Montana Fouts Named Finalist for USA Softball Player of the Year

For the third time, the Alabama pitcher is a finalist for the highest individual honor in college softball.

Katie Windham | Apr 20, 2022

Being the No. 2 team in college softball means you have some of the best players in college softball, and one Alabama player was named a finalist for a prestigious award Wednesday.

Senior pitcher Montana Fouts was named one of 25 finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, the highest individual honor in college softball. She has previously been named a finalist in 2019 and 2021. No Alabama player has ever won the award.

On the season, Fouts is 19-3 with a 2.09 ERA, three saves and 203 strikeouts. Her strikeout total is good for 12th overall in the country and first in the Southeastern Conference.

The SEC leads the way of all conferences with six players represented from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Texas A&M. Oklahoma has the most representatives of any school with four. Fouts is one of 10 pitchers up for the national award.

The finalists list will be shortened to 10 on May 4, with the top three finalists being named on May 18. The winner will be announced prior to the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City.

Gallery: Montana Fouts

Montana Fouts celebrates a strikeout — Alabama Athletics

Alabama pitcher Montana Fouts (14) pitches against Florida during the SEC Championship Game in Rhoads Stadium Saturday, May 15, 2021, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. — Gary Cosby via Imagn Content Services, LLC

2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 25 Finalists

Jocelyn Alo- Oklahoma
Yannira Acuña- Arizona State
Holly Azevedo- UCLA
Jordy Bahl- Oklahoma
Valerie Cagel- Clemson
Erin Coffel- Kentucky
Jayda Coleman- Oklahoma
Georgina Corrick- South Florida
Mia Davidson- Mississippi State
Megan Faraimo- UCLA
Montana Fouts- Alabama
Karina Gaskins- Notre Dame
Danielle Gibson- Arkansas
Jameson Kavel- Duke
Baylee Klingler- Washington
Kayla Konwent- Wisconsin
Haley Lee- Texas A&M
Grace Lyons- Oklahoma
Kelly Maxwell- Oklahoma State
Sydney McKinney- Wichita State
Keely Rochard- Virginia Tech
Kathryn Sandercock- Florida State
Cydney Sanders- Arizona State
Skylar Wallace- Florida
Danielle Williams- Northwestern

Published Apr 20, 2022

KATIE WINDHAM

Katie Windham is the assistant editor for BamaCentral, primarily covering football, basketball gymnastics and softball. She is a two-time graduate of the University of Alabama and has covered a variety of Crimson Tide athletics since 2019 for outlets like The Tuscaloosa News, The Crimson White and the Associated Press before joining BamaCentral full time in 2021. Windham has covered College Football Playoff games, the Women's College World Series, NCAA March Madness, SEC Tournaments and championships in multiple sports.