USA Softball has officially unveiled the Top 50 Watch List for the 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. With sights set on the highly anticipated NCAA collegiate softball season, the prestigious award will look to recognize a Collegiate Player of the Year based on outstanding play throughout the entire NCAA Division I collegiate softball season. 

Jordy Bahl, Oklahoma P Sophomore 

Mac Barbara, San Diego State INF/C/DP Redshirt Sophomore 

Addison Barnard, Wichita State OF Junior 

Rachel Becker, Oklahoma State INF Graduate Student 

Maya Brady, UCLA UTL Redshirt Junior 

Ciara Briggs, LSU OF Junior 

Valerie Cagle, Clemson P/UTL Junior 

Jada Cody, UCF UTL Junior 

Erin Coffel, Kentucky INF Junior 

Jayda Coleman, Oklahoma OF Junior 

Chenise Delce, Arkansas P Redshirt Senior 

Charla Echols, Florida INF Graduate Student 

Kendra Falby, Florida OF Sophomore 

Megan Faraimo, UCLA P Redshirt Senior 

Kristina Foreman, Arkansas INF Graduate Student 

Montana Fouts, Alabama P Graduate Student 

Hannah Gammill, Arkansas UTL Junior 

Karina Gaskins, Notre Dame INF Junior 

Frankie Hammoude, Oregon State INF Senior 

Kinzie Hansen, Oklahoma C Senior 

Faith Hensley, Alabama OF Graduate Student 

Tiare Jennings, Oklahoma INF Junior 

Jayda Kearney, Georgia OF Junior 

Baylee Klingler, Washington INF Fifth Year 

Kayla Kowalik, Kentucky C Redshirt Senior 

Jenna Laird, Missouri INF Junior 

Haley Lee, Oklahoma C/UTL Redshirt Senior 

Emma Lemley, Virginia Tech P Sophomore 

Mack Leonard, Florida State P/INF Graduate Student 

Grace Lyons, Oklahoma INF Redshirt Senior 

Kelly Maxwell, Oklahoma State P Redshirt Senior 

Sydney McKinney, Wichita State INF Senior 

Kiki Milloy, Tennessee OF Senior 

Sara Mosley, Georgia INF Senior 

Jessica Mullins, Texas State P Junior 

Sharlize Palacios, UCLA C Redshirt Junior 

Maddie Penta, Auburn P Junior 

Taylor Pleasants, LSU INF Graduate Student 

Emma Ritter, Virginia Tech OF Junior 

Ashley Rogers, Tennessee P Graduate Student 

Jordyn Rudd, Northwestern C Graduate Student 

Kathryn Sandercock, Florida State P Redshirt Senior 

Cydney Sanders, Oklahoma INF Sophomore 

Mia Scott, Texas INF Sophomore 

Carlie Scupin, Arizona INF Junior 

Karli Spaid, Miami (OH) INF Junior 

Alex Storako, Oklahoma P Redshirt Senior 

Alana Vawter, Stanford P Senior 

Skylar Wallace, Florida INF Redshirt Junior 

Danielle Williams, Northwestern P Graduate Student

The Top 50 Watch List highlights athletes from 26 universities and nine athletic conferences from across the country with Oklahoma leading the universities in recognition as eight Sooners join the list followed by Arkansas, Florida and UCLA with three athletes apiece. Additionally, ten universities tabbed two athletes to the list while 12 collegiate programs are highlighted with one. Among the 50 athletes and returning to the spotlight of the prestigious award is 2022 Top 3 Finalist Baylee Klingler (Washington) as well as 2022 Top 10 Finalists Jordy Bahl (Oklahoma), Grace Lyons (Oklahoma), Kelly Maxwell (Oklahoma State), Sydney McKinney (Wichita State) and Danielle Williams (Northwestern).  

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) leads the athletic conferences with 18 athletes included followed by the Big 12 Conference with 11, Pac-12 Conference with seven and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with six. Also represented is the American Athletic Conference (AAC) with three athletes and the Big Ten Conference with two while the Mid-American Conference, Mountain West Conference and Sun Belt Conference each showcase one athlete apiece.

Mark Your Calendars for additional USA Softball Collegiate of the Year announcements:

Top 25 Finalists: April 19 (While an athlete does not have to be on the “Watch List” to be considered for the Top 25, the eventual USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will come from the Top 25 Finalists.)

Top 10 Finalists: May 3

Top 3 Finalists: May 17

Player of the Year: Announced prior to the NCAA Women's College World Series

Recognized as the most distinguished individual honor in NCAA Division I Softball, previous recipients of the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award include Stacey Nuveman (UCLA - 2002), Cat Osterman (2003, 2005, 2006 - Texas), Jessica Van der Linden (Florida State - 2004), Monica Abbott (2007 - Tennessee), Angela Tincher (2008 - Virginia Tech), Danielle Lawrie (2009, 2010 - Washington), Ashley Hansen (Stanford – 2011), Keilani Ricketts (2012, 2013 – Oklahoma), Lacey Waldrop (2014 – Florida State), Lauren Haeger (2015 – Florida), Sierra Romero (2016 – Michigan), Kelly Barnhill (2017 – Florida), Rachel Garcia (2018, 2019 – UCLA) and Jocelyn Alo (2021, 2022 – Oklahoma). Due to the shortened 2020 season because of the COVID-19 global pandemic, a 2020 recipient was not chosen.