Players to watch in 2013

FICO’S 1.12 ERA WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR FOURTH IN THE NATION, WHILE HER 13 SHUTOUTS WERE FIFTH. SHE WAS NAMED TO THE NFCA’S ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM, BECOMING THE SIXTH LSU PLAYER TO ACHIEVE THE HONOR. OF HER LOSSES, 12 OUT OF THE 13 CAME AGAINST RPI TOP-35 TEAMS.

GALATI LED ALL OF DIVISION I IN ERA (.95) AS A JUNIOR, BECOMING THE PROGRAM’S FIRST NFCA FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICA SELECTION AND JUST THE FIFTH ALL-AMERICAN OVERALL. SHE ALREADY RANKS FIRST IN HOFSTRA HISTORY IN CAREER STRIKEOUTS AND SECOND IN CAREER VICTORIES.

GIBSON OWNED AT LEAST ONE RBI IN 26 OF TENNESSEE’S 54 CONTESTS IN 2012. SHE REACHED BASE SUCCESSFULLY IN A SEASON-HIGH 16 CONSECUTIVE GAMES. SHE LED THE TEAM IN HOMERUNS WITH 13, INCLUDING HER FIRST INSIDE-THE-PARK HOMERUN.

HENDERSON WAS SELECTED AS THE PAC-12 PITCHER OF THE YEAR. SHE RANKED NINTH IN THE NATION IN STRIKEOUTS WITH 332 AND ERA WITH 1.29, AND TIED FOR FIRST IN SHUTOUTS. SHE’S ALSO A GO-TO BEHIND THE PLATE, WITH A .284 BATTING AVERAGE IN 2012. 

JOHNSON HIT HER FIRST AND SECOND CAREER GRAND SLAMS IN 2012, ACCOUNTING FOR TWO OF HER 13 HOMERS ON THE SEASON. A FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICAN, SHE HIT A .395 CLIP, TALLYING 60 HITS, 13 DOUBLES AND 53 RBI. 

LAROSA WAS ONE OF TWO SOPHOMORES TO MAKE THE NFCA ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM ROSTER. SHE WAS ALSO DEEMED PAC-12 FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR AFTER LEADING THE BRUINS WITH A .436 BATTING AVERAGE, 17 HOMERUNS AND 61 RBI. SHE TOPPED THE SQUAD IN TOTAL BASES, HITS AND SLUGGING.

RICKETTS, THE 2012 USA SOFTBALL COLLEGIATE PLAYER OF THE YEAR, HOLDS THE SCHOOL RECORD FOR STRIKEOUTS IN A CAREER (1,255), SEASON (457 IN 2012) AND GAME (19). SHE RANKED SECOND NATIONALLY IN 2012 IN ERA (1.08), STRIKEOUTS (457) AND VICTORIES (37); RICKETTS WAS ALSO THIRD IN SHUTOUTS (15).

IN 2012, THOMAS BECAME MISSOURI’S FIRST TWO-TIME FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICAN AND ALSO WAS RECOGNIZED AS THE BIG 12 PITCHER OF THE YEAR FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE SEASON, BECOMING JUST THE SECOND PLAYER IN BIG 12 HISTORY TO DO SO. SHE RANKED IN THE TOP-10 NATIONALLY IN ERA, STRIKEOUTS PER SEVEN INNINGS AND HITS ALLOWED PER SEVEN INNINGS.

FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, TRAINA WAS NAMED AN NFCA ALL-AMERICAN, AND ALSO TOOK HOME ACCOLADES AS THE SEC PITCHER OF THE YEAR. SHE LED THE ROLL TIDE TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. HER 42-3 RECORD SET A SCHOOL RECORD AND HER 42 WINS LED THE COUNTRY. TRAINA’S 361 STRIKEOUTS WERE ALSO A SCHOOL RECORD AND RANKED FIFTH NATIONALLY.