Jan. 27, 2010
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Georgia Tech redshirt senior second baseman Jen Yee (North Delta, British Columbia) and sophomore shortstop Kelsi Weseman (Hutto, Texas) are among the 50 players selected today by the Amateur Softball Association of America to USA Softball’s Player of the Year “Watch List.”
This award, which is considered the most prestigious honor in Division I women’s collegiate softball, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country. The 2010 Pre-Season Watch List is comprised of 50 players representing 35 schools and 14 different NCAA Division I Conferences. The list includes 27 seniors, 17 juniors and six sophomores.
The ASA will announce the 25 finalists on April 7. 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.
Yee returned to Georgia Tech following a year with the Canadian National Team and had a monster junior season. She earned first-team All-ACC and all-region honors, while ranking among the ACC leaders in every offensive category. A native of North Delta, British Columbia, Yee finished second in the league in batting (.415), second in hits (73), first in runs scored (64), first in home runs (16), first in doubles (18), tied for seventh in triples (2), sixth in RBI (43), first in total bases (143), first in walks (41), first in on-base percentage (.534) and first in slugging percentage (.813).
Last year, Weseman became Tech’s first ACC Freshman of the Year since 2006 but was forced to miss all of the NCAA Tournament after breaking her arm in the ACC Championship game. She started 56 games at shortstop before suffering the injury and ranked second on the team, third in the ACC and 40th nationally with a .406 batting average. She also added 45 runs scored (second in ACC, 71st nationally), 63 hits (sixth in ACC), 15 doubles (second in ACC, 69th nationally), two triples, nine home runs (tied for eighth in ACC), 48 RBI (second in ACC, 48th nationally), 109 total bases (third in ACC), .703 slugging percentage (fourth in ACC, 52nd nationally), 19 walks, 16 hit by pitches (24th nationally) and a .510 on-base percentage (second in ACC, 24th nationally).
2010 USA Softball Player of the Year Watch List
Name (School) – Year – Position – Hometown
Valerie Arioto (California) – Junior – Utility – Pleasanton, Calif.
Donna Bourgeois (ULL) – 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
Just days before the start of post-season play, a list of 10 finalists will be named and released on May 12. The final three finalists will be announced May 26 while the winner of the 2010 USA Softball National 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.
