The Amateur Softball Association has announced the 25 finalists for the 5th Annual USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award. 

The award is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country. 

The players on the list represent 18 colleges and seven different NCAA Division I conferences. Among the list are 12 seniors, seven juniors, four sophomores and two freshmen. Eight of the finalists were among the Top 25 finalists in 2005, including the final three nominees from last season, Michigan’s Jennie Ritter, Arizona’s Caitlin Lowe and Texas’ Cat Osterman. 

The list will be trimmed to 10 finalists May 10, and then cut to the three who will travel to Oklahoma City for the announcement of the winner on May 31. 

Osterman became the first two-time winner of the National Player of the Year Award in 2005 after leading her Longhorns to the Big 12 title and a berth into the NCAA Women’s College World Series. Past winners of the award include Stacey Nuveman (UCLA-2002), Osterman (Texas-2003) and Jessica Van der Linden (Florida State-2004). 

USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award Top 25 Finalists 

Monica Abbott – Jr., P, Tennessee 
Lacey Bertucci – Jr. 1B, Louisiana-Lafayette 
Katie Burkhart – So., P, Arizona State 
Kaitlin Cochran, Fr., OF, Arizona State 
Melanie Denischuk, Jr., 1B/3B, UMBC 
Kristi Durant, Sr., 3B/C, Tennessee 
Sara Fekete, Sr., OF, Tennessee 
Danyele Gomez, Sr., OF, Louisiana-Lafayette 
Jenna Hall – Sr., 1B, Illinois 
Whitney Haller – Fr., 1B/P, Georgia Tech 
Alicia Hollowell – Sr., P, Arizona 
Leslie Klein – Jr., OF, LSU 
Jodie Legaspi – Jr., SS, UCLA 
Caitlin Lowe – Jr., SS, Arizona 
Brianne McGowan – Jr., P/1B, Oregon State 
Kellie Middleton – Jr., OF, Georgia 
Cat Osterman – Sr., P, Texas 
Jennie Ritter – Sr., P, Michigan 
Anjelica Selden – So., P, UCLA 
Kristina Thorson – Sr., P, California 
Angela Tincher – So., P, Virginia Tech 
Stephanie VanBrakle – Sr., P, Alabama 
Kristin Vesley – Sr., OF, Oklahoma 
Desiree Williams – So., P/UT, Texas 
Haley Woods - Sr., C/1B, California