LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY — North Georgia senior Courtney Poole has been named a Top Three Finalist for the the 2016 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II National Player of the Year award, announced the National Fastpitch Coaches Association on Thursday morning.
Poole, the award's inaugural winner in 2015, is joined by first-time finalist in Morgan Foley of Indianapolis and Lyndsay Butler of Wayne State University. The 2016 Schutt Sports NFCA Division II National Player of the Year will be revealed on Tuesday, May 17.
Poole, who