BATON ROUGE — Future LSU softball star Dani Hofer was named the National High School Softball Player of the Year in an interview with Jay Crawford on ESPN2’s “Cold Pizza” on Wednesday morning. Watch the three-minute presentation now, using Real Player.
The award, which recognizes athletic achievement as well as the academic performance and overall character of its recipient, distinguishes Hofer as the nation’s best high school softball player. The Gatorade National Advisory Board, a group of sportswriters and sport-specific experts from around the country, selected Hofer from the more than 360,000 female high school softball players nationwide.
Hofer is a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year Award, to be presented at an awards ceremony the afternoon prior to the ESPY Awards in July.
Former LSU basketball standout Shaquille O’Neal was a state winner in 1989, while basketball’s Randy Livingston was named the National High School Boy’s Basketball Player of the Year in 1993
The 5-11 senior pitcher from Palm Harbor, Fla., led Palm Harbor High School, which ranked second in the national high school poll, to back-to-back Florida 5A state championships, winning 46 consecutive games over two seasons. In 2005, the Hurricanes became the first Florida High School team to finish undefeated or untied (31-0) in more than five years.
Recently featured in USA Today, she capped off her senior season with a perfect 24-0 record and a phenomenal 0.08 earned run average, while striking out 403 and walking just five in 165 innings, averaging over 17 strikeouts per game. For her career, she finished with a 68-6 mark, recorded 1,163 strikeouts with only 11 walks, while posting a 0.14 ERA. Her 13 perfect games ranks fourth in national high school softball history.
Hofer signed her National Letter of Intent to play for the Tigers last November and will join the LSU softball team next season.
Gatorade National High School Softball Player of the Year
Past Winners
Year
Name
POS.
High School
College
2005
Dani Hofer
P
Palm Harbor HS (Fla.)
LSU *
2004
Anjelica Selden
P
Vanden HS (Calif.)
UCLA
2003
Lisa Dodd
P
University City HS (Calif.)
UCLA
2002
Alicia Hollowell
P
Fairfield HS (Calif.)
Arizona
2001
Catherine “Cat” Osterman
P
Cypress Falls HS (Texas)
Texas
2000
Tia Bollinger
P
Mater Dei HS (Calif.)
Washington
1999
Maureen LeCocq
P
Chaminade College Prep (Calif.)
Stanford
1998
Amanda Freed
P
Pacifica HS (Calif.)
UCLA
* an LSU signee