University of Minnesota Athletics
Two Gophers Named to National Watch List
1/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Full 2015 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award Top 50 Watch List
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - Minnesota softball senior Kaitlyn Richardson and sophomore Sara Groenewegen were among the 50 student-athletes selected to the 2015 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award Top 50 Watch List, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball announced Wednesday.
Now in its 14th year, the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, given by the National Governing Body for softball in the United States, recognizes outstanding athletic achievement by Division I female collegiate softball players across the country.
Richardson, a two-time All-American, amassed the highest slugging percentage (.752), the second-most doubles (21), the third-highest on-base percentage (.538), and the fourth-best batting average (.418) in school history as a junior in 2014. The Phoenix, Ariz. native drove in seven game-winning runs, including two at the NCAA Minneapolis Regional, and crossed the plate to score the game-winning run seven times.
Additionally, Richardson had a team-best 23-game reached-base streak and notched an 11-game hitting steak. She had 12 games with multiple runs batted in and 16 multi-hit performances. Going into her final season, her .394 career batting average ranks her second in Gopher softball history, while her 48 doubles rank her third. She is fourth at the school in home runs with 30, RBI with 132, and walks with 106. She is a two-time First Team All-Big Ten and First Team NFCA All-Great Lakes Region selection.
Groenewegen had a strong season both as a pitcher and at the plate as a rookie. The White Rock, B.C. native was Minnesota's first-ever Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and also won the Big Ten Freshman of the Year Award, becoming the third player in conference history to earn both accolades in the same season. She was also named All-Big Ten First Team, NFCA Division I All-Great Lakes Region Second Team and was a top-10 NFCA National Freshman of the Year finalist.
In the circle, Groenewegen registered a 14-3 record with a 2.23 earned run average and had an NCAA Division I-best 11.6 strikeouts-per-seven-innings rate. As a hitter, she had a .299 batting average and racked up 11 home runs and 42 runs batted in, reaching base in 45 of her 55 games played.
This is the second time Richardson has been included on the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award Top 50 Watch List. She was the Maroon and Gold's lone representative in 2014. She was later named a top-25 finalist for the honor along with teammate and fellow All-American Sara Moulton. Groenewegen is one of six sophomores on the list (freshmen are not eligible for the list).
The top 25 Finalists for the 2015 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be announced April 8. While an athlete does not have to be on the Top 50 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. The top 10 Finalists will be announced May 6 and the top three will be announced May 20. The 2015 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed May 26.
The Gophers open their season Feb. 6 against No. 11/13 Washington at the Sportco Kick Off Classic in Las Vegas, Nev.
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