Friday, February 04, 2011

OKLAHOMA CITY - The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America, the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States, has selected its initial “Watch List” for the 10th Annual USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award. This award, which is considered the most prestigious honor in Division I women’s collegiate softball, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country.

Past winners of this award include UCLA’s Stacey Nuveman, Florida State’s Jessica Van der Linden, three-time winner Texas pitcher Cat Osterman, Tennessee’s Monica Abbott, Virginia Tech’s Angela Tincher and two-time winner Washington’s Danielle Lawrie.

The 2011 Pre-Season Watch List is comprised of 50 players representing 36 schools and 15 different NCAA Division I Conferences with the Pac-10 Conference leading the way with seven schools represented. The list includes 23 seniors, 12 juniors and 15 sophomores.

Included on the list is Lipscomb junior pitcher Whitney Kiihnl. She is one of the most honored players in the history of Lipscomb athletics, winning both Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year and Atlantic Sun Player of the Year last season. She also was a member of the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-South Region First Team and an NFCA Third Team All-American.

“It’s a big honor for her and for our program to have a player honored on the national level,” Lipscomb Lady Bisons coach Kristin Ryman said. “It says a lot about where our program is right now and obviously the contribution she has made to that.

“It couldn’t happen to a better person. She comes to practice every day and works hard. She has the natural talent and natural ability but what a lot of people don’t see is her work ethic and how she has worked to improve her game from her freshman year until now.”

Kiihnl was 33-5 with 12 shutouts and a 0.95 earned run average in 2010. Her earned run average was the lowest in NCAA Division I.

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