OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Rachele Fico continued LSU softball’s longstanding tradition on the prestigious USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List released Wednesday by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America.
The list is comprised of 50 players representing 36 schools and 15 different NCAA Division I Conferences. The Pac-10 leads the way with 12 players recognized followed by the SEC with 10 selections. In total, the list includes 23 seniors, 12 juniors and 15 sophomores.
Fico, the reigning SEC Co-Freshman of the Year and NFCA All-South Region First-Team pick, is looking to build on her 20-7 campaign where she secured 10 victories over RPI Top 50 opponents. She also ranked among the SEC’s elite in ERA (1.15), runs allowed (31), opponent batting average (.184) and strikeouts (161). The 1.15 ERA allowed Fico to become the first freshmen to win the SEC ERA title in league history.
“There’s no doubt that Rachele had a phenomenal freshman season where she learned to pitch in pressure situations on the fly,” head coach Yvette Girouard said. “Going into her sophomore season, she knows what it takes to be successful at this level and has become more versatile during the offseason in the circle. She always wants the ball and that competitive fire will carry her far.”
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 along with two-time All-American Kirsten Shortridge in 2010 was one of 25 finalists for the honor.
The award, entering its 10th season, is considered the Heisman Trophy of women’s collegiate softball and designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country.
The ASA will announce the 25 finalists on April 13. A player does not have to appear on this initial watch list to be considered as a top 25 finalist. However, once the top 25 finalists are named the winner of the award will come from that list. Freshmen qualify for the top 25 list once they have competed at the collegiate level.
Just days before the start of post-season play, a list of 10 finalists will be named and released on May 11. The final three finalists will be announced May 25 while the winner of the 2011 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award will be announced prior to the start of the 2011 NCAA Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
LSU, ranked No. 19 in the initial NFCA Top 25, is nine days away from first pitch and playing host to the Wilson/DeMarini Tiger Classic. Bowling Green, Louisiana Tech and Purdue head to the Capital City as the Tigers open the season at home for the first time since 2008.
Fans can follow the team’s social media pages at www.Facebook.com/lsusoftball and on Twitter at Twitter.com/LSU_Softball.
Ticket information for LSU’s marquee home schedule that features 14 games against 2010 NCAA Tournament foes highlighted by home series with SEC heavyweights Alabama, Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee is available at www.LSUtix.net.
2011 USA Softball Player of the Year Watch List
Name (School) – Year – Position – Hometown
Valerie Arioto (California) – Senior – Utility – Pleasanton, Calif.
Hillary Bach (Arizona State) – Junior – Pitcher – Tulsa, Okla.
Donna Bourgeois (Houston) – Senior – Pitcher – Lafayette, La.
Katelyn Boyd (Arizona State) – Junior – Infield – Phoenix, Ariz.
Kayla Braud (Alabama) – Sophomore – Infield – Eugene, Ore.
Stephanie Brombacher (Florida) – Senior – Pitcher – Pembroke Pines, Fla.
Anna Cahn (Cal Poly) – Senior – Pitcher/Designated Player – Los Alamitos, Calif.
Raven Chavanne (Tennessee) – Sophomore – Outfield – Thousand Oaks, Calif.
GiOnna DiSalvatore (UCLA) – Senior – Infield – Palm Harbor, Fla.
Kelsi Dunne (Alabama) – Senior – Pitcher – Port Orange, Fla.
Rachele Fico (LSU) – Sophomore – Pitcher – Oxford, Conn.
Kenzie Fowler (Arizona) – Sophomore – Pitcher – Tucson, Ariz.
Olivia Galati (Hofstra) – Sophomore – Pitcher – West Babylon, NY
Alisa Goler (Georgia) – Senior – Infield – Frankfort, Ill.
Melissa Gonzalez (Hawaii) – Senior – Infield – Moreno Valley, Calif.
Kelly Grieve (Tennessee) – Senior -Outfield -Asheville, N.C.
Ashley Guile (Nebraska) – Junior – Utility – Olathe, Kan.
Meredith Hackett (Illinois) – Junior – Infield – Corona, Calif.
Sarah Hamilton (Florida State) – Senior – Pitcher – Tallahassee, Fla.
Ashley Hansen (Stanford) – Junior – Infield – Chandler, Ariz.
Andrea Harrison (UCLA) – Junior – Outfield – Garden Grove, Calif.
Alicia Herron (Ohio State) – Junior – Shortstop – Cypress, Calif.
Alex Holmes (UC Davis) – Senior – Pitcher/DP – San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
Whitney Kiihnl (Lipscomb) – Junior – Pitcher/Outfield – Batesville, Miss.
Brittany Lastrapes (Arizona) – Senior – Outfield – Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Blaire Luna (Texas ) – Sophomore – Pitcher – Austin, Texas
Kelly Majam (Hawaii) – Sophomore – Outfield – Pine Valley, Calif.
Jenna Marston (Missouri) – Sophomore – Infield – St. Louis, Mo.
Meagan May (Texas A&M) – Sophomore – Catcher/1B – Spring, Texas
Morgan Melloh (Indiana) – Senior – Pitcher – Fishers, Ind.
Jen Mineau (Fordham) – Junior – Pitcher – Schaghticoke, N.Y.
Abby Olson (Illinois State) -Senior- Infield – Hartsburg, Ill.
Toni Paisley (East Carolina) – Senior – Pitcher/Utility – Lakewood, Calif.
Samantha Pappas (Oregon) – Sophomore – Outfield – Las Flores, Calif.
Sara Plourde (Massachusetts) – Junior – Pitcher – Bristol, Conn.
Jessica Purcell-Fitu (BYU) – Senior – Catcher – Walnut, Calif.
Jamia Reid (California) – Junior – Outfield – Buena Park, Calif.
Ivy Renfroe (Tennessee) – Sophomore – Pitcher – Jackson, Tenn.
Keilani Ricketts (Oklahoma) – Sophomore – Pitcher – San Jose, Calif.
Hope Rush (Georgia Tech) – Sophomore – Pitcher – Stockbridge, Ga.
Jenn Salling (Washington) – Senior – Infield – Port Coquitlam, B.C., Canada
Taylor Schlopy (Georgia) – Senior – Outfield – West Hills, Calif.
Brittany Schutte (Florida) – Sophomore – Utility – Fountain Valley, Calif.
April Setterlund (Boston) – Senior – Outfield -Torrance, Calif.
Dorian Shaw (Michigan) – Senior – Infield – Burke, Va.
Kristen Shifflett (Radford) – Senior – Shortstop – Charlottesville, Va.
Jessica Shults (Oklahoma) – Sophomore – Catcher – Valencia, Calif.
Jordan Taylor (Michigan) – Senior – Pitcher – Valencia, Calif.
Rhea Taylor (Missouri) – Senior – Outfield – Buford, Ga.
Niki Williams (Washington) – Junior – Outfield – Mission Viejo, Calif.