
23 under 23 for 2023: Young stars shine bright in women’s sports
From Sophia Smith to Suni Lee to Aliyah Boston, keep your eye on these athletes.
Athletes Unlimited held its 2022 softball draft Wednesday during the espnW Summit in New York, with 13 athletes invited to compete in the third season of the league.
Among them is Oklahoma slugger Jocelyn Alo, who earlier this year became the leader in career home runs across softball or baseball in NCAA Division I history. One of the most dominant hitters in the NCAA, Alo previously had broken the NCAA softball record for career home runs.
She also ranks first in career batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Her 40-game hitting streak from 2020-21 sits as the second-longest streak in NCAA history.
Florida State’s Sydney Sherrill was also among the draftees. Last season, she helped lead the Seminoles to the Women’s College World Series, earning a spot on the WCWS All-Tournament team.
Rachel Lewis out of Northwestern, the Wildcats’ all-time home run leader, also was drafted. She currently is the only active baseball or softball player with more than 60 career home runs and 90 career stolen bases.
In total, five pitchers were chosen in the draft, as well as two catchers, three middle infielders, two corner infielders and one outfielder. The SEC, ACC and Big 12 led the conferences with three athletes apiece while the Pac 12, Midwest, Big 10 and ACC conferences each had one player drafted.
From Sophia Smith to Suni Lee to Aliyah Boston, keep your eye on these athletes.
Finch personally recognized each of the four empowerment award recipients.
Gasso is the highest-paid NCAA softball coach.
The catcher won in her second season in the league.
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