June 1, 2010
NEW YORK — Georgia Tech redshirt senior second baseman Jen Yee has been named a finalist for the prestigious Honda Sports Award for Softball, given annually to the top player in the country.
Yee is one of four finalists along with Chelsea Bramlett of Mississippi State, Danielle Lawrie of Washington and UCLA’s Megan Langenfeld. Her 2010 awards already include ACC Player of the Year, 1st-Team NFCA All-Southeast Region and 1st-Team All-ACC. Yee is also a finalist for the USA Softball Player of the Year Award, which will be announced later tonight at the opening ceremonies of the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
The winner after nationwide balloting will become a candidate for The Honda-Broderick Cup awarded annually to the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year. In addition to the honor of this selection, American Honda will donate $1,000 to the women’s athletic fund of each nominee’s university. The winner’s program will receive $5,000.
Yee reached base safely at least once in all 62 games this season and leads the nation in batting average (.568), slugging percentage (1.270), on-base percentage (.732), runs scored (93) and walks (88). She is also second nationally with 29 home runs. Yee struck out just six times all season and was 21-for-22 in stolen base attempts, good for fourth in the ACC. Her 84 hits and 63 RBI led the league while her 15 doubles ranked third. She was a two-time Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week and five-time ACC Player of the Week.
The North Delta, British Columbia native had 24 multi-hit and 17 multi-RBI games in the regular season and began the year hitting safely in 19 straight games. Yee was intentionally walked 31 times this year which is an NCAA single-season record.
Yee broke several school records this season. She surpassed Tara Knudsen’s career walks (119) record as well as Amy Hosier’s single-season walks mark (52). In addition, Yee took down current assistant coach Aileen Morales’ single-season runs record (73). Yee did it, however, in 24 less games than Morales. Yee also topped Morales’ career runs scored record (216), Knudsen’s career doubles record (45) and Whitney Haller’s single-season home runs (24) and total bases mark (171). Her batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage would all be NCAA records as well.
