College Softball Postseason Awards 2022

The 2022 college softball season seems like it ended weeks ago, but also just yesterday. A year full of incredible performances, surprising results, and noteworthy accomplishments; a year that ended with the team atop the game the same Oklahoma squad that had stood tall all season long.

Now, it’s time to present Extra Inning Softball’s College Softball Postseason Awards for the 2022 season. Each of the honored players and coaches were the best in the business in their respective realms – and they proved it with their results on the field.

National Player of the Year: Jocelyn Alo, Oklahoma

Alo set the all-time home run record this season, but also ended the year batting .515 with 85 hits and 84 runs scored. The crown jewel in a studded OU batting order, Alo was as dangerous to smack an RBI single or a gap-breaking double as she was to hit a moonshot over the fence. Come for the home runs, stay for an incredibly consistent and balanced hitter who never seemed lost in the batter’s box.

National Pitcher of the Year: Georgina Corrick, South Florida

After carrying her South Florida team on her back for four years in the first few years of her career, Corrick was even better in 2022, if that can be believed. 0.51 ERA, 37 wins, and 20 earned runs allowed in nearly 275 innings pitched are just some of her numbers – 418 strikeouts, a strikeout/walk ratio better than 12/1, and an opponent’s batting average of .121 are more of her numbers. Sheer dominance in the circle was the name of the game for Corrick in 2022.

National Freshman of the Year: Jordy Bahl, Oklahoma

Despite missing a few weeks of the postseason with an injury, Bahl’s efforts through the course of the regular season made her a shoo-in for this award. Bahl’s presence in the circle was a game-changer for Oklahoma, as she made a huge impact on her team in her first year as a college softball player. Bahl finished the year 22-1, losing just once in 33 appearances. She notched a 1.09 ERA, 205 strikeouts, and opponents hit just .145 against her. She allowed all of 22 earned runs in more than 141 innings of work.

National Coach of the Year: Cindy Ball-Malone, UCF

Picked to finish third in the preseason American Athletic Conference coaches poll, UCF did get two first-place votes in that same voting. As it turns out, two coaches knew what they were talking about. Ball-Malone’s UCF squad put together a stellar season, playing top-notch teams in non-conference play – and earning their fair share of wins against those teams – before putting together an impressive run in conference play. The Knights hosted a regional for the first time in program history, advanced to the Super Regionals, and ended the season with a team batting average of .295 and a team ERA of 2.30.

Breakout Star of the Year: Chenise Delce, Arkansas

When Delce transferred to Arkansas, sure, the Razorback coaching staff saw something in her but Mary Haff was already in place in Fayetteville and maybe Delce would be a nice compliment to the established Hogs ace. A good plan, right? Instead, Delce came into Fayetteville like gangbusters and took the SEC by storm. She buoyed Arkansas to an incredible season in conference play, including a series sweep at Florida, and both the conference regular-season and tournament crowns. The SEC Pitcher of the Year for her efforts, Delce ended the season with a 2.12 ERA, 19 wins, 188 strikeouts, and a .220 batting average in 151.2 innings of work on the year. Her strikeout/walk ratio ended the year at better than 5/1.

Comeback Player of the Year: Kelsey Hall, Boise State

Hall suffered an ACL injury just four games into the 2021 season, then transferred to a new school in the offseason after some coaching moves. In her first year at Boise State – and in her first year with a reconstructed ACL – Hall was sensational at the plate. Ending the year with a .392 batting average, Hall added a 1.280 OPS, 13 home runs, 32 RBIs, and 37 runs scored. She sprinkled in six doubles, five stolen bases, and earned 19 walks for good measure.

Assistant Coach of the Year: Elizabeth Economon, Wichita State

After graduating nearly half of their team’s 100+ home runs from the 2021 season, it would have been understandable if Wichita State’s offense took a bit of a dip in 2022. Instead, the Shockers decided to SURPASS their home run total from a season earlier, hitting 121 as a team in 2022. Addison Barnard enjoyed a 20-20 season at the plate and on the basepaths, while Sydney McKinney ended the year batting .522 with 97 hits to her credit. Six different Shockers’ players reached double-digits in home runs and as a unit, the Wichita offense scored 415 runs on the season.