Gibson Named Top 10 Finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Senior infielder Danielle Gibson has been selected as a Top 10 Finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, the organization announced Wednesday.
Currently in its 20th season, the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award recognizes outstanding athletic achievement by Division I female collegiate softball players from across the country. Gibson is one of five position players to make the list and the only finalist from an SEC school.
The Murrieta, Calif., product has played an integral role for No. 5 Arkansas all season, helping the Hogs claim back-to-back SEC regular season championships. Gibson ranks in the nation’s top 20 in several categories, including sixth in batting average (.451), eighth in total bases (124), 15th in hits (65), 15th in RBI per game (1.15) and 17th in slugging percentage (.861). Gibson is no easy out, sporting a .503 on base percentage. Additionally, Gibson ranks in the conference’s top 5 in home runs with 16 and RBI with 54. Through 47 games, Gibson has posted 21 multiple hit games, including seven with three or more hits, and 14 multiple RBI games. During the 2022 season, Gibson has broken the program’s career RBI (164) and total bases records (388) and currently sits second in career home runs with 44. The first baseman is a staple of the Razorback defense, holding a .985 fielding percentage.
The Top 10 Finalists include three fifth-year/graduate transfers, four seniors, two juniors and one freshman. The Top 10 finalists hail from eight different universities while representing six conferences (Big 12, AAC, ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC).
The Top 3 Finalists will be revealed May 18. The 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be announced prior to the NCAA Women’s College World Series, which is schedule for June 2-10 at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex.
Gibson and the Razorbacks hit the road to Texas A&M on May 6-8 for their final regular season series. The Hogs will look to clinch the program’s first outright SEC title with one win over the Aggies.
| Name | School |
| Danielle Gibson – RS Senior – IF | Arkansas |
| Jocelyn Alo – RS Senior – UTL | Oklahoma |
| Jordy Bahl – Freshman – P | Oklahoma |
| Georgina Corrick – RS Senior – P | South Florida |
| Baylee Klingler – Senior – IF | Washington |
| Grace Lyons – Senior – IF | Oklahoma |
| Kelly Maxwell – RS Junior – P | Oklahoma State |
| Sydney McKinney – Junior – IF | Wichita State |
| Keely Rochard – Senior – P | Virginia Tech |
| Danielle Williams – Senior – P | Northwestern |