansen

Oregon

Rylin Hedgecock

Arkansas

Alex Honnold

Missouri

Tiare Jennings

Oklahoma

D’Auna Jennings

Duke

Reagan Johnson

Arkansas

Jayda Kearney

Georgia

Taryn Kern

Stanford

Lexi Kilfoyl

Oklahoma State

Jenna Laird

Missouri

Emma Lemley

Virginia Tech

Mariah Lopez

Utah

Kelly Maxwell

Oklahoma

Nicole May

Oklahoma

Ruby Meylan

Washington

Kiki Milloy

Tennessee

Mac Morgan

Texas

Sara Mosley

Georgia

Dariana Orme

Baylor

Korbe Otis

Florida

Autumn Owen

North Carolina

Sharlize Palacios

UCLA

Maddie Penta

Auburn

Taylor Pleasants

LSU

Emma Ritter

Virginia Tech

Stephanie Schoonover

Kentucky

Mia Scott

Texas

Carlie Scupin

Arizona

Allie Skaggs

Arizona

Alana Vawter

South Carolina

Skylar Wallace

Florida

Shelby Walters

Georgia

Jordan Woolery

UCLA

YearNameCollegePosition
2023Valerie CagleClemsonPitcher/Utility
2022Jocelyn AloOklahomaOutfield
2021Jocelyn AloOklahomaOutfield
2020–––
2019Rachel GarciaUCLAPitcher/DP
2018Rachel GarciaUCLAPitcher/DP
2017Kelly BarnhillFloridaPitcher
2016Sierra RomeroMichiganInfield
2015Lauren HaegerFloridaPitcher/Infield
2014Lacey WaldropFlorida StatePitcher
2013Keilani RickettsOklahomaPitcher/DP
2012Keilani RickettsOklahomaPitcher/DP
2011Ashley HansenStanfordInfield
2010Danielle LawrieWashingtonPitcher
2009Danielle LawrieWashingtonPitcher
2008Angela TincherVirginia TechPitcher
2007Monica AbbottTennesseePitcher
2006Cat OstermanTexasPitcher
2005Cat OstermanTexasPitcher
2004Jessica Van Der LindenFlorida StatePitcher/Outfield
2003Cat OstermanTexasPitcher
2002Stacey NuvemanUCLACatcher

The story behind the trophy

Redesigned in 2017, the Player of the Year trophy symbolizes the prestige of the award in honor of one of the greatest to ever wear the USA Softball uniform – three-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Lisa Fernandez, whose athletic achievements embody the essence of this prestigious award.

USA Softball commissioned MTM Recognition, the nation’s leader in sports awards and recognition, to craft the iconic Player of the Year trophy in effort of creating a symbol of Softball for years to come.

Though the sculpture is frozen in time, the fluid motion of the wind up and the player’s determination shine through in this iconic bronze. Mario Grijalva, a graduate of the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma with hundreds of works of art to his credit, captured the fine detail of Lisa’s pitch through the month long process of sculpting the clay to ready for casting. 

The black stained walnut base stands 5 ¼” tall and 11 ½” wide at front and is cut in the shape of a softball home plate.  The bronze sculpture stands almost a foot tall atop this base to add to the rich texture of the overall look of the piece. 


