Sanders Among Top 10 Chosen for Softball's Top Honor

OKLAHOMA CITY – Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball junior shortstop DJ Sanders was named a Top 10 Finalist for the 2017 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, the organization announced on Wednesday.

Click here for the complete list of the Top 10 Finalists for the 2017 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award.

The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, which is considered the most prestigious honor in Division I women's collegiate softball, recognizes the outstanding athletic achievement by female players across the country.

"There's no question that DJ has proven herself as one of the best college athletes in the country," Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball head coach Michael Lotief said. "Not only by the home runs, but by how she plays defense and by her leadership characteristics.

"What's so special about her is who she is a person: her compassionate heart, leadership in the locker room and on the field, the work she does on the student-athlete advisory committee and the empathy she has for others," Lotief added. "She's just a good, caring woman who always stands for the right thing and represents what it means to be a Ragin' Cajun.

"I'm so proud of her. In my judgment she's an outstanding candidate for player of the year not only for what she does athletically, but who she is and what she represents. She's such a wonderful and outstanding young lady."

The Top 3 Finalists will be announced May 24, while the winner of the 2017 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be revealed on May 30 prior to the start of the NCAA Women's College World Series (WCWS) in Oklahoma City.

The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award is voted on by coaching representatives of 10 Division I Conferences in the 10 USA Softball Regions, members of the media who consistently cover Division I Softball across the country as well as past winners of the award.

Sanders, who last month was selected as a finalist for the award, joins former Ragin' Cajuns greats Christi Orgeron and Lexie Elkins as players in program history to advance to the Top 10 list.

The 2017 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year and two-time First Team All-Sun Belt performer (2016, 2017), Sanders leads the nation in runs per game (1.42), home runs (28), home runs per game (0.58), RBI (73), RBI per game (1.52), total bases (149) and slugging percentage (1.088). Over half of her total hits (55) produced have been home runs (28). In April, she turned in a stretch where 10 of 11 hits recorded were home runs (April 8-22).

She has enjoyed her finest season defensively, with only one error in Sun Belt play over 72 chances and just six the entire season through 135 total chances.

The Columbus, Miss., native recorded seven games of multiple home runs during the regular season and tied the NCAA season record with six grand slams. She leads the Ragin' Cajuns with 18 multiple-RBI games, tallying three or more RBI 12 times.

"It's the total package that is impressive, not just home runs." Lotief remarked. "She's making some incredible plays that are not easy to make and she's making them look easy."

This year's Top 10 Finalists for USA Softball Player of the Year are comprised of five seniors, four juniors, and one sophomore. The student-athletes selected represent eight NCAA Division I universities and six athletic conferences. Arizona and Florida State lead the way among universities with two athlete representatives, while Florida, James Madison, Louisiana, Minnesota, Syracuse and Tennessee each have one student-athlete represented.

For more information on Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Softball, as well as all of Ragin' Cajuns Athletics, visit RaginCajuns.com. Fans can also follow along with the team on Facebook (/RaginCajunSoftball),Twitter (@RaginCajunsSB) and Instagram (@RaginCajunsSoftball).

PAST WINNERS OF USA SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Now in its 16th year, previous recipients of the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, the most prestigious individual honor in NCAA Division I Softball, are UCLA catcher Stacey Nuveman (2002), Texas pitcher Cat Osterman (2003, 2005 and 2006), Florida State pitcher Jessica Van der Linden (2004), Tennessee pitcher Monica Abbott (2007), Virginia Tech pitcher Angela Tincher (2008), Washington pitcher Danielle Lawrie (2009 and 2010), Stanford shortstop Ashley Hansen (2011), Oklahoma's Keilani Ricketts (2012 and 2013), Florida State's Lacey Waldrop (2014), Florida's Lauren Haeger (2015) and Michigan's Sierra Romero (2016).

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Sanders Among Top 10 Chosen for Softball's Top Honor

Players Mentioned

Lexie Elkins

DJ Sanders

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