LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Twenty-five student-athletes have been selected finalists for the 2018 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II National Player of the Year award. The winner will be announced following the conclusion of the 2018 season.
This group of student-athletes is represented by 20 different programs and 13 conferences. Ten student-athletes from the original Top-50 “watchlist” made the cut with the final group consisting of nine seniors, eight juniors, seven sophomores and one freshman.
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Colorado Mesa, West Texas A&M, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Southern Arkansas and North Georgia each had two recipients. The Lone Star Conference led the way with five selections, while the Peach Belt Conference and Gulf South Conference garnered three honorees. Earning two nods were the Great American Conference, Great Lakes Valley Conference, PacWest Conference and Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference.
Collecting one plaudit each was the California Collegiate Athletic Association, Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and South Atlantic Conference.
The Top 10 finalists will be announced on May 15 with the 2018 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II National Player of the Year revealed on June 4.
The award was created in 2015 to honor the outstanding athletic achievement among softball student-athletes throughout Division II. North Georgia’s Courtney Poole was the inaugural winner of the award.
Past Winners
2017 – Coley Ries, Minnesota State
2016 – Lindsay Butler, Wayne State University
2015 – Courtney Poole, North Georgia
2018 Schutt Sports / NFCA Division II Player of the Year Top 25
| Player | School | Position | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosa'Lynn Burton | Wilmington | OF | Sophomore |
| Megan Deiter | Washburn | P | Junior |
| Haley Gilham | Chico State | P | Senior |
| Brooke Goad | Southern Arkansas | OF | Redshirt senior |
| Kinsie Hebler | Texas A&M University-Commerce | UT/P | Sophomore |
| Brooke Hodgson | Colorado Mesa | UT | Senior |
| Mariah Jameyson | Texas A&M University-Commerce | C | Senior |
| Amber Johns | North Georgia | P | Sophomore |
| Jamie Johnson | UNC Pembroke | 3B | Senior |
| Emily Kenly | Lenoir-Rhyne | P | Sophomore |
| Allison Lipovsky | Grand Valley State | P | Junior |
| Brandy Marlett | Angelo State | P | Senior |
| Jessica Mohl | Valdosta State | SS | Senior |
| Kylee Moore | West Texas A&M | INF | Junior |
| Taylor Moran | Lee | 1B | Sophomore |
| Callie Nunes | Concordia Irvine | P | Freshman |
| Samantha Reilly | Georgian Court | C | Junior |
| Christa Reisinger | Truman State | OF | Junior |
| Hannah Schmoll | Minnesota Duluth | OF | Senior |
| Kylee Smith | North Georgia | P | Sophomore |
| Victoria Taylor | Southern Arkansas | P | Sophomore |
| Hannah Thieroff | California Baptist | DP/1B | Junior |
| Suka Van Gurp | West Texas A&M | INF | Junior |
| Kelsey Vining | Montevallo | OF | Senior |
| Kaylynn Wheeland | Bloomsburg | DP | Redshirt junior |
