Tag: USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year

Pair of Gators softball players named player of the year finalists

These two Gators are repping the Orange and Blue in the softball realm this season.

The 2024 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year top-26 finalists were announced early on Wednesday afternoon, with a pair of members of the Florida Gators getting the nod for the prestigious honor.

Sophomore [autotag]Jocelyn Erickson[/autotag] and junior [autotag]Korbe Otis[/autotag] were the two members of the Orange and Blue who made the cut after playing all 51 games this season so far. Their team currently holds a 40-12 record overall with a 14-7 mark in Southeastern Conference play, ranked No. 9 in the ESPN/USA Softball poll and No. 12 in D1Softball’s tally.

Otis leads Florida with a .440 batting average out of the left field position, giving her the best mark in the SEC and 13th in the nation overall. The Littleton, Colorado, native also ranks third in the conference in runs scored (55) and hits (59) holds top 10 ranks in RBI (40, 9th), triples (3, 8th) and leads the league in walks (44); Otis’ .576 on-base percentage is the best in the nation.

Erickson has proven to be one of the best defensive catchers in the business this season, throwing out 11 of the 15 runners who have attempted to steal a base on her. The Phoenix, Arizona, native also has some pop with the bat, putting up a .398 batting average along with a league-leading 64 RBI — good for sixth-best in the country.

The Top 25 Finalists will be narrowed down to 10 athletes on May 15, followed by the Top 3 Finalists set to be released on May 20. The 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed before the Women’s College World Series, which is scheduled to take place from May 30 to June 7 at the Softball Capital of the World.

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Oklahoma Sooners’ Jocelyn Alo named USA Softball Player of the Year Finalist

Jocelyn Alo was named a finalist for USA Softball’s Collegiate Player of the Year Award.

The NCAA’s all-time home run leader, [autotag]Jocelyn Alo[/autotag], is looking to add another trophy to the mantle. Alo was named as one of the final three finalists for the 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award.

Is she wins, Alo would be the fifth player to win the award in back to back seasons.

She certainly has a strong case.

Nationally, Alo is ranked second in batting average, third in home runs, first in slugging percentage and first in on base percentage.

With each passing season, Alo seems to reset the standard for hitting in collegiate softball. The redshirt senior has set new career highs in batting average and walks this season.

Alo and the Sooners will be back in action on Friday night to begin Regionals against the PVAMU Panthers at Marita Hynes Field. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and the radio broadcast can be heard on “The Franchise”.

The other two finalists for the award are South Florida’s Georgina Corrick and Washington’s Baylee Klingler.

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Trio of Sooners top 10 finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award

Jocelyn Alo, Jordy Bahl, and Grace Lyons were named among the top 10 finalists for the 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award.

Oklahoma Sooners softball has had a tremendous 2022 in search of back-to-back national championships. They’re 45-1, the No. 1 team in the nation, and heading into Bedlam, the favorite to advance to the College World Series and win the whole thing.

Jocelyn Alo has been the headliner in her record-breaking season. She once again leads the Sooners in home runs and batting average. Alo is looking to become the second Sooner since Keilani Ricketts to win the award in back-to-back seasons. Ricketts won the award in 2012 and 2013 and was a member of the 2013 national championship team.

She’s having a tremendous year and is one of three Sooners to be named finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award.

But her season isn’t the only one that’s defined Oklahoma softball in 2022. The breakout year from Grace Lyons has been a key factor in the Sooners’ offense remaining deadly even as Alo gets walked or has an off day at the plate. And Lyons has come up clutch throughout the year as well, with multi-home run games and walk-off hits.

Though the offense carries a lot of the headlines, Jordy Bahl’s arrival to Norman has headlined a pitching staff that has been dominant in 2022. Bahl has become the ace of the staff, appearing in a team-leading 28 games and holds a 20-1 record with 191 strikeouts. The standout freshman has also been nominated for the NFCA National Freshman of the Year award for her performance in 2022.

The award will be narrowed to three finalists on May 18 and announced prior to the start of the College World Series, slated to begin on June 2 at the USA Softball complex in Oklahoma City.

