OKLAHOMA CITY – Hawai'i shortstop Jessica Iwata and 49 other student-athletes have been selected for the "Watch List" for the 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America announced today. Now in its 11th year, the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, given by the National Governing Body for softball in the United States, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country.
Iwata, a two-time WAC Player of the Year, led the Rainbow Wahine last season with a .355 batting average (60-for-169), a .663 slugging percentage, and a .447 on-base percentage. Iwata also led UH in runs scored (43), hits (60), home runs (15) and RBI (44), and finished the season on a nine-game hitting streak. She accumulated more multiple-hit games (16) and multiple-RBI games (13) than any other Rainbow Wahine in 2011. Iwata, a Lihu'e, Kaua'i native and Kaua'i High School graduate, was also voted to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's All-West Region second team for the second straight year and was named a second team Easton All-American last year as a sophomore.
Iwata is just the fourth Rainbow Wahine to ever be selected to the "Top 50 Watch List." Last season both Melissa Gonzalez and Kelly Majam were chosen to the list. Before that, the only player to ever represent Hawai'i was Kate Robinson in her senior season, 2008.
Previous recipients of the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, the most prestigious individual honor in NCAA Division I Softball, are UCLA catcher Stacey Nuveman (2002), Texas pitcher Cat Osterman (2003, 2005 and 2006), Florida State pitcher Jessica Van der Linden (2004), Tennessee pitcher Monica Abbott (2007), Virginia Tech pitcher Angela Tincher (2008), Washington pitcher Danielle Lawrie (2009 and 2010) and Stanford shortstop Ashley Hansen (2011). Arizona State shortstop Katelyn Boyd, now a senior, and Missouri pitcher Chelsea Thomas, currently a redshirt junior, were the other two finalists for last year's award.
The pre-season “Watch List” includes 23 seniors, 20 juniors and seven sophomores. Athletes named to the “Watch List” represent 31 NCAA Division I universities and 13 athletic conferences. Iwata is the lone nominee representing the WAC.
The Top 25 finalists for the 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be announced April 11. The Top 10 finalists will be announced May 9 and the Top 3 finalists will be announced May 23. On May 29, prior to the start of the 2012 NCAA Women's College World Series (WCWS) in Oklahoma City, the 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed.
2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List
| Name |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Emily Allard |
Northwestern |
Jr. |
SS |
Antioch, Calif. |
| Valerie Arioto |
Cal |
Sr. |
UT |
Pleasanton, Calif. |
| Nikki Armagost |
Pacific |
Jr. |
P/UT |
Andover, Kan. |
| Lexy Bennett |
Texas |
Sr. |
IF |
Kingwood, Texas |
| Emily Bledsoe |
Texas Tech |
Sr. |
IF |
Fulshear, Texas |
| Katelyn Boyd |
Arizona State |
Sr. |
SS |
Phoenix, Ariz. |
| Kayla Braud |
Alabama |
Jr. |
OF |
Eugene, Ore. |
| Devon Bridges |
Boise State |
So. |
OF/1B |
Danville, Calif. |
| Jenna Caira |
Syracuse |
Sr. |
P |
Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Whitney Canion |
Baylor |
Jr. |
P |
Aledo, Texas |
| Raven Chavanne |
Tennessee |
Jr. |
3B/OF |
Thousand Oaks, Calif. |
| Amanda Chidester |
Michigan |
Sr. |
3B |
Allen Park, Mich. |
| Aimee Creger |
Tulsa |
So. |
P |
Yukon, Okla. |
| Brigette Del Ponte |
Arizona |
Jr. |
IF |
Peoria, Ariz. |
| Taylor Edwards |
Nebraska |
So. |
C |
Murrieta, Calif. |
| Dallas Escobedo |
Arizona State |
So. |
P |
Glendale, Ariz. |
| Bree Evans |
Michigan |
Sr. |
CF |
Bloomington, Calif. |
| Ashley Fleming |
Missouri |
Sr. |
OF |
Silex, Mo. |
| Kenzie Fowler |
Arizona |
Jr. |
P |
Tucson, Ariz. |
| Kellie Fox |
UCLA |
So. |
SS |
San Diego, Calif. |
| Olivia Galati |
Hofstra |
Jr. |
P/DP |
West Babylon, N.Y. |
| Lauren Gibson |
Tennessee |
Jr. |
IF |
Pasadena, Md. |
| Ashley Hansen |
Stanford |
Sr. |
IF |
Chandler, Ariz. |
| Andrea Harrison |
UCLA |
Sr. |
LF/1B |
Garden Grove, Calif. |
| Jolene Henderson |
Cal |
Jr. |
P/1B |
Elk Grove, Calif. |
| Taylor Hoagland |
Texas |
Jr. |
OF/3B |
Flower Mound, Texas |
| Jessica Iwata |
Hawai'i |
Jr. |
SS |
Lihu'e, Kaua'i |
| Ashley Lane |
Michigan |
Jr. |
2B |
Escondido, Calif. |
| Blaire Luna |
Texas |
Jr. |
P |
Austin, Texas |
| Meagan May |
Texas A&M |
Jr. |
C/1B |
Spring, Texas |
| Ashley McClain |
FIU |
Sr. |
OF/P |
Brandon, Fla. |
| Dani Miller |
Notre Dame |
Sr. |
IF |
Huntington Beach, Calif. |
| Jen Mineau |
Fordham |
Sr. |
P |
Schaghticoke, N.Y. |
| Adrienne Monka |
Northwestern |
Sr. |
1B |
Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. |
| Michelle Moultrie |
Florida |
Sr. |
CF |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
| Christi Orgeron |
ULL |
Sr. |
OF |
New Orleans, La. |
| Sara Plourde |
UMass |
Sr. |
P |
Bristol, Conn. |
| Kimi Pohlman |
Washington |
Sr. |
OF |
Sammamish, Wash. |
| Jamia Reid |
Cal |
Sr. |
OF |
Buena Park, Calif. |
| Ellen Renfroe |
Tennessee |
So. |
P |
Jackson, Tenn. |
| Keilani Ricketts |
Oklahoma |
Jr. |
P |
San Jose, Calif. |
| Rachel Riley |
Kentucky |
Sr. |
P/DP |
Bowling Green, Ky. |
| Hannah Rogers |
Florida |
Sr. |
P |
Lake Wales, Fla. |
| Brittany Schutte |
Florida |
Jr. |
C |
Fountain Valley, Calif. |
| Kathy Shelton |
Baylor |
Jr. |
OF |
McKinney, Texas |
| Jessica Shults |
Oklahoma |
Jr. |
C |
Valencia, Calif. |
| Chelsea Thomas |
Missouri |
RS-Jr. |
P |
Pleasantville, Iowa |
| Jackie Traina |
Alabama |
So. |
P/DP |
Naples, Fla. |
| Kelsi Weseman |
Georgia Tech |
Sr. |
SS |
Hutto, Texas |
| Niki Williams |
Washington |
Sr. |
UT |
Mission Viejo, Calif. |