USA Softball released its list of 25 Collegiate Player of the Year Finalists on Wednesday, which includes Florida Gators standouts Keagan Rothrock and Taylor Shumaker.
Rothrock, a junior pitcher originally from Whiteland, Indiana, has gone 25-5 with a 2.28 ERA over 35 appearances (28 starts) so far this year, and has amassed 156 strikeouts while giving up 110 hits and 69 walks for a microscopic .187 batting average against over 166 innings of work. She has finished 15 complete games — five of them shutouts — while also earning four saves.
Shumaker, a sophomore outfielder originally from Fullerton, California, has put up a scorching slashline this spring that features a .458 batting average, .545 on-base percentage and .825 slugging for an insane 1.370 OPS in 220 plate appearances. She has scored 77 runs while hitting 15 home runs and drawing 36 walks against just 22 strikeouts, and has stolen nine bases without getting caught.
Both players have been instrumental in the Gators' success this season, leading their team to a 46-7 overall record that includes the second-best mark in SEC play at 16-5. Florida's 11-6 record in Quadrant 1 games has the Orange and Blue ranked No. 1 in D1Softball's RPI and No. 5 in the NCAA's RPI metric.
Florida is currently projected as a regional host heading into the final weekend of the college softball regular season.
"Each NCAA Softball season, USA Softball recognizes a Collegiate Player of the Year based on outstanding play over the course of the entire season. At the beginning of each season, USA Softball issues a Top 50 'Watch List' for Player of the Year, followed by a list of finalists that narrows from Top 25 to Top 10 and Top 3. The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year is awarded during a team reception the week of the WCWS.
"The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award is voted on by previous award winners, coaching representatives from 9 Division I Conferences in the 10 USA Softball Regions as well as members of National and Local media who consistently cover Division I softball across the country."
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida softball's Rothrock, Shumaker are Player of the Year Finalists