CHICAGO — LSU softball signees Meghan Patterson and Tammy Wray picked up 2010 Gatorade Softball Player of the Year accolades for the states of Louisiana and New York Wednesday as announced by the Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN RISE.
Both players will join the Tigers as freshmen for the 2011 season and advance as finalists for the prestigious Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year award announced later this month. It marks the second straight year that Patterson has been selected Gatorade Louisiana Softball Player of the Year.
The Gatorade Company has honored the nation’s best high school athletics for the last 25 years by recognizing not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement along with exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field.
Patterson, a 5-8 pitcher, posted a 24-9 record and a blistering 0.34 ERA en route to 451 strikeouts against 26 walks in 246 innings of work for Mount Carmel Academy in New Orleans. She tossed seven no-hitters and 19 shutouts during the 2010 season. At the plate, the two-time 5A State Player of the Year batted .351 with eight doubles and 23 RBIs. Patterson has maintained an A average in the classroom. She has volunteered locally at the Ochsner Medical Center in Kenner along with serving as a youth softball coach and instructor.
“It feels wonderful to be recognized for this great accomplishment and my hard work has paid off for the second year in a row,” Patterson said. “I plan on getting into great shape so I can throw that much better for LSU. It’s a huge honor to be a part of a highly ranked SEC team and I couldn’t be happier.”
Wray, a 5-8 shortstop, racked up an impressive .623 batting average with 10 home runs and 34 RBIs during her senior season at Somers High School in New York. A five-time All-Conference and four-time All-Section I selection, Wray owns 14 school records and was named First Team All-State in 2009. She has maintained a B average in the classroom. In addition to serving of her school’s peer-leadership program, Wray has volunteered locally on behalf of a soup kitchen and youth softball clinics.
“I’m so excited to start playing at LSU and I hope to have a major impact on the team, immediately,” Wray said. “I think we’re going to have a great team and I’m looking forward to doing anything I can to help get the Tigers back to the Women’s College World Series.”
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.
The selection process is administered by ESPN RISE and the Gatorade high school sports leadership team, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.