OU’s Ricketts and Shults Finalists for Player of the Year

Oklahoma softball players Keilani Ricketts and Jessica Shults are two of 25 finalists for the 2011 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award.

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 12:20 pm

By: News On 6

OU’s Ricketts and Shults Finalists for Player of the Year

Originally Published: Apr 14, 2011 9:23 AM CDT

Layna Dewell
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Amateur Softball Association of America announced Thursday that Oklahoma softball players Keilani Ricketts and Jessica Shults are two of the Top 25 Finalists for the 2011 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.

The award, which recognizes outstanding athletic achievement by a female collegiate softball player, is considered the most prestigious honor in Division I collegiate softball.

Shults, a sophomore from Vlanecia, Calif. has driven in an impressive 55 runs on 42 hits this season, making her one of the nation's top hitters. The OU catcher not only leads the Sooners with her .825 slugging percentage, but she also ranks second in the nation in total home runs with 18.

Ricketts, a sophomore pitcher from San Jose, Calif. leads OU with a 1.45 earned run average. She tallies 279 strikeouts which makes her the fourth best in the nation, not to mention her 11.60 strikeouts per seven innings that ranks as the fifth best in the country. Ricketts has held opponents to a .180 batting average and has allowed 35 earned runs in 168.2 innings pitched.

The 2011 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be chosen from the 25 finalists who represent 17 schools and six different NCAA Division I Conferences. The list is comprised of nine seniors, six juniors, nine sophomores and one freshman.

2011 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 Finalists
(Name (School) – Year – Position – Hometown)

*Emily Allard (Northwestern) – Sophomore – Infield/Outfield – Antioch, Calif.
*Lexy Bennett (Texas) – Junior – Infield – Kingwood, Texas
Katelyn Boyd (Arizona State) – Junior – Infield – Phoenix, Ariz.
Kayla Braud (Alabama) – Sophomore – Infield – Eugene, Ore.
Stephanie Brombacher (Florida) – Senior – Pitcher – Pembroke Pines, Fla.
*Megan Bush (Florida) – Senior – Utility – Anaheim Hills, Calif.
Raven Chavanne (Tennessee) – Sophomore – Outfield – Thousand Oaks, Calif.
*Kat Dotson (Tennessee) – Sophomore – Outfield – Savannah, Ga.
Kelsi Dunne (Alabama) – Senior – Pitcher – Port Orange, Fla.
*Taylor Edwards (Nebraska) – Freshman – Catcher – Murietta, Calif.
Kenzie Fowler (Arizona) – Sophomore – Pitcher – Tucson, Ariz.
Alisa Goler (Georgia) – Senior – Infield – Frankfort, Ill.
Ashley Hansen (Stanford) – Junior – Infield – Chandler, Ariz.
Andrea Harrison (UCLA) – Junior – Outfield – Garden Grove, Calif.
Brittany Lastrapes (Arizona) – Senior – Outfield - Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Blaire Luna (Texas ) – Sophomore – Pitcher – Austin, Texas
*Christi Orgeron (ULL) – Junior – Utility – New Orleans, La.
Toni Paisley (East Carolina) – Senior – Pitcher/Utility – Lakewood, Calif.
Keilani Ricketts (Oklahoma) – Sophomore - Pitcher – San Jose, Calif.
Jenn Salling (Washington) – Senior – Infield – Port Coquitlam, B.C., Canada
Dorian Shaw (Michigan) – Senior – Infield – Burke, Va.
Jessica Shults (Oklahoma) – Sophomore – Catcher – Valencia, Calif. Jordan Taylor (Michigan) – Senior – Pitcher – Valencia, Calif.
*Chelsea Thomas (Missouri) – RS-Sophomore – Pitcher – Pleasantville, Iowa
Niki Williams (Washington) – Junior – Outfield – Mission Viejo, Calif.

*Was not on Top 50 Watch list