OKLAHOMA CITY – USA Softball revealed today the remaining Top 3 Finalists in the running for the 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. Considered the most prestigious individual honor in Division I college softball, the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award recognizes outstanding athletic achievement by Division I female softball players across the country and will honor its 20th athlete at the conclusion of the 2022 NCAA Division I softball season.
Click here to see the Top 3 Finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year
Previous recipients of the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award include Stacey Nuveman (UCLA - 2002), Cat Osterman (2003, 2005, 2006 - Texas), Jessica Van der Linden (Florida State - 2004), Monica Abbott (2007 - Tennessee), Angela Tincher (2008 - Virginia Tech), Danielle Lawrie (2009, 2010 - Washington), Ashley Hansen (Stanford – 2011), Keilani Ricketts (2012, 2013 – Oklahoma), Lacey Waldrop (2014 – Florida State), Lauren Haeger (2015 – Florida), Sierra Romero (2016 – Michigan), Kelly Barnhill (2017 – Florida), Rachel Garcia (2018, 2019 – UCLA) and Jocelyn Alo (2021 – Oklahoma). Due to the shortened 2020 season because of the COVID-19 global pandemic, a 2020 recipient was not chosen.
Consisting of two fifth-year student athletes and one true senior, the Top 3 Finalists for the 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year represents three NCAA Division I universities and athletic conferences. The Big 12 Conference is highlighted by Oklahoma’s Jocelyn Alo while the American Athletic Conference (AAC) lands South Florida’s Georgina Corrick in the Top 3 in addition to Washington’s Baylee Klingler representing the Pac-12 Conference. All three Finalists will take the field at a NCAA Regional as the 2022 postseason kicks off this weekend.
The reigning USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, Jocelyn Alo, leads the nation in slugging percentage (1.128) and on-base percentage (.622) while ranking second in batting average (.481) and third in home runs (25). In addition to earning her second-straight Big 12 Player of the Year honor and fourth All-Big 12 First Team accolade, Alo broke the NCAA Division I softball home run record in March of the 2022 season to become the all-time career home run leader with 113 homers heading into the postseason.
Nine-time AAC Pitcher of the Week, Georgina Corrick, finished the 2022 NCAA Division I regular season atop the leaderboard in innings pitched (266.1), wins (36),shutouts (20) and strikeouts (407) while tallying an impressive 0.53 ERA. Picking up her fourth AAC All-Conference First Team honor, Corrick was also named the AAC Pitcher of the Year for the fourth time in her career – the only pitcher in AAC history to win the award in all four seasons of their career.
The Pac-12 Player of the Year, Baylee Klingler, ranks in the Top 5 in home runs (22) and RBI (65) in addition to recording a notable .433 batting average throughout the regular season. Pegged as one of the country’s toughest batters to strikeout with a low of six K’s, Klinger had a season-high 15-game hit streak while reaching base in 25 consecutive games. Named Pac-12 Player of the Week two times this season, Klingler led the conference in almost every offensive category.
The 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be announced on May 31 at the team-only banquet prior to the NCAA Women’s College World Series (WCWS) in Oklahoma City, Okla.
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.