2019 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II National Player & Pitcher of the Year Top 25 announced

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Twenty-five student-athletes have been selected finalists for the 2019 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II National Player and Pitcher of the Year awards. The winners will be announced following the conclusion of the 2019 season.

Highlighted by 2018 winner Kylee Smith of North Georgia, the list of student-athletes is represented by 23 different programs and 18 conferences. Twelve student-athletes from the original Top-50 “Watchlist” made the cut with the final group consisting of 13 seniors, six juniors, four sophomores and two freshmen.

West Florida out of the Gulf South Conference and Winona State out of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference each had two recipients. The Gulf South and Lone Star Conference led the way with three selections, while the Great Lakes Valley Conference, Northern Sun and Sunshine State Conference garnered two honorees. 

Collecting one plaudit each was the California Collegiate Athletic Association, Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, East Coast Conference, Great American Conference, Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Great Northwest Athletic Conference, Great Midwest Athletic Conference, Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, PacWest Conference, Peach Belt Conference, Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and South Athletic Conference.

The Top 10 finalists will be announced on May 14 with the 2018 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II National Player of the Year revealed on May 30, following the conclusion of the 2019 season.

New in 2019 is the announcement of two awards – Schutt Sports /NFCA Player of the Year and Schutt Sports / NFCA Pitcher of the Year. Up until the reveal of the awards, there will be one list for Top-25 and one list for Top-10. The respective winners will come from the top-10 list and will be voted on by the NFCA Division II All-American Committee.

The award was created in 2015 to honor the outstanding athletic achievement among softball student-athletes throughout Division II. 

Past Winners
2018 – Kylee Smith, North Georgia
2017 – Coley Ries, Minnesota State
2016 – Lindsay Butler, Wayne State University
2015 – Courtney Poole, North Georgia

 

2019 Schutt Sports / NFCA Division II Player & Pitcher of the Year Top 25

Emily Benson, Western Washington University, Senior, First Base

Shelby Booker, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Sophomore, Third Base

Rosa’Lynn Burton, Wilmington University, Junior, Outfield

Georgia Capell, Tarleton State University, Sophomore, Outfield

Jordan Davis, Rollins College, Senior, Outfield

Makaleigh Dooley, University of Tampa, Senior, Pitcher

JoBi Heath, University of Central Oklahoma, Senior, Third Base

Teala Howard, University of West Florida, Freshman, Utility

Sara Keeny, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, Senior, Outfield

Jordyn Kleman, Winona State University, Junior, Pitcher

Jennifer Leonhardt, University of Southern Indiana, Junior, Pitcher

Allison Lipovsky, Grand Valley State University, Senior, pitcher

Peyton Mills, Harding University, Senior, Outfield

Kylee Moore, West Texas A&M University, Senior, First Base

Callie Nunes, Concordia University Irvine, Sophomore, pitcher

MaKray Odom, Trevecca Nazarene University, Junior, Shortstop

Emily Otto, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Sophomore, Pitcher

Christa Reisinger, Truman State University, Senior, Outfield

Rhiannon Sassman, University of West Florida, Senior, Third Base

Julia Seader, Long Island University Post, Senior, Catcher

Kylee Smith, University of North Georgia, Junior, Pitcher

AnnMarie Torres, Colorado Mesa University, Junior, First Base

Brylynn Vallejos, San Francisco State University, Freshman, outfield

Lani Van Zyl, Winona State University, Senior, Shortstop

Natalie Willis, Newberry College, Senior, Shortstop

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