Player of the Year History

NameCollegePosition
Jordy BahlOklahomaPitcher
Mac BarbaraSouth Dakota State UniversityInfield/Catcher
Addison BarnardWichita StateOutfield
Rachel BeckerOklahoma StateInfield
Maya BradyUCLAUtility
Ciara BriggsLSUOutfield
Valerie CagleClemsonPitcher/Utility
Jada CodyUCFUtility
Erin CoffelKentuckyInfield
Jayda CodyOklahomaOutfield
Chenise DelceArkansasPitcher
Charla EcholsFloridaInfield
Kendra FalbyFloridaOutfield
Megan FaraimoUCLAPitcher
Kristina ForemanArkansasInfield
Montana FoutsAlabamaPitcher
Hannah GammillArkansasUtility
Karina GaskinsNotre DameInfield
Frankie HammoudeOregon StateInfield
Kinzie HansenOklahomaCatcher
Faith HensleyOklahomaOutfield
Tiare JenningsOklahomaInfield
Jayda KearneyGeorgiaOutfield
Baylee KlinglerWashingtonInfield
Kayla KowalikKentuckyCatcher
Jenna LairdMissouriInfield
Haley LeeOklahomaCatcher/Utility
Emma LemleyVirginia TechPitcher
Mack LeonardFlorida StatePitcher/Infield
Grace LyonsOklahomaInfield
Kelly MaxwellOklahoma StatePitcher
Sydney McKinneyWichita StateInfield
Kiki MilloyTennesseeOutfield
Sara MosleyGeorgiaInfield
Jessica MullinsTexas StatePitcher
Sharlize PalaciosUCLACatcher
Maddie PentaAuburnPitcher
Taylor PleasantsLSUInfield
Emma RitterVirginia TechOutfield
Ashley RogersTennesseePitcher
Jordyn RuddNorthwesternCatcher
Kathryn SandercockFlorida StatePitcher
Cydney SandersOklahomaInfield
Mia ScottTexasInfield
Carlie ScupinArizonaInfield
Karli SpaidMiami (OH)Infield
Alex StorakoOklahomaPitcher
Alana VawterStanfordPitcher
Skylar WallaceFloridaInfield
Danielle WilliamsNorthwesternPitcher
NameCollegePosition
Jordy BahlOklahomaPitcher
Kayla BeaverCentral ArkansasPitcher
Rachel BeckerOklahoma StateInfield
Maya BradyUCLAUtility
Valerie CagleClemsonPitcher/Utility
NiJaree CanadyClemsonPitcher
Erin CoffelKentuckyInfield
Jayda ColemanOklahomaOutfield
Megan FaraimoUCLAPitcher
Montana FoutsAlabamaPitcher
Alex HonnoldMissouriOutfield
Tiare JenningsOklahomaInfield
Taryn KernIndianaInfield
Baylee KlinglerWashingtonInfield
Kayla KowalikKentuckyCatcher
Kelly MaxwellOklahoma StatePitcher
Nicole MayOklahoma Pitcher
Sydney McKinneyWichita StateInfield
Kiki MilloyTennesseeOutfield
Maddie PentaAuburnPitcher
Ashley RogersTennesseePitcher
Kathryn SandercockFlorida StatePitcher
Alex StorakoOklahomaPitcher
Alana VawterStanfordPitcher
Skylar WallaceFloridaInfield
NameCollegePosition
Jordy BahlOklahomaPitcher
Maya BradyUCLAUtility
Valerie CagleClemsomPitcher/Utility
Jayda ColemanOklahomaOutfield
Megan FaraimoUCLAPitcher
Tiare JenningsOklahomaInfield
Sydney McKinneyWichita StateInfield
Kiki MilloyTennesseeOutfield
Ashley RogersTennesseePitcher
Skylar WallaceFloridaInfield
NameCollegePosition
Maya BradyUCLAUtility
Valerie CagleClemsonPitcher/Utility
Skylar WallaceFloridaInfield
NameCollegePosition
Valerie CagleClemsonPitcher/Utility

Cagle, a three-time ACC Pitcher of the Week and All-ACC first-team selection, etched her way on the national leaderboard in both pitching and hitting with a .469 batting average (No. 4), 19 home runs (No. 7) and 25 wins in the circle (No. 9). Making history during the 2023 season, Clemson’s dominating two-way player set a new single-season record for the Tigers with 19 home runs in addition to tossing the program’s first perfect game with a five-inning, eight-strikeout performance against Mercer on March 8. Cagle’s presence on the rubber remained consistent throughout her redshirt-junior season, tallying a 25-8 win-loss record and 1.56 ERA throughout 193 innings pitched. Earning her second ACC Player of the Year honor (2021, 2023), Cagle led the Tigers to the Norman Super Regional against No. 1 ranked Oklahoma where she finished with a .500 batting average and .625 slugging percentage against the Sooners.

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