Feb. 1, 2006
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech softball standout Christine Sheridan was named to the Preseason Watch List for the 2006 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year, announced by the Amateur Softball Association, the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States, on Wednesday.
Sheridan, a senior shortstop from Pasadena, Md., led the Atlantic Coast Conference in batting last season with a .380 average. The 2005 ACC Player of the Year finalist led the Yellow Jackets to the ACC Tournament title by hitting .353 in the tourney en route to being selected to the ACC All-Tournament Team. Sheridan drove in 31 runs for Tech and tallied four home runs, while earning first team All-ACC honors. The middle infielder was named as Tech’s Best Defensive Player.
Other ACC players on the watch list will be 2005 ACC Player of the Year, Sara Larquier, from Virginia, and Virginia Tech’s Angela Tincher.
The 2006 Pre-Season Watch List is comprised of 50 players representing 28 schools and 10 different NCAA Division I Conferences. USA Softball will announce its 25 finalists on April 5. A player does not have to appear on the initial watch list to be considered as a Top 25 finalist, but once the Top 25 is named the remaining finalist must be selected from that list.
Just days before the start of post-season play, a list of 10 finalists will be named and released on May 10. The three finalists will be announced May 31. The winner of the 2006 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award will be announced during the NCAA Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
A replica of the award will be placed in a permanent display in the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, along with photos of the winner. An additional replica of the award will be presented to the player’s academic institution.
The 24th-ranked Yellow Jackets will open regular season play against No. 18 Missouri, Feb. 10-11, at Glenn Field. The three-game series will begin at 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon.
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