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.
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 Southern Athletic 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
Rosa’Lynn Burton, So., OF, Wilmington
Megan Deiter, Jr., P, Washburn
Haley Gilham, Sr., P, Chico State
Brooke Goad, R-Sr., OF, Southern Arkansas
Kinsie Hebler, So., UT/P, Texas A&M University-Commerce
Brooke Hodgson, Sr., UT, Colorado Mesa
Mariah Jameyson, Sr., C, Texas A&M University-Commerce
Amber Johns, So., P, North Georgia
Jamie Johnson, Sr., 3B, UNC Pembroke
Emily Kenly, So., P, Lenoir-Rhyne
Allison Lipovsky, Jr., P, Grand Valley State
Brandy Marlett, Sr., P, Angelo State
Jessica Mohl, Sr., SS, Valdosta State
Kylee Moore, Jr., IF, West Texas A&M
Taylor Moran, So., 1B, Lee
Callie Nunes, Fr., P, Concordia Irvine
Samantha Reilly, Jr., C, Georgian Court
Christa Reisinger, Jr., OF, Truman State
Hannah Schmoll, Sr., OF, Minnesota Duluth
Kylee Smith, So., P, North Georgia
Victoria Taylor, So., P, Southern Arkansas
Hannah Thieroff, Jr., DP/1B, California Baptist
Suka Van Gurp, Jr., IF, West Texas A&M
Kelsey Vining, Sr., OF, Montevallo
Kaylynn Wheeland, R-Jr., DP, Bloomsburg
