Berry In Hunt For National Softball Player Of The Year Award
UW-Oshkosh junior third baseman Erika Berry is among 25 softball players in the mix for 2017 Schutt Sports/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III National Player of the Year honors.
Berry, the lone WIAC player on the list of Player of the Year candidates, leads the Titans in batting average (.388), hits (33), triples (2), home runs (4), total bases (57), stolen bases (5) and slugging percentage (.671).
This season, Berry has compiled nine multiple-hit games while committing just three errors for a .959 fielding percentage to help lead UW-Oshkosh (22-8), ranked 17th in the country by the NFCA, to its highest ranking since 2008.
Berry's season highlights include going 5-for-5 with four doubles and six runs batted in during a 22-0 victory over Edgewood College on Feb. 24. Her four doubles tied the Division III record while her five hits matched the school record.
Last season, Berry was named to the All-WIAC First Team and the Division III All-Great Lakes Region Second Team.
For her career, Berry is hitting .359 with 75 runs, 26 doubles, seven home runs, 60 runs batted in, 24 stolen bases and a .416 on-base percentage in 110 games played.
There are seven seniors, 12 juniors, four sophomores and two freshmen in the group of semifinalists.
Four 2016 NFCA All-Americans are on the list – two first-team and two third-team honorees. Of the remaining 21 members of the group, nine earned NFCA All-Region recognition last season.
Four players remain from the initial list of 50 players released on March 10 – Virginia Wesleyan College junior catcher Cassetty Howerin, Averett University (Va.) senior infielder Jessica Long, East Texas Baptist University senior utility Jayme Perez and St. John Fisher College (N.Y.) junior pitcher Lindsey Thayer. They have been joined by 21 newcomers, including Berry.
The original list of 50 players included UW-Oshkosh sophomore catcher Abby Menting, the 2016 WIAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year.
Defending national champion University of Texas at Tyler and current top-ranked team Virginia Wesleyan College both have three players on the new list. East Texas Baptist University, Moravian College (Pa.) and St. John Fisher College have two players each while 13 others had one player selected.
Rounding out the list of 25 semifinalists are: junior outfielder Leann Collins from Salisbury University (Md.); senior first baseman/pitcher Marie Collop from Berry College (Ga.); senior first baseman/pitcher Maliah Fligg from Coe College (Iowa); senior infielder/catcher Jenna George from St. Catherine University (Minn.); freshman pitcher Hanna Hull and junior infielder Kiersten Richardson from Virginia Wesleyan College; senior pitcher Alaina Kissinger, senior outfielder Kaylee Prather and sophomore outfielder Cheyenne Thompson from University of Texas at Tyler; sophomore infielder Savannah Lee from Birmingham-Southern College (Ala.); sophomore second baseman Linzie Lewis from East Texas Baptist University; junior pitcher/utility Talia Loda from Springfield College (Mass.); junior catcher Janae Matos and junior pitcher Josie Novak from Moravian College; junior outfielder/second baseman Katie Mazierski from St. John Fisher College; junior shortstop Rachael Payne from Christopher Newport University (Va.); freshman pitcher/first baseman Danielle Ray from Trine University (Ind.); junior pitcher Maitlin Raycroft from Texas Lutheran University; senior infielder Emily Sabo from Kean University (N.J.); and junior shortstop Anna Strien from Luther College (Iowa).
The list is a collaborative effort between the NFCA's Division III head coaches and All-America committees. The 10 finalists will be named in May, and the winner will be revealed following the conclusion of the season.
UW-Oshkosh resumes action with games on Tuesday (April 24) at Lakeland University and Wednesday (April 26) at UW-Stevens Point.