Florida softball commit [autotag]Ava Brown[/autotag], who went undefeated as a pitcher during her prep career, was named the 2022-23 Gatorade Best Female Player of the Year on Tuesday night. Brown is the second softball athlete ever to take home the honor in the award’s 20-year history.
The Gatorade Player of the Year Awards celebrates the next generation of great athletes for their incredible accomplishments on and off the playing field, according to the official press release. Each year, Gatorade brings together its 12 National Players of the Year, the best of the best in high school sports, to recognize their accomplishments and celebrate their bright futures alongside professional athletes and industry tastemakers.
Texas’ returning Gatorade Player of the Year Brown led the Lake Creek Lions to a 44-1 record and second straight Conference 5A state championship this past season, ranked the nation’s No. 3 recruit in the Class of 2023 by Extra Inning Softball. At the plate, the 2022 MaxPreps First Team All-American batted .462 with nine home runs, 17 doubles, 65 RBI and a .888 slugging percentage.
Below are additional facts about Brown:
- Struck out 292 batters while walking just 30 in 172 innings;
- Concluded her prep softball career with a 81-0 record and 830 strikeouts in the circle;
- Volunteered with her local chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and as a youth softball coach;
- Brown has maintained a 3.55 GPA in the classroom;
- Signed a national letter of intent to play softball on scholarship at the University of Florida this fall.
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