LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Senior standout Jessica Neidigh has been named to the inaugural Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II National Player of the Year Top 50 Watch list, as announced by the organization late Monday morning.
Neidigh opened the 2015 campaign by going 3-for-7, with a pair of stolen bases to help lead the Trojans to a sweep of Lees-McRae last Saturday at Smethers Field. The second baseman owns the school record for base hits in a career, while ranking seventh all-time in the South Atlantic Conference.
Neidigh earned All-America honors following her sophomore season with the Black and Gold and is a two-time All-Southeast Region honoree. The Lawrenceville, Ga., native has garnered postseason all-conference recognition in each of her three seasons and as named Second-Team All-SAC last week.
Neidigh has been in the starting lineup for every game of her collegiate career and led the Trojans with 23 multiple-hit games last season, while posting an 11-game hitting streak in the middle of last season.
Joining Neidigh on the watch list from the South Atlantic Conference is Catawba junior pitcher Carley Tysinger, while shortstop Alexis Mercer from Armstrong State is the other player on the list from the Southeast Region.
Behind the collaboration between the NFCA and the NCAA Division
II Head Coaches Committee, and the generosity of Schutt Sports, the
award was created to honor the outstanding athletic achievement
among softball student-athletes throughout Division II.
This inaugural group consists of 29 seniors, 14 juniors and seven
sophomores that represent 37 programs from 18 different conferences
across the country. Nine programs garnered multiple candidates,
including Caldwell, out of the East Coast Conference (ECC),
boasting five selections. Defending national champion and Lone Star
Conference representative West Texas A&M picked up three
nominations, while seven more institutions had two apiece.
The Great Lakes Valley Conference paced the way with five of its
schools and seven student-athletes. The Lone Star and Mid-America
Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) each had four programs
with seven and five student-athletes, respectively. The Pacific
West Conference and California Collegiate Athletic Association
followed with three, while the ECC, Heartland Conference,
Northeast-10 Conference and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
garnered two apiece.
The Top 25 finalists for the 2015 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II
National Player of the Year award will be announced on April 8.
While an athlete does not have to be on watch list to be considered
for the Top 25, the winner will come from the 25 finalists. The Top
10 finalists will be announced on April 30 and the Top 3 on May 13
or 14.
CLICK HERE to see entire list of candidates
