2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year: Eight US national team players among Top-10 finalists
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<p>USA Softball announced the <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Top-10 Finalists (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/NCAA-College-Corner/Player-of-the-Year/Top-10-Finalists" target="_blank">Top-10 Finalists</a></span></strong> in the running for the 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award. Considered the most prestigious individual honour in Division I college softball, this award aims to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by Division I softball players over the course of the entire season.</p>
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<p>Playing for USA, <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2022-world-games-womens-softball/teams/20430/players/93763" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Megan Faraimo (opens in a new tab)">Megan Faraimo</a></span></strong> (UCLA, pictured above) became a Women’s Softball World Champion after winning the gold medal at <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2022-world-games-womens-softball/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="The World Games 2022 (opens in a new tab)">The World Games 2022</a></span></strong>. </p>
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<p>Along with Faraimo, Maya Brady (UCLA) and Kiki Milloy (Tennessee) were named on the <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2023-xvii-womens-softball-world-cup-group-a/news/world-no-1-usa-announce-national-team-roster-for-wbsc-womens-softball-world-cup" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="roster (opens in a new tab)">roster</a></span></strong> for the upcoming <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2023-xvii-womens-softball-world-cup-group-a/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage (opens in a new tab)">WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Group Stage</a></span></strong> in Dublin-Fingal, Ireland.</p>
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<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Jayda Coleman (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2019-u19-womens-softball-world-cup/teams/1554/players/25488" target="_blank">Jayda Coleman</a></span></strong> (Oklahoma) and <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Skylar Wallace (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2019-u19-womens-softball-world-cup/teams/1554/players/25518" target="_blank">Skylar Wallace</a></span></strong> (Florida) were Faraimo’s teammates at the 2019 U-19 world championship winning team in Irvine, California. Coleman hit .522 (12-for-23) with four RBIs and six runs scored during the World Cup; while Wallace posted a .483 batting average, with two homers, seven RBIs, eight stolen bases and 18 runs scored.</p>
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<p>A two-way star, <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2021-u18-womens-softball-world-cup/teams/1810/players/89481" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Valerie Cagle (opens in a new tab)">Valerie Cagle</a></span></strong> (Clemson) was named <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2021-u18-womens-softball-world-cup/news/valerie-cagle-named-u-18-womens-softball-world-cup-mvp-as-u-18-all-world-team-revealedhttps://www.wbsc.org/en/events/2023-xvii-womens-softball-world-cup-group-a/news/world-no-1-usa-announce-national-team-roster-for-wbsc-womens-softball-world-cup" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="MVP at the WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup 2021 (opens in a new tab)">MVP at the WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup 2021</a></span></strong> in Lima, Peru. </p>
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<p>The list also includes five players that participated in the <a href="https://www.wbsc.org/en/news/tokyo-2020-legacy-japan-tops-usa-to-close-womens-softball-series-in-front-of-12-000-fans-at-yokohama-stadium"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Japan All-Star Series 2022</span></strong></a>, a WBSC-Sanctioned event: Brady, Faraimo, Tiare Jennings (Oklahoma), Sydney McKinney (Wichita State) and Milloy.</p>
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<p>These players are joined by Jordy Bahl (Oklahoma) and Ashley Rogers (Tennessee) in the Top-10 collegiate players list.</p>
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<p>The Top-3 Finalists will be revealed on Wednesday, May 17, followed by the announcement of the 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year prior to the NCAA Women’s College World Series slated for June 1-9 at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex.</p>
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