May 12, 2010
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Georgia Tech redshirt senior second baseman Jen Yee has been named one of 10 finalists for the USA Softball Player of the Year Award announced today by the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA).
The Top 10 Finalists represent 10 schools and five different NCAA Division I Conferences. The list is comprised of five seniors, one junior, one sophomore and three freshman. The final three finalists will be announced May 26 while the winner of the 2010 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award will be announced prior to the start of the World Series action at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.
The Top 10 finalists were selected by a panel, which includes Division I coaches and other individuals involved at the highest levels of the game, from the list of Top 25 Finalists released in April. A Top 50 Watch List was released in January, although players did not have to be included on the Watch List to become a finalist.
Yee has reached base safely at least once in all 55 games this season and heads into postseason play leading the nation in batting average (.583), slugging percentage (1.303), on-base percentage (.742), runs scored (86), home runs (26) and walks (78). She has struck out just four times all season and is 21-for-22 in stolen base attempts, good for fourth in the ACC. Her 77 hits and 58 RBI lead the league while her 15 doubles rank third. She is 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 has had 22 multi-hit and 16 multi-RBI games in the regular season and began the year hitting safely in 19 straight games. Yee has been intentionally walked 29 times this year which is tied with former Arizona State All-American Kaitlin Cochran for the most in NCAA history.
Yee has already broken seven school records this season and is on pace to shatter several others. 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).
Yee also holds Tech and ACC single-season records for batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage and would leave with the highest batting average in ACC history if the season ended today. On the NCAA single-season charts, Yee is currently tied for second in batting average, first in slugging percentage, tied for seventh in runs scored, tied for eighth in home runs, fifth in walks and tied for first in intentional walks. Each of Yee’s Georgia Tech and ACC career records factor in just three seasons since she spent her freshman campaign at Niagara.
When you include Yee’s freshman season at Niagara, she currently ranks 20th all-time in NCAA batting average, sixth in slugging percentage, seventh in runs scored, tied for 14th in home runs, 20th in walks and tied for fourth in intentional walks.
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.
Francesca Enea (Florida) – Senior – Outfield – Woodland Hills, Calif.
Kenzie Fowler (Arizona) – Freshman – Pitcher – Tucson, Ariz.
Megan Langenfeld (UCLA) – Senior – Pitcher/First Base – Bakersfield, Calif.
Danielle Lawrie (Washington) – Senior – Pitcher – Langley, B.C.
Blaire Luna (Texas) – Freshman – Pitcher – Austin, Texas
Jen Mineau (Fordham) – Sophomore – Pitcher – Schaghticoke, N.Y.
Jen Yee (Georgia Tech) – Senior – Second Base – North Delta, B.C.
Yee and the No. 7 Yellow Jackets are in Blacksburg, Va., for the 2010 ACC Tournament, May 14-16, at Tech Softball Park. Georgia Tech is the No. 1 seed and will face eighth-seeded Boston College in the first round on Friday, May 14 at 5 p.m. The single elimination tournament continues with semifinals at 1 and 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 15, before the championship game on Sunday May 16 at 1 p.m. Live video, audio and stats for all of the games will be available at www.RamblinWreck.com , while the title game will be televised live on the Regional Sports Networks, including SportSouth in the state of Georgia.
