We’ve officially reached and crossed the halfway mark on the 2023 Division 1 college softball season. There have been incredible performances, surprising results, and noteworthy accomplishments – all almost too many to count.
Through half a season, who have been the best at their craft? If the season ended today, who would be the Player of the Year? Crowned as Pitcher of the Year? Awarded as the best Freshman? The season isn’t ending, but as is our annual tradition atExtra Inning Softball, we’re handing out Midseason Awards for the best in the business at the halfway mark.
Onto the hardware (virtual, though it may be!)
Midseason Player of the Year
Sydney McKinney, Wichita State
For the second consecutive year, McKinney is the best hitter in the nation. She leads the country with a .539 batting average and is a wizard and a weapon atop the Shockers’ batting order. After winning the nation’s batting title and leading the country in hits a season ago, the now-5th-year senior has maintained her success at the plate through the first half of her final season. She also currently leads the nation in hits – yes, again – and ranks 7th nationally in on-base percentage and 8th nationally in runs per game, averaging more than a run scored in every game.
Also considered: Valerie Cagle, Clemson; Sara Mosley, Georgia; Maya Brady, UCLA; Jayda Coleman, Oklahoma
Midseason Pitcher of the Year
Valerie Cagle, Clemson
Cagle has dominated on both sides of the ball, starring in the circle and at the plate this season. She has a legitimate shot at winning both the national Player and Pitcher of the Year awards, but at the midseason point, she wins the award for her work in the circle. Cagle’s 0.49 ERA is tied for third in the nation, she owns six shutouts on the year, and ranks second in the nation with 16 wins. She has already collected more than 100 innings of work in the circle and averages more than a strikeout an inning.
Also considered: Emma Lemley, Virginia Tech; Maddie Penta, Auburn; NiJaree Canady, Stanford; Ashley Rogers, Tennessee; Stephanie Schoonover, Kentucky; Nicole May, Oklahoma; Sydney Nester, Marshall
Midseason Coach of the Year
Karen Weekly, Tennessee
Entering the season, Weekly’s Lady Vols were seen as a loaded, talented team that simply needed to prove it on the field. They’ve done exactly that. The Lady Vols have lost just twice through the season’s first half and own a win over Clemson in non-conference play. The Lady Vols’ pitching staff has been stellar and the offense has shown up in the right moments. The Lady Vols are on top of the SEC mountain at this point.
Also considered: John Rittman, Clemson; Jessica Allister, Stanford; Jenny Parsons, Central Arkansas
Midseason Freshman of the Year
NiJaree Canady, Stanford
Canady has given up exactly one earned run this season, with an ERA of 0.14 to her credit. Canady has been a stellar bright spot on the Cardinal pitching staff, delivering immediately on the exact reasons that the program recruited her. Canady also paces the country with the fewest hits allowed per seven innings and ranks second in the nation with more than 12 strikeouts a game, on average.
Also considered: Karlyn Pickens, Tennessee; Taryn Kern, Indiana; Leighann Goode, Texas; Sydney Berzon, LSU; Jocelyn Erickson, Oklahoma; Jackie Lis, Southern Illinois
Midseason Breakout Star of the Year
Rylinn Hedgecock, Arkansas
Hedgecock has been the biggest eye-catching star of the season for Arkansas and one of the SEC’s most unexpected bright spots. Currently second in the nation with fourteen home runs and fourth in the nation in RBIs, Hedgecock has cemented her presence as a key cog in the Razorback batting order. A role-player in her early years at Arkansas, Hedgecock’s bat has come alive this season in true breakout fashion, and she has maintained that progress through the season’s first half.
Also considered: Jordyn VanHook, Arizona State; Stephanie Schoonover, Kentucky; Ellie Bailey, Texas Tech
