Jan. 27, 2010
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. –
Senior Molly Johnson was named to the Amateur Softball Association of America’s pre-season top-50 watch list for its ninth annual Player of the Year award it was announced Wednesday.
Johnson is one of 12 players from the Southeastern Conference to earn recognition on the pre-season watch list. The 2010 list is comprised of 50 players representing 35 schools and 14 different NCAA Division I Conferences. The list includes 27 seniors, 17 juniors and six sophomores. The ASA will announce the 25 finalists on April 7.
Just days before the start of post-season play, a list of 10 finalists will be named and released on May 12. The final three finalists will be announced May 26 while the winner of the 2010 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award will be announced prior to the start of the 2010 NCAA Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
Johnson was named UK’s first All-America selection after leading the Wildcats to the program’s first NCAA tournament appearance as a junior. Johnson was also selected to the Southeast All-Region team in addition to her All-SEC First team honors. The versatile player from Tucson, Ariz., has started 164 consecutive games for Kentucky at three different positions: shortstop, third base and catcher.
In just three seasons with Kentucky thus far, Johnson already owns a number of school records. She ranks first in the career record books in a number of categories including batting average (.395) and slugging percentage (.648). Additionally, she ranks in the record books in the following categories: hits (sixth), runs batted in (fifth), doubles (second), triples (seventh), home runs (third), total bases (fourth), stolen bases (fourth) and assists (fifth). Earlier this month she was selected as an alternate for the 2010 USA Softball squad.
This summer Johnson was the first UK softball player to suit up for the National team when she helped the Americans capture the Japan Cup. In five at-bats during the Japan Cup run, Johnson went three-for-five at the dish and plated a squad-best six runs in helping the United States to victory. In her one start at shortstop, Johnson smacked a grand slam in her first at-bat to bring in the winning scores in a win over the host team, Japan.
2010 USA Softball Player of the Year Watch List
Name (School) – Year – Position – Hometown
Valerie Arioto (California) – Junior – Utility – Pleasanton, Calif.
Donna Bourgeois (ULL) – Junior – Pitcher – Lafayette, La.
Chelsea Bramlett (Mississippi State) – Senior – Catcher/Infield – Cordova, Tenn.
Stephanie Brombacher (Florida) – Junior – Pitcher – Pembroke Pines, Fla.
Neena Bryant (Oregon) -Senior – Outfield – Placentia, Calif.
Anna Cahn (Cal Poly) – Junior – Pitcher/Designated Player – Los Alamitos, Calif.
Whitney Canion (Baylor) – Sophomore – Pitcher – Aledo, Texas
Stacie Chambers (Arizona) – RS-Junior – Catcher – Glendale, Ariz.
Lauren Delaney (Northwestern) – Senior – Pitcher – Jefferson City, Mo.
Krista Donnenwirth (Arizona State) – Junior – SS/Third Base – Mission Viejo, Calif.
Kelsi Dunne (Alabama) – Junior – Pitcher – Port Orange, Fla.
Francesca Enea (Florida) – Senior – Outfield – Woodland Hills, Calif.
Amber Flores (Oklahoma) – Senior – Infield – Calexico, Calif.
Alisa Goler (Georgia) – Junior – Infield – Frankfort, Ill.
Kelly Grieve (Tennessee) – Junior -Outfield -Asheville, N.C.
Alissa Haber (Stanford) – Senior – Outfield- Newark, Calif.
Sarah Hamilton (Florida State) – Junior – Pitcher – Tallahassee, Fla.
Ashley Hansen (Stanford) – Sophomore – Infield – Chandler, Ariz.
Becca Heteniak (DePaul) – Senior – Pitcher – Simi Valley, Calif.
Katie Holverson (Nevada) – Senior – Pitcher – Anthem, Ariz.
Tiffany Huff (Tennessee) – Senior – Catcher/First Base – Saugus, Calif.
Molly Johnson (Kentucky) – Senior -Infield – Tucson, Ariz.
Megan Langenfeld (UCLA) – Senior – Pitcher/First Base – Bakersfield, Calif.
Brittany Lastrapes (Arizona) – Junior – Outfield – Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Danielle Lawrie (Washington) – Senior – Pitcher – Langley, British Columbia
Sam Marder (Ohio State) – Senior – Catcher – Calabasas, Calif.
Morgan Melloh (Fresno State) – Junior – Pitcher – Fishers, Ind.
Rachel Mitchell (LSU) – Senior – Outfield – LaPorte, Texas
Adrienne Monka (Northwestern) – Sophomore – Infield – Rancho Cucamongo, Calif.
Charlotte Morgan (Alabama) – Senior – Pitcher/Utility – Moreno Valley, Calif.
Nikki Nemitz (Michigan) – Senior – Pitcher – St. Clair Shores, Mich.
Carly Normandin (Massachusetts) – Senior – Outfield – Gardner, Mass.
Tara Oltman (Creighton) – Senior – Pitcher – Cortland, Neb.
Kimi Pohlman (Washington) – Sophomore – Outfield – Sammamish, Wash.
Nikki Prier (Jacksonville State) – Senior – Infield – Raleigh, N.C.
Jessica Purcell-Fitu (BYU) – Junior – Catcher – Walnut, Calif.
Melissa Roth (Louisville) – Senior – Catcher – Long Beach, Calif.
Katie Schroeder (UCLA) – Junior – Outfield – Yorba Linda, Calif.
Taylor Schlopy (Georgia) – Junior – Pitcher/Outfield – West Hills, Calif.
Kirsten Shortridge (LSU) – Senior – Pitcher/Outfield- Keller, Texas
Kaila Shull (UCLA) -Senior – Catcher/Outfield – Lodi, Calif.
Danielle Spaulding (North Carolina) – Senior – First Base/Pitcher – Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Rhea Taylor (Missouri) – Junior – Outfield – Buford, Ga.
Chelsea Thomas (Missouri) – Sophomore – Utility – Pleasantville, Iowa
Brooke Turner (Long Beach State) – Junior – Pitcher – Buena Park, Calif.
Maggie Viefhaus (Michigan) – Senior – Infielder – Pacific, Mo.
Kristen Wadwell (Louisville) – Senior – Pitcher/Infield – Sydney, Australia
Amberley Waits (Louisiana Tech) – Senior – Infield – Cleburne, Texas
Kelsi Weseman (Georgia Tech) – Sophomore – Infield – Hutto, Texas
Jen Yee (Georgia Tech) – Senior – Second Base – North Delta, British Columbia
Stay tuned to UKathletics.com for the most up-to-date information about the UK softball team.
