Brombacher, Schutte Named to USA Softball Player of Year Watch List
Thursday, February 10, 2011 | Softball
University of Florida softball senior All-American pitcher Stephanie Brombacher (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) and sophomore utility Brittany Schutte (Fountain Valley, Calif.) were among the 50 players named to the 2011 USA Softball Player of the Year Watch List, announced by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America. The 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.
A two-time NFCA/Louisville Slugger All-America honoree and All-Southeast Region selection, Brombacher was additionally a 2010 All-SEC First Team selection, while being named an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American last season. She holds the Florida record for the highest win percentage in a season and a career, going 77-8 (.906) in just three seasons. Her success was highlighted last season when she pitched Florida's fourth perfect game in school history on March 25, a 10-0, five-inning victory over USF and led the SEC in wins, with 35, which ranked third in UF single-season record books. The righty has tallied 77 career wins, second in UF record books, while 550 career strikeouts ranks third, 202 strikeouts looking and 31 shutouts rank second. She went 6-2 in the 2010 NCAA Tournament for the Gators, starting all eight games, while also appearing for Florida in the 2009 WCWS.
As just a freshman last season, Schutte made an immediate impact for the Gators, establishing a new Florida single-season slugging percentage record (.780) and shattering or tying six UF freshman records, including home runs (19), RBI (59), slugging percentage (.780), on-base percentage (.457), batting average (.346) and sacrifice flies (4). Schutte was named to the 2010 Women's College World Series All-Tournament Team and was one of five players to hit at least three home runs at the WCWS. For her efforts her inaugural campaign, she earned All-Southeast Region First Team and SEC All-Freshman team honors.
The 2011 Pre-Season Watch List is comprised of 50 players representing 36 schools and 15 different NCAA Division I Conferences. The list includes 23 seniors, 12 juniors and 15 sophomores.
The ASA will announce the 25 finalists on April 13. A player does not have to appear on this initial watch list to be considered as a top 25 finalist. However, once the top 25 finalists are named the winner of the award will come from that list. Freshmen qualify for the top 25 list once they have competed at the collegiate level. Just days before the start of post-season play, a list of 10 finalists will be named and released on May 11. The final three finalists will be announced May 25 while the winner of the 2011 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award will be announced prior to the start of the 2011 NCAA Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.
2011 USA Softball Player of the Year Watch List
Name (School) – Year – Position – Hometown
Valerie Arioto (California) – Senior – Utility – Pleasanton, Calif.
Hillary Bach (Arizona State) – Junior – Pitcher – Tulsa, Okla.
Donna Bourgeois (Houston) – Senior – Pitcher – Lafayette, La.
Katelyn Boyd (Arizona State) – Junior – Infield – Phoenix, Ariz.
Kayla Braud (Alabama) – Sophomore – Infield – Eugene, Ore.
STEPHANIE BROMBACHER (FLORIDA) – SENIOR– PITCHER – PEMBROKE PINES, FLA.
Anna Cahn (Cal Poly) – Senior – Pitcher/Designated Player – Los Alamitos, Calif.
Raven Chavanne (Tennessee) – Sophomore – Outfield – Thousand Oaks, Calif.
GiOnna DiSalvatore (UCLA) – Senior – Infield – Palm Harbor, Fla.
Kelsi Dunne (Alabama) – Senior – Pitcher – Port Orange, Fla.
Rachel Fico (LSU) – Sophomore – Pitcher – Oxford, Conn.
Kenzie Fowler (Arizona) – Sophomore – Pitcher – Tucson, Ariz.
Olivia Galati (Hofstra) – Sophomore – Pitcher – West Babylon, NY
Alisa Goler (Georgia) – Senior – Infield – Frankfort, Ill.
Melissa Gonzalez (Hawaii) – Senior – Infield – Moreno Valley, Calif.
Kelly Grieve (Tennessee) – Senior –Outfield –Asheville, N.C.
Ashley Guile (Nebraska) – Junior – Utility – Olathe, Kan.
Meredith Hackett (Illinois) – Junior – Infield – Corona, Calif.
Sarah Hamilton (Florida State) – Senior – Pitcher – Tallahassee, Fla.
Ashley Hansen (Stanford) – Junior – Infield – Chandler, Ariz.
Andrea Harrison (UCLA) – Junior – Outfield – Garden Grove, Calif.
Alicia Herron (Ohio State) – Junior – Shortstop – Cypress, Calif.
Alex Holmes (UC Davis) – Senior - Pitcher/DP – San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
Whitney Kiihnl (Lipscomb) – Junior – Pitcher/Outfield – Batesville, Miss.
Brittany Lastrapes (Arizona) – Senior – Outfield - Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Blaire Luna (Texas ) – Sophomore – Pitcher – Austin, Texas
Kelly Majam (Hawaii) – Sophomore – Outfield - Pine Valley, Calif.
Jenna Marston (Missouri) – Sophomore – Infield - St. Louis, Mo.
Meagan May (Texas A&M) – Sophomore – Catcher/1B – Spring, Texas
Morgan Melloh (Indiana) – Senior - Pitcher – Fishers, Ind.
Jen Mineau (Fordham) – Junior – Pitcher - Schaghticoke, N.Y.
Abby Olson (Illinois State) –Senior- Infield – Hartsburg, Ill.
Toni Paisley (East Carolina) – Senior – Pitcher/Utility – Lakewood, Calif.
Samantha Pappas (Oregon) – Sophomore – Outfield – Las Flores, Calif.
Sara Plourde (Massachusetts) – Junior – Pitcher – Bristol, Conn.
Jessica Purcell-Fitu (BYU) – Senior – Catcher – Walnut, Calif.
Jamia Reid (California) – Junior - Outfield – Buena Park, Calif.
Ivy Renfroe (Tennessee) - Sophomore – Pitcher – Jackson, Tenn.
Keilani Ricketts (Oklahoma) – Sophomore - Pitcher – San Jose, Calif.
Hope Rush (Georgia Tech) – Sophomore – Pitcher – Stockbridge, Ga.
Jenn Salling (Washington) – Senior – Infield – Port Coquitlam, B.C., Canada
Taylor Schlopy (Georgia) – Senior – Outfield – West Hills, Calif.
BRITTANY SCHUTTE (FLORIDA) – SOPHOMORE – UTILITY – FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CALIF.
April Setterlund (Boston) – Senior – Outfield –Torrance, Calif.
Dorian Shaw (Michigan) – Senior – Infield – Burke, Va.
Kristen Shifflett (Radford) – Senior – Shortstop – Charlottesville, Va.
Jessica Shults (Oklahoma) – Sophomore – Catcher – Valencia, Calif.
Jordan Taylor (Michigan) – Senior – Pitcher – Valencia, Calif.
Rhea Taylor (Missouri) – Senior – Outfield – Buford, Ga.
Niki Williams (Washington) – Junior – Outfield – Mission Viejo, Calif.
