SHIFFLETT NAMED TO USA SOFTBALL NATIONAL COLLEGIATE PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST

RADFORD, Va. – Since the fall of 2007, Radford senior shortstop Kristen Shifflett (Charlottesville, Va./Monticello) has gone from walk-on to one of 50 players named to the 10th annual USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year watch list.

Shifflett, who was recently tabbed the unanimous Big South Preseason Player of the Year, is the first player in program history to earn this prestigious preseason honor which was announced Wednesday afternoon by the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA).
 
The 2010 Big South Player of the Year and first team all-region selection, led the Conference in batting (.426), runs (58), runs per game (1.05), hits (78), hits per game (1.42), slugging (.760), on-base percentage (.478), total bases (139) and stolen bases (23). In addition, she ranked in the top five in home runs, doubles and RBI.

After her performance last season, Shifflett was tabbed Big South Female Student-Athlete of the Year. She enters 2011 as the Highlanders’ all-time leader in home runs (36) and runs scored (150) as well as being the first player in school history with 200 career hits prior to her senior year (201).
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The 2011 Preseason Watch List is comprised of 50 players representing 36 schools and 15 different NCAA Division I Conferences with the Pac-10 Conference leading the way with seven schools represented. 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. *Freshman qualify for the top 25 list once they have competed at the collegiate level.

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.