Sophomore Hurler Was a Finalist for Award During 2004 Season

Coming off a 2004 campaign in which she led the nation in victories (45) and strikeouts (582) while becoming the Tennessee softball program’s initial first-team Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American, sophomore pitcher Monica Abbott has been selected to the watch list for the fourth-annual USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award. The Salinas, Calif., native was a finalist for the national award during the 2004 season.
This prestigious honor is presented by the Amateur Softball Association, the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States, and USA Softball. The accolade, considered the Heisman Trophy in women’s collegiate softball and the only national player of the year hardware, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country.
The watch list is comprised of 40 players that represent 23 colleges and 10 different collegiate conferences. A list of 25 finalists will be announced on April 5. A player does not have to be on the watch list to be considered for the top 25, but once the Top 25 is named, the remaining finalists must be pared down from that list. Just days before the start of post-season play, a list of 10 finalists will be named and released on May 10 while the three finalists will be announced on May 31. The winner of the 2005 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award will be announced at the 2005 NCAA Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

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