Kleist in the Running for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year
05/09/18 | Softball
EUGENE, Ore. - Oregon pitcher Megan Kleist has been named one of 10 finalists for the USA Softball collegiate player of the year, the organization announced on Wednesday.
Kleist leads the Pac-12 with a 0.91 ERA and leads the NCAA with a whopping 11.9-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Kleist has more wins (19) than walks (16) this season.
Overall, the right-hander is 19-5 on the season with a 0.91 ERA in 24 starts. She's tossed 16 complete games with seven shutouts and has 190 strikeouts and 16 walks in 153.2 innings pitched. Opponents are hitting just .174 this year off the junior from Appleton, Wis. Kleist has allowed no more than three earned runs in any start this season and has recorded double digit strikeouts in nine games. She tallied a season-high 16 strikeouts in a three-hit effort against Ole Miss on Feb. 17. In addition to her two no-hitters, Kleist fired a one-hit shutout against Oklahoma to snap the Sooners' 30-game winning streak.
Now in its 17th year, previous recipients of the USA Softball collegiate player of the year award are Stacey Nuveman (2002 - UCLA), Cat Osterman (2003, 2005 and 2006 - Texas), Jessica Van der Linden (2004 – Florida State), Monica Abbott (2007 - Tennessee), Angela Tincher (2008 – Virginia Tech), Danielle Lawrie (2009 and 2010 - Washington), Ashley Hansen (2011 - Stanford), Keilani Ricketts (2012 and 2013 - Oklahoma), Lacey Waldrop (2014 – Florida State), Lauren Haeger (2015 - Florida), Sierra Romero (2016 - Michigan) and Kelly Barnhill (2017 - Florida).
A final three finalists will be announced on May 23 with the winner being selected on May 29 prior to the start of the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City. The selection committee is made up of coaches, media members and past winners of the award.
USA Softball Player of the Year Finalists
UT Jocelyn Alo - Oklahoma
P Kelly Barnhill - Florida
P Meghan Beaubien - Michigan
P/UT Rachel Garcia - UCLA
OF Aaliyah Jordan - UCLA
P G Juarez - Arizona State
P Megan Kleist - Oregon
OF Amanda Lorenz - Florida
P Paige Parker - Oklahoma
UT Vanessa Shippy - Oklahoma State
Kleist leads the Pac-12 with a 0.91 ERA and leads the NCAA with a whopping 11.9-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Kleist has more wins (19) than walks (16) this season.
Overall, the right-hander is 19-5 on the season with a 0.91 ERA in 24 starts. She's tossed 16 complete games with seven shutouts and has 190 strikeouts and 16 walks in 153.2 innings pitched. Opponents are hitting just .174 this year off the junior from Appleton, Wis. Kleist has allowed no more than three earned runs in any start this season and has recorded double digit strikeouts in nine games. She tallied a season-high 16 strikeouts in a three-hit effort against Ole Miss on Feb. 17. In addition to her two no-hitters, Kleist fired a one-hit shutout against Oklahoma to snap the Sooners' 30-game winning streak.
Now in its 17th year, previous recipients of the USA Softball collegiate player of the year award are Stacey Nuveman (2002 - UCLA), Cat Osterman (2003, 2005 and 2006 - Texas), Jessica Van der Linden (2004 – Florida State), Monica Abbott (2007 - Tennessee), Angela Tincher (2008 – Virginia Tech), Danielle Lawrie (2009 and 2010 - Washington), Ashley Hansen (2011 - Stanford), Keilani Ricketts (2012 and 2013 - Oklahoma), Lacey Waldrop (2014 – Florida State), Lauren Haeger (2015 - Florida), Sierra Romero (2016 - Michigan) and Kelly Barnhill (2017 - Florida).
A final three finalists will be announced on May 23 with the winner being selected on May 29 prior to the start of the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City. The selection committee is made up of coaches, media members and past winners of the award.
USA Softball Player of the Year Finalists
UT Jocelyn Alo - Oklahoma
P Kelly Barnhill - Florida
P Meghan Beaubien - Michigan
P/UT Rachel Garcia - UCLA
OF Aaliyah Jordan - UCLA
P G Juarez - Arizona State
P Megan Kleist - Oregon
OF Amanda Lorenz - Florida
P Paige Parker - Oklahoma
UT Vanessa Shippy - Oklahoma State
Players Mentioned
RHP
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