On Wednesday, Florida seniors Stephanie Brombacher and Megan Bush were named in the Top 25 finalists for the 2011 USA Softball’s Player of the Year on Wednesday. The award is considered to be the highest honor in NCAA Division I softball.
While Brombacher was on the initial 50-player watch list for the award, Bush emerged onto the list with her outstanding play this season.
The first baseman, who recently broke the SEC career home run record, is one shy of the lead for the most home runs this season by a Division I player. Bush leads all Division I players this season in RBIs and sacrifice flies, and leads the SEC in slugging percentage and total bases.
As for the Gators’ ace, Brombacher is second among all Division I players with her 0.67 ERA. She has pitched only 84 innings this season and has yet to make a return from a right bicep injury that has sidelined her since March 12. Brombacher is also a top-10 finalist for the 2011 Lowe Senior CLASS Award.
The duo is representing one of eight schools with multiple players on the list. The last time two Gators made the top 25 cut was in 2009 where pitcher Stacey Nelson and outfielder Francesca Enea.
The list will be cut down to 10 before postseason play begins on May 11, down to three on May 25, and the winner will be announced on May 31 at the opening of the 2011 NCAA Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Enea made the top-10 cut in 2010, while Nelson made the final three in 2009, but both lost the award to Washington pitcher Danielle Lawrie, the second player to win the award multiple times.
Gator Country reporter Safid Deen can be reached at safid@gatorcountry.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SafidDeen