Hannah Campbell Named to USA Softball Player of the Year Watch List; Jaguars 22nd in ESPN.com Poll

MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama pitcher Hannah Campbell has been named to the Top 50 watch list for the 2014 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, and the Jaguars picked up a second preseason national ranking.

The watch list was announced by the Amateur Softball Association of America and USA Softball, the national governing body for the sport in the United States. The award, presented for the 13th year, recognizes outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players.

This year’s watch list includes 24 seniors, 20 juniors and six sophomores. Freshmen are not eligible.

Campbell’s 2013 Season

Campbell, a Satsuma, Ala., native, went 22-9 last season with a 1.08 earned run average, the second-best mark in the nation. She was named a second-team All-American by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, the first All-American in South Alabama softball history.

She was the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player for the second straight year as the Jaguars won back-to-back tournament titles. Her six saves and 10 shutouts each set South Alabama single-season records.

Campbell threw three no-hitters, including a perfect game against Mississippi Valley State in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Mobile Regional, which South Alabama hosted.

Ranked 22nd in ESPN.com Poll

South Alabama is ranked 22nd in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 preseason poll, announced by the ASA and USA Softball. Last week, the Jaguars were ranked 20th in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I preseason Top 25.

Both preseason rankings are firsts for the program.

The ranked opponents on South Alabama’s schedule from last week’s USA Today/NFCA poll, including UAB, Georgia, Baylor, Louisiana-Lafayette and LSU, also appear in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. Virginia Tech and Western Kentucky, also on the Jaguars’ schedule, received votes.