Elish, Kleist Named USA Softball Player of the Year Finalists
04/25/18 | Softball
EUGENE, Ore. - Pitchers Megan Kleist and Miranda Elish were both named finalists for the USA Softball national player of the year, the organization announced on Wednesday.
A total of 25 players were announced as finalists and the Ducks are one of seven teams to have multiple players on the list.
Kleist, who was a second team NFCA All-American a season ago, leads the Pac-12 and ranks sixth in the NCAA with a 0.77 ERA this year. The junior leads the country with a 13.33-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio. Kleist has racked up 160 strikeouts and issued just 12 walks in 127.2 innings pitched. The right-hander has tossed two no-hitters this season and fired a one-hit shutout against No. 2 Oklahoma last week. She's tallied double digit strikeouts eight times this year with a season-high of 16 against Ole Miss on April 17. She did not walk a batter in 8.1 innings against the Rebels.
Elish was a Pac-12 all-freshman team selection last year. The right-hander now ranks 15th in the NCAA with a 0.99 ERA and is fifth in the country with nine shutouts. Her strikeout-to-walk ratio is ninth-best in the NCAA, with 173 punch outs and just 22 walks this year. Elish recorded the first seven-inning perfect game in program history when she struck out a career-high 16 batters against Portland State on April 3. She tossed a three-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts in her very next start against No. 9 ranked Arizona. The sophomore has lost just once in her collegiate career and is 16-1 this year.
Former pitcher Cheridan Hawkins and third baseman Courtney Ceo were top-10 finalists for the USA Softball national player of the year award in 2014. Hawkins was one of three finalists in 2015. The Ducks have never had a player win the award.
Kleist, Elish and the Ducks face No. 4 Washington in a three-game series in Seattle starting on Friday at 5 PM.
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A total of 25 players were announced as finalists and the Ducks are one of seven teams to have multiple players on the list.
Kleist, who was a second team NFCA All-American a season ago, leads the Pac-12 and ranks sixth in the NCAA with a 0.77 ERA this year. The junior leads the country with a 13.33-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio. Kleist has racked up 160 strikeouts and issued just 12 walks in 127.2 innings pitched. The right-hander has tossed two no-hitters this season and fired a one-hit shutout against No. 2 Oklahoma last week. She's tallied double digit strikeouts eight times this year with a season-high of 16 against Ole Miss on April 17. She did not walk a batter in 8.1 innings against the Rebels.
Elish was a Pac-12 all-freshman team selection last year. The right-hander now ranks 15th in the NCAA with a 0.99 ERA and is fifth in the country with nine shutouts. Her strikeout-to-walk ratio is ninth-best in the NCAA, with 173 punch outs and just 22 walks this year. Elish recorded the first seven-inning perfect game in program history when she struck out a career-high 16 batters against Portland State on April 3. She tossed a three-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts in her very next start against No. 9 ranked Arizona. The sophomore has lost just once in her collegiate career and is 16-1 this year.
Former pitcher Cheridan Hawkins and third baseman Courtney Ceo were top-10 finalists for the USA Softball national player of the year award in 2014. Hawkins was one of three finalists in 2015. The Ducks have never had a player win the award.
Kleist, Elish and the Ducks face No. 4 Washington in a three-game series in Seattle starting on Friday at 5 PM.
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Players Mentioned
Sunday, May 17
Saturday, May 16
Wednesday, May 13
Wednesday, May 13
