USA Softball has officially unveiled the Top 50 Watch List for the 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. Almost a half of the players have played with their national teams, including 23 players from USA and one from Canada.
Five players are World Champions after winning gold at The World Games 2022, while 17 have already played with the USA Softball Women’s National Team. A total of 13 players on the list represented their country and won a medal at the WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup (2017, 2019 and 2021 editions).
Playing for USA, Charla Echols (Florida), Megan Faraimo (UCLA), Montana Fouts (Alabama), Kinzie Hanzen (Oklahoma) and Taylor Pleasants (LSU, pictured above) became women’s softball world champions after winning the gold medal at The World Games 2022. The first four were also teammates in the 2019 U-19 world championship winning team in Irvine, California.
The list also includes 13 players from the Japan All-Star Series 2022: Maya Brady (UCLA), Jada Cody (UCF), Faraimo, Hansen, Tiare Jennings (Oklahoma), Baylee Klingler (Washington), Kayla Kowalik (Kentucky), Grace Lyons (Oklahoma), Kelly Maxwell (Oklahoma State), Sydney McKinney (Wichita State), Kiki Milloy (Tennessee), Sharlize Palacios (UCLA) and Kathryn Sandercock (FSU).
Emma Lemley (Virginia Tech) was part of USA’s roster at the Canada Cup 2022, where USA won the title, along with Echols, Faraimo, Klingler, Kowalik, Milloy, Palacios, Pleasants and Sandercock.
A two-way star, Valerie Cagle (Clemson) was named MVP at the WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup 2021 in Lima, Peru. As a pitcher, she tossed seven scoreless innings in the final with 13 strikeouts; while offensively Valerie hit a walk-off double to give USA the world title.
Erin Coffel (Kentucky) and Karli Spaid (Miami) were also part of the 2021 U-18 World Champion roster. Coffel was named to the All-World Team at third base after hitting .478 with two home runs; while Spaid posted a .286 average.
A U-19 world champion in 2019 with USA, Jayda Coleman (Oklahoma) hit .522 (12-for-23) with four RBIs and six runs scored in Irvine, California. Frankie Hammoude (Oregon State) also helped USA to win this gold medal, hitting an unforgettable three-run game-tying home run in the final off Japanese Olympic gold medallist Miu Goto. Skylar Wallace (Florida) was also part of the team.
Klingler and Sandercock are 2017 WBSC Junior Women's World Championship gold medalists. Kingler posted a .393 batting average with 10 runs scored, two home runs, and 12 RBIs, while Sandercock held a 1.40 ERA in four appearances with six strikeouts.
Canada’s Kendra Falby (Florida) was a standout player of the 2019 U-19 bronze medal team, with 13 stolen bases in 10 games and hitting for .464 as the leadoff hitter.
