April 7, 2010
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Georgia Tech redshirt senior second baseman Jen Yee and freshman pitcher/designated player Hope Rush have been named to the list of 25 finalists for the USA Softball Player of the Year Award announced today by the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA).
The Top 25 list represents 20 schools and seven different NCAA Division I Conferences. The list is comprised of 10 seniors, seven juniors, one sophomore and seven freshmen. The 2010 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be chosen from the 25 finalists.
Yee has reached base in all 37 games this season for the Yellow Jackets and there have been just two games in which she had at least one official plate appearance where she has not recorded a hit. Yee has 15 multi-hit games and 13 multi-RBI games as Georgia Tech enters play this week with a 32-5 record and a program-best No. 6 national ranking.
Yee is batting .567 (1st in the ACC, 2nd nationally) and has a 1.268 slugging percentage (1st, 1st), a .702 on-base percentage (1st, 1st), 54 runs scored (1st, 1st), 55 hits (1st in ACC), 46 RBI (1st, 9th), 10 doubles (3rd in ACC), 19 home runs (1st, 1st), 123 total bases (1st in ACC) and 44 walks (1st, 2nd). 17 of those walks have been intentional.
Yee has been a three-time ACC Player of the Week and was also the Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week on March 2. The North Delta, British Columbia native was MVP of the 2010 NFCA Leadoff Classic, Feb. 26-28, and was a first-team ESPN.com Preseason All-American.
Rush is 18-3 in the circle this season with a 1.27 ERA. She ranks fourth in the ACC and 25th nationally in ERA, while her 18 wins are tops in the league and 11th-best in the nation. Rush has made 20 starts and is holding opponents to a .207 batting average. She has 19 complete games and six shutouts.
Rush is 7-1 with a 1.56 ERA against ranked teams this season. She holds shutouts over No. 3 Florida, No. 16 North Carolina and No. 17 Texas A&M. One of her two no-hitters this season came against the Tar Heels.
At the plate, Rush is batting .294 with 11 home runs and 32 RBI. She ranks second in the ACC and 44th nationally in home runs, while her RBI tally is fifth-best in the league. The Stockbridge, Ga., native is slugging .615 on the season and has an on-base percentage of .415. She as been the recipient of the ACC Pitcher of the Week award on two different occasions.
Just days before the start of post-season play, a list of 10 finalists will be named and released on May 12. The three finalists will be announced May 26th while the winner of the 2010 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award will be announced prior to the start of the 2010 NCAA Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
2010 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 Finalists
Name (School) – Year – Position – Hometown
Valerie Arioto (California) – Junior – Utility – Pleasanton, Calif.
Chelsea Bramlett (Mississippi State) – Senior – Catcher/Infield – Cordova, Tenn.
*Kayla Braud (Alabama) -Freshman – Infielder – Eugene, Ore.
*Raven Chavanne (Tennessee) – Freshman – Third Base/Outfield -Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Francesca Enea (Florida) – Senior – Outfield – Woodland Hills, Calif.
Amber Flores (Oklahoma) – Senior – Infield – Calexico, Calif.
*Kenzie Fowler (Arizona) – Freshman – Pitcher – Tucson, Ariz.
*Teagan Gerhart (Stanford) – Freshman – Pitcher/Infielder – Norco, Calif.
Alissa Haber (Stanford) – Senior – Outfield- Newark, Calif.
Sarah Hamilton (Florida State) – Junior – Pitcher – Tallahassee, Fla.
Megan Langenfeld (UCLA) – Senior – Pitcher/First Base – Bakersfield, Calif.
Brittany Lastrapes (Arizona) – Junior – Outfield – Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Danielle Lawrie (Washington) – Senior – Pitcher – Langley, B.C.
*Blaire Luna (Texas) – Freshman – Pitcher – Austin, Texas
* Jen Mineau (Fordham) – Sophomore – Pitcher – Schaghticoke, N.Y.
*Keilani Ricketts (Oklahoma) – Freshman – Pitcher – San Jose, Calif.
Melissa Roth (Louisville) – Senior – Catcher – Long Beach, Calif.
*Hope Rush (Georgia Tech) – Freshman – Pitcher/DP – Stockbridge, Ga.
Taylor Schlopy (Georgia) – Junior – Pitcher/Outfield – West Hills, Calif.
Kirsten Shortridge (LSU) – Senior – Pitcher/Outfield- Keller, Texas
*Jenn Salling (Washington) – Junior – Infield – Port Coquitlam, B.C.
Danielle Spaulding (North Carolina) – Senior – First Base/Pitcher – Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
*Jordan Taylor (Michigan) – Junior – Pitcher – Valencia, Calif.
Rhea Taylor (Missouri) – Junior – Outfield – Buford, Ga.
Jen Yee (Georgia Tech) – Senior – Second Base – North Delta, B.C.
*Was not on Top 50 Watch list