Here’s a look at the 10 finalists.

Oklahoma Sooners lead USA Softball’s National Player of the Year watch list

Ahead of the 2022 season, Oklahoma Sooners Jocelyn Alo, Tiare Jennings, Jayda Coleman, and Kinzie Hansen were named to USA Softball’s National Player of the Year watch list.

The Oklahoma Sooners come into the 2022 season with incredibly high expectations. Based on their 2021, they’re warranted. After setting a new record for home runs in a season and returning much of the team that set a new standard for run-rule wins, the Oklahoma Sooners are the far and away favorite for the 2022 national title based on preseason rankings.

Both D1 Softball and USA Softball voted the Sooners their unanimous preseason No. 1. With just a couple of weeks until the Sooners’ season opener against UC-Santa Barbara, USA Softball released its preseason National Player of the Year watch list.

The 2021 National Player of the Year Jocelyn Alo leads the way and is the favorite to repeat as winner of the prestigious award. Joining her are freshman of the year Tiare Jennings, Jayda Coleman, and Kinzie Hansen.

Alo was a force all season from her designated hitter role, setting career highs across the board. She hit .475 with 34 home runs, 89 RBIs, and a slugging percentage of 1.109. Her home runs and slugging percentage were the best in the NCAA.

Tiare Jennings was just as remarkable in her freshman season for the Sooners. She was second in the country with 27 home runs and collected an NCAA freshman record 92 RBIs. She had an impressive 1.000 slugging percentage and led the nation in doubles with 25.

Fellow freshman Jayda Coleman was impressive in her first year with the Sooners. She was electric in center field, providing highlight-reel defense for the No. 1 team in the nation. On the season, she hit .444 with nine home runs and 53 RBIs while leading the team with 20 stolen bases. She was a first-team All-American and National Freshman of the Year Finalist.

Starting 58 games for the Sooners last season, Kinzie Hansen hit .438 as a sophomore. Her 24 home runs were fifth in the nation and added 66 RBIs. Hansen registered a .990 fielding percentage from behind the plate with 279 putouts and 21 assists.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a ton of talent in their lineup and will be a force to be reckoned with on the diamond. Any one of these four on the preseason watch list could end up as National Player of the Year.

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Oklahoma’s Jocelyn Alo a candidate for 2021 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year

Oklahoma Sooners Jocelyn Alo has been named a finalist for national player of the year honors.

The Oklahoma Sooners softball team had quite the season as the No. 1 team in the country for most of the season. They finished the season with a record of 45-2 after securing the regular season and conference tournament Big 12 championships. Both losses were avenged immediately in both instances. Now the No. 1 team in the country looks to secure the national championship.

One of their top players this year, Jocelyn Alo is now up for even more hardware after being named the Big 12 Player of the Year. According to a release from the Oklahoma Sooners athletic department, she is a candidate for more player of the year honors. This time for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.

Alo, the Big 12 Player of the Year and First Team All-Big 12 selection, has paced the potent Oklahoma offense in 2021, holding the nation’s lead in home runs (27) and slugging percentage (1.120) and ranks second in RBIs (75) and fifth in batting average (.479).

The senior slugger has homered in 25 of OU’s 47 games, including two grand slams and two multi-home run games. She has successfully reached base in 59 of OU’s last 60 games dating back to last season, including going on a program record 40-game consecutive hit streak from Feb. 21, 2020 vs. Texas A&M to April 3, 2021 vs. Kansas.

Additionally, Alo tied the NCAA record for consecutive games with a home run at seven from March 7 vs. Sam Houston through OU’s first matchup with Iowa State, March 26. The Hauula, Hawaii, native has 81 career homers, just 14 shy of the OU and NCAA career record for home runs (95), set by 2015 OU grad Lauren Chamberlain.

No. 1 Oklahoma was one of three programs to have multiple top-10 finalists for the award, as freshman Tiare Jennings was a Top-10 candidate for the award, considered the most prestigious honor in NCAA Division I softball.

The winner will be announced June 1 prior to the start of the NCAA Women’s College World Series