D. J. Sanders, USA Softball Player of the Year finalist

[lcitsh]

http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/.Year/Finalists

OKLAHOMA CITY —USA Softball, the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States, announced today the finalists for the 2017 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, which will be announced at the opening of the 2017 NCAA Women’s College World Series (WCWS) in Oklahoma City. The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, which is considered the most prestigious honor in Division I women’s collegiate softball, recognizes the outstanding athletic achievement by Division I female players across the country.

Now in its 16th year, previous recipients of the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, the most prestigious individual honor in NCAA Division I Softball, are UCLA catcher Stacey Nuveman (2002), Texas pitcher Cat Osterman (2003, 2005 and 2006), Florida State pitcher Jessica Van der Linden (2004), Tennessee pitcher Monica Abbott (2007), Virginia Tech pitcher Angela Tincher (2008), Washington pitcher Danielle Lawrie (2009 and 2010), Stanford shortstop Ashley Hansen (2011), Oklahoma's Keilani Ricketts (2012 and 2013), Florida State's Lacey Waldrop (2014), Florida’s Lauren Haeger (2015) and Michigan’s Sierra Romero (2016).

Click here for the complete list of finalists for the 2017 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award

Comprising this year’s list of finalists includes 23 seniors, eight juniors, two sophomores and one freshman. The student-athletes selected represent 23 NCAA Division I universities and 11 athletic conferences. Arizona is the most represented university among the finalists, having five athletes making the list while Florida State follows with four athlete representatives. Florida, LSU, Michigan and Oregon each have two players represented. Alabama, Baylor, Cal Poly, Georgia, Idaho State, James Madison, Louisiana, Marshall, Memphis, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Syracuse, Tennessee, UCLA, Utah and Wisconsin each have one member among the finalists.

Prior to the start of post-season play, the list will be narrowed to the Top 10 Finalists on May 10. The Top 3 Finalists will be announced May 24, while the winner of the 2017 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be revealed on May 30 prior to the start of the NCAA WCWS in Oklahoma City.

The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award is voted on by coaching representatives of 10 Division I Conferences in the 10 USA Softball Regions, members of the media who consistently cover Division I Softball across the country as well as past winners of the award.

[NewsCopy]

Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball junior shortstop DJ Sanders was one of the 25 finalists named for the 2017 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, USA Softball announced on Wednesday.

The rest of the story

UL SI

[whataburger]

Congratss to Sssanderss!!

Hit a few more homerss this weekend pleasse.

What?

What a burger.

[Turbine]

Ssanders is SSuper.

Ps title edited from "Ssanders"

[lcitsh]

Turbine, would now be a good time to merge the threads?

[cajun4life]

It's not like a Cajun will ever win this award. But it is nice to be nominated.

[31Ragin97]

Am i missing something with the polls? I thought someone once said the polls and rpi are not based on each other. With that said if we creamed a team ranked higher than us, even if their rpi is better but our record is better shouldnt we be ranked higher?
I realize it doesnt matter in big picture but just curious

[31Ragin97]

Then by extension teams that team beat we should be higher than also?

[lcitsh]

Am i missing something with the polls? I thought someone once said the polls and rpi are not based on each other. With that said if we creamed a team ranked higher than us, even if their rpi is better but our record is better shouldnt we be ranked higher?
I realize it doesnt matter in big picture but just curious

The coaches and the sportswriters may modify their voting once the rpi rankings come out, but the polls have rarely reflected the rpi. If they did, the Cajuns would probably not be held in such high esteem in the polls.

The rpi is a compilation of all games played, which can be affected by every Division 1 team. Polls are normally reflective only by who you played.

[31Ragin97]

The coaches and the sportswriters may modify their voting once the rpi rankings come out, but the polls have rarely reflected the rpi. If they did, the Cajuns would probably not be held in such high esteem in the polls.

The rpi is a compilation of all games played, which can be affected by every Division 1 team. Polls are normally reflective only by who you played.

Thanks, but im not seeing the higj esteem if we are lower than a team we beat and lower than nine teams we have better record than? So seems like our low rpi is pulling usndown in poll too, which it sounds like it isnt supposed to do? Thanks again, just seems confusing

[lcitsh]

Thanks, but im not seeing the higj esteem if we are lower than a team we beat and lower than nine teams we have better record than? So seems like our low rpi is pulling usndown in poll too, which it sounds like it isnt supposed to do? Thanks again, just seems confusing

The Cajuns are still a G5 team, and Alabama is still a P5 team. The benefit of the doubt will always go to the P5 program unless they do something to justify being dropped off the face of the planet. Polls are still subjective and the rpi is still objective. The Cajuns will climb in both types of rankings, the rpi because it's about the numbers, and the polls because they are beating teams with winning records.

[31Ragin97]

The Cajuns are still a G5 team, and Alabama is still a P5 team. The benefit of the doubt will always go to the P5 program unless they do something to justify being dropped off the face of the planet. Polls are still subjective and the rpi is still objective. The Cajuns will climb in both types of rankings, the rpi because it's about the numbers, and the polls because they are beating teams with winning records.

Good point, but werent we in world series before sec even had softball? Thought g5 was just football designation?

[CajunDreDog]

Good point, but werent we in world series before sec even had softball? Thought g5 was just football designation?

It is, but it's also the perception of schools. It's the haves vs the have nots in all NCAA sports. We are always seen as a have not. It's just the way it is.

[whataburger]

Back to the original theme of the thread, DJ played like she wanted to win the player of the year award tonight. Two grand slams tonight against Texas State, one a no doubter to left field that took all of two seconds to get out, and the second to right field. She was a woman among girls at the plate tonight.

[lcitsh]

Back to the original theme of the thread, DJ played like she wanted to win the player of the year award tonight. Two grand slams tonight against Texas State, one a no doubter to left field that took all of two seconds to get out, and the second to right field. She was a woman among girls at the plate tonight.

I expect that, as the leading home run hitter in the country, she'll be one of the 10 finalists, but it will take something extraordinary for her to be in the final 3.

Announcement Date
Top 50 "Watch List" Announced February 1
Finalists Announced April 12
Top 10 Finalists Announced May 10
Top 3 Finalists Announced May 24
USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Announced May 30