OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — For the second consecutive season, Rachel Mitchell and Kirsten Shortridge represented the LSU softball team on the ninth annual USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List Wednesday as announced by the Amateur Softball Association.
LSU has had at least two players on the prestigious list in five of the last six seasons and are one of 13 schools to have multiple players recognized in 2010. The pair also was two of 12 players selected from the SEC. Both the SEC and Pac-10 have 12 players on the list.
“Rachel and Kirsten are accomplished players and very deserving of being chosen for this list that represents the best of the best in college softball,” head coach Yvette Girouard said. “We’re counting on them heavily to have fantastic senior seasons for the Tigers to be successful.”
The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award, considered the Heisman Trophy of women’s collegiate softball, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country.
Three-time All-American Britni Sneed was one of 10 finalists for the award in 2002 followed by two-time All-American Kristin Schmidt during the 2003 season. In 2006 and 2007, three-time All-American Leslie Klein was one of 25 finalists for the honor.
The 2010 Preseason Watch List is comprised of 50 players representing 35 schools and 14 different NCAA Division I Conferences. The ASA will announce the 25 finalists on April 7. A player does not have to appear on the initial watch list to be considered as a Top 25 finalist, but once the Top 25 is named, the remaining finalist must be selected from that list.
Just days before the start of postseason play, a list of 10 finalists will be named and released on May 12. The last three finalists will be announced May 26 with the winner of the 2010 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award being announced prior to the start of the 2010 Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
LSU opens the 2010 season against No. 19 North Carolina, No. 21 DePaul and host Texas, a trio of 2009 NCAA Tournament squads, at the Time Warner Cable Texas Invitational on February 12-14.
Season and individual game tickets are on-sale now and can be purchased online at www.LSUSports.net, the official Web site of LSU Athletics. Tickets also can be purchased in person at the ticket office on the first floor of the Athletics Administration Building or by calling (225) 578-2184 or (800) 960-8587.
There are a limited number of chair-back seats available. Bench-back [Section 102 and 106] along with general admission [Sections 101 and 107] and outfield berm seating also are on-sale. LSU students, faculty and staff are admitted free to Tiger softball games with an LSU ID.
Fans are encouraged to get their season tickets to guarantee great seats for LSU’s impressive home slate that features 16 games against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams highlighted by match-ups against Michigan and Georgia, a pair of Women’s College World Series squads.
2010 USA Softball Player of the Year Watch List
Name (School) – Year – Position – Hometown
Valerie Arioto (California) – Junior – Utility – Pleasanton, Calif.
Donna Bourgeois (Louisiana-Lafayette) – Junior – Pitcher – Lafayette, La.
Chelsea Bramlett (Mississippi State) – Senior – Catcher/Infield – Cordova, Tenn.
Stephanie Brombacher (Florida) – Junior – Pitcher – Pembroke Pines, Fla.
Neena Bryant (Oregon) -Senior – Outfield – Placentia, Calif.
Anna Cahn (Cal Poly) – Junior – Pitcher/Designated Player – Los Alamitos, Calif.
Whitney Canion (Baylor) – Sophomore – Pitcher – Aledo, Texas
Stacie Chambers (Arizona) – RS-Junior – Catcher – Glendale, Ariz.
Lauren Delaney (Northwestern) – Senior – Pitcher – Jefferson City, Mo.
Krista Donnenwirth (Arizona State) – Junior – SS/Third Base – Mission Viejo, Calif.
Kelsi Dunne (Alabama) – Junior – Pitcher – Port Orange, Fla.
Francesca Enea (Florida) – Senior – Outfield – Woodland Hills, Calif.
Amber Flores (Oklahoma) – Senior – Infield – Calexico, Calif.
Alisa Goler (Georgia) – Junior – Infield – Frankfort, Ill.
Kelly Grieve (Tennessee) – Junior -Outfield -Asheville, N.C.
Alissa Haber (Stanford) – Senior – Outfield- Newark, Calif.
Sarah Hamilton (Florida State) – Junior – Pitcher – Tallahassee, Fla.
Ashley Hansen (Stanford) – Sophomore – Infield – Chandler, Ariz.
Becca Heteniak (DePaul) – Senior – Pitcher – Simi Valley, Calif.
Katie Holverson (Nevada) – Senior – Pitcher – Anthem, Ariz.
Tiffany Huff (Tennessee) – Senior – Catcher/First Base – Saugus, Calif.
Molly Johnson (Kentucky) – Senior -Infield – Tucson, Ariz.
Megan Langenfeld (UCLA) – Senior – Pitcher/First Base – Bakersfield, Calif.
Brittany Lastrapes (Arizona) – Junior – Outfield – Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Danielle Lawrie (Washington) – Senior – Pitcher – Langley, British Columbia
Sam Marder (Ohio State) – Senior – Catcher – Calabasas, Calif.
Morgan Melloh (Fresno State) – Junior – Pitcher – Fishers, Ind.
Rachel Mitchell (LSU) – Senior – Outfield – LaPorte, Texas
Adrienne Monka (Northwestern) – Sophomore – Infield – Rancho Cucamongo, Calif.
Charlotte Morgan (Alabama) – Senior – Pitcher/Utility – Moreno Valley, Calif.
Nikki Nemitz (Michigan) – Senior – Pitcher – St. Clair Shores, Mich.
Carly Normandin (Massachusetts) – Senior – Outfield – Gardner, Mass.
Tara Oltman (Creighton) – Senior – Pitcher – Cortland, Neb.
Kimi Pohlman (Washington) – Sophomore – Outfield – Sammamish, Wash.
Nikki Prier (Jacksonville State) – Senior – Infield – Raleigh, N.C.
Jessica Purcell-Fitu (BYU) – Junior – Catcher – Walnut, Calif.
Melissa Roth (Louisville) – Senior – Catcher – Long Beach, Calif.
Katie Schroeder (UCLA) – Junior – Outfield – Yorba Linda, Calif.
Taylor Schlopy (Georgia) – Junior – Pitcher/Outfield – West Hills, Calif.
Kirsten Shortridge (LSU) – Senior – Pitcher/Outfield- Keller, Texas
Kaila Shull (UCLA) -Senior – Catcher/Outfield – Lodi, Calif.
Danielle Spaulding (North Carolina) – Senior – First Base/Pitcher – Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Rhea Taylor (Missouri) – Junior – Outfield – Buford, Ga.
Chelsea Thomas (Missouri) – Sophomore – Utility – Pleasantville, Iowa
Brooke Turner (Long Beach State) – Junior – Pitcher – Buena Park, Calif.
Maggie Viefhaus (Michigan) – Senior – Infielder – Pacific, Mo.
Kristen Wadwell (Louisville) – Senior – Pitcher/Infield – Sydney, Australia
Amberley Waits (Louisiana Tech) – Senior – Infield – Cleburne, Texas
Kelsi Weseman (Georgia Tech) – Sophomore – Infield – Hutto, Texas
Jen Yee (Georgia Tech) – Senior – Second Base – North Delta, British Columbia