The TUCCI/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I Player of the Year award recipient was announced on Friday morning, and for the second straight season, a member of the Florida Gators softball program earned the prestigious honor.
Sophomore catcher [autotag]Jocelyn Erickson[/autotag] was tapped for the distinguished distinction after turning in one of the best individual performances at her position in program history. The southpaw set a new single-season record for RBI (86), surpassing previous record holder Megan Bush’s mark of 80 in 2011; the pair are the only two Gators to have recorded 80 or more RBI in a year.
Erickson finished the year with a .382 (73-for-191) average at the plate with 15 doubles, 15 home runs, 50 runs scored and 50 walks in addition to being 10-for-10 on stolen base attempts. She also finished third in program history with seven sacrifice flies, lagging behind Bush’s nine in 2011 and [autotag]Charla Echols[/autotag] 10 in 2022.
Her defensive prowess behind the plate also enabled her to record a new school single-season record for the lowest stolen base percentage against. Erickson’s sparkling mark of .316 resulted from throwing out 13 of the 19 runners attempting to steal on her this season.
[autotag]Skylar Wallace[/autotag] collected the award last season after finishing as the only player in the nation with 65 or more hits, 70 or more runs, 55 or more RBI, 50 or more walks and 30 or more stolen bases. She had one of the best individual seasons in Florida history as she set new single-season school records in batting average (.447), slugging percentage (.980) and on-base percentage (.595).
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