University of Oklahoma pitcher Keilani Ricketts has been named the top college softball player in the country for the second straight year.
The Amateur Softball Association of America Tuesday night announced that Ricketts won the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award. The other finalists were Oklahoma teammate Lauren Chamberlain and Tennessee's Raven Chavanne.
"It's definitely an honor to win the award with the girls I was going against, who have had amazing seasons so far," Ricketts says.
Ricketts becomes the third player to win the honor multiple times. Texas pitcher Cat Osterman was the player of the year three times, and Washington's Danielle Lawrie won it in 2009 and 2010.
"It's really surreal to be in that category," Ricketts says. "In my eyes, those girls are legends and players I've looked up to in my career, so to be up there with them is definitely an honor."
Ricketts is 31-1 this season with a 1.22 ERA and 311 strikeouts. She's also hitting .375 with 13 home runs and 54 RBIs.
Her Sooners are the No. 1 seed in the Women's College World Series, which starts Thursday.
