Photo by: S. J. Carrera, Inc.
Danielle Williams Named to Player of the Year Watch List
1/29/2020 4:20:00 PM | Softball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Sophomore Danielle Williams was named to the Collegiate Player of the Year Watchlist by USA Softball, the organization announced on Wednesday.
The list names 50 of the nation's top players in college softball. Williams is one of just nine sophomores to crack the list, along with one of six players from the Big Ten.
Williams took the nation by storm last season with a dominant rookie campaign, become the first player in Big Ten history to win NFCA National Freshman of the Year Award after leading the Big Ten with 31 wins and 13 shutouts to go along with a 1.55 ERA (51 ER/230.0 IP) and 317 strikeouts, becoming one of just four pitchers in program history to reach 30 wins and 300 strikeouts in a season. She also contributed at the plate, hitting .306 (11-for-36) with two homers and nine RBI in 18 conference games.
The Pleasanton, Calif. native also became the first Northwestern pitcher since 2004 to win Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and was also named to the NFCA All-American, First Team All-Big Ten, and Big Ten All-Freshman teams.
The Top 25 finalists for the 2020 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be announced April 22, that list will be trimmed to 10 finalists on May 6 and then to three on May 20. Last season as a first year, Williams was one of 26 finalists for the award.
Earlier this week, Northwestern clocked in at No. 14 in the NFCA/USA Today Coaches Poll, its highest preseason ranking since 2009. The Wildcats begin their season on Friday, February 7 with a trip to the Kajikawa Classic, hosted by Arizona State in Tempe, AZ.. The 'Cats will take on Utah on Friday, February 7 to kick off the season, followed by four other games on the weekend.
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Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!
The list names 50 of the nation's top players in college softball. Williams is one of just nine sophomores to crack the list, along with one of six players from the Big Ten.
Williams took the nation by storm last season with a dominant rookie campaign, become the first player in Big Ten history to win NFCA National Freshman of the Year Award after leading the Big Ten with 31 wins and 13 shutouts to go along with a 1.55 ERA (51 ER/230.0 IP) and 317 strikeouts, becoming one of just four pitchers in program history to reach 30 wins and 300 strikeouts in a season. She also contributed at the plate, hitting .306 (11-for-36) with two homers and nine RBI in 18 conference games.
The Pleasanton, Calif. native also became the first Northwestern pitcher since 2004 to win Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and was also named to the NFCA All-American, First Team All-Big Ten, and Big Ten All-Freshman teams.
The Top 25 finalists for the 2020 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be announced April 22, that list will be trimmed to 10 finalists on May 6 and then to three on May 20. Last season as a first year, Williams was one of 26 finalists for the award.
Earlier this week, Northwestern clocked in at No. 14 in the NFCA/USA Today Coaches Poll, its highest preseason ranking since 2009. The Wildcats begin their season on Friday, February 7 with a trip to the Kajikawa Classic, hosted by Arizona State in Tempe, AZ.. The 'Cats will take on Utah on Friday, February 7 to kick off the season, followed by four other games on the weekend.
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!
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