Feb. 1, 2013

OKLAHOMA CITY - Two Wildcats were named to the 2013 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year "Watch List", the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) announced Friday. Sophomore Hallie Wilson and senior Brigette Del Ponte were two of 50 players to receive the honor.

This marks the second consecutive season Del Ponte has received this recognition. Wilson's citation is her first such, as it is her first year eligible to be placed on the "Watch List".

In just three seasons, Del Ponte, a shortstop from Peoria, Ariz., has already hit herself into the Arizona record books and sits in the top 10 in career home runs (8th - 53), RBI (10th - 195) and assists (9th - 356) and sits just outside top 10 in doubles (11th - 45). The senior possesses a career .328 batting average to go along with a .708 slugging percentage and .417 career on-base percentage.

In her freshman campaign, Wilson, a first baseman and centerfielder from Santa Ana, Calif., led the team in batting average with a .346 clip, making her the first freshman since Brittany Lastrapes in 2008 to lead the squad in batting average. The sophomore knocked 12 doubles, a pair of home runs and drove in 28 runs while spending most of the season as the team's leadoff hitter.

Del Ponte is one of 27 seniors on the list, while Wilson is one of just eight sophomores.

The two Wildcats are two of eight Pac-12 players on the "Watch List", which, along with the SEC, is the most of any conference.

Arizona begins its season Feb. 8 at the Kajikawa Classic.

2013 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List
Name (School) - Year - Position - Hometown
Emily Allard (Northwestern) - Senior - Utility - Antioch, Calif.
Nikki Armagost (Pacific) - Senior - Pitcher/Utility - Andover, Kan.
Marisa Bast (Northwestern) - Junior - Infield - Orange, Calif.
B.B. Bates (UCLA) - Senior - Outfield - Victorville, Calif.
Cassidy Bell (Penn State) - Senior - Outfield - Bakersfield, Calif.
Kayla Braud (Alabama) - Senior - Outfield - Eugene, Ore.
Amy Buntin (Notre Dame) - Senior - Catcher - Franklin, Tenn.
Whitney Canion (Baylor) - RS Junior - Pitcher - Aledo, Texas
Lauren Chamberlain (Oklahoma) - Sophomore - Trabuco Canyon, Calif.
Raven Chavanne (Tennessee) - Senior - Third base/Outfield - Thousand Oaks, Calif.
J.C. Clayton (BYU) - Senior - Infield - Hollister, Calif.
Brigette Del Ponte (Arizona) - Senior - Infield - Peoria, Ariz.
Mel Dumezich (Texas A&M) - Senior - Pitcher/Infield - Whiting, Ind.
Dallas Escobedo (Arizona State) - Junior - Pitcher - Glendale, Ariz.
Rachele Fico (LSU) - Senior - Pitcher - Oxford, Conn.
Amber Freeman (Arizona State) - Sophomore - Catcher - Lakewood, Calif.
Olivia Galati (Hofstra) - Senior - Pitcher/Designated Player - West Babylon, N.Y.
Teagan Gerhart (Stanford) - Senior - Pitcher - Norco, Calif.
Lauren Gibson (Tennessee) - Senior - Infield- Pasadena, Md.
Tara Glover (Boise State) - Junior - Outfield - Grants Pass, Ore.
Jolene Henderson (Cal) - Senior - Pitcher/First base - Elk Grove, Calif.
Taylor Hoagland (Texas) - Senior - Outfield/Third base - Flower Mound, Texas
Kylene Hopkins (Michigan State) - Senior - Outfield - Menifee, Calif.
Kaila Hunt (Alabama) - Junior - Infield - Evans, Ga.
Kaitlin Inglesby (Washington) - Junior - Pitcher - Portland, Ore.
Jessica Iwata (Hawaii) - Senior - Shortstop - Lihu'e, Hawaii
Alix Johnson (Arizona State) - Junior - Outfield - San Diego, Calif.
Stephany LaRosa (UCLA) - Sophomore - Diamond Bar, Calif.
Blaire Luna (Texas) - Senior - Pitcher - Austin, Texas
Hayley Miles (San Diego State) - Junior - Utility - Antelope, Calif.
Jessica Moore (Oregon) - Senior - Pitcher - Sutter, Calif.
Nerissa Myers (Louisiana-Lafayette) - Senior - Infield - Petal, Miss.
Sara Nevins (South Florida) - Junior - Pitcher - Pinellas Park, Fla.
Haley Outon (Houston) - Junior - Catcher - Pflugerville, Texas
Samantha Pappas (Oregon) - Senior - Outfield - Mission Viejo, Calif.
Ellen Renfroe (Tennessee) - Junior - Pitcher - Jackson, Tenn.
Jenna Rich (Stanford) - Senior - Infield - El Segundo, Calif.
Keilani Ricketts (Oklahoma) - Senior - Pitcher - San Jose, Calif.
Shellie Robinson (USC Upstate) - Sophomore - Outfield - DeLand, Fla.
Hannah Rogers (Florida) - Junior - Pitcher - Lake Wales, Fla.
Madison Shipman (Tennessee) - Junior - Infield - Valencia, Calif.
Jessica Shults (Oklahoma) - Senior - Catcher - Valencia, Calif.
Tess Sito (Georgia) - Senior - Pitcher/Utility - Elyria, Ohio
Chelsea Thomas (Missouri) - Senior - Pitcher - Pleasantville, Iowa
Jackie Traina (Alabama) - Junior - Pitcher/Designated player - Naples, Fla.
Kirsten Verdun (DePaul) - Junior - Pitcher/First Base - Coal City, Ill.
Haylie Wagner (Michigan) - Sophomore - Pitcher - Orange, Calif.
Devon Wallace (Arkansas) - Sophomore - Utility - Double Oak, Texas
Hallie Wilson (Arizona) - Sophomore - Outfield - Santa Ana, Calif.
Hanna Winter (Stanford) - Sophomore - Infield - Camarillo, Calif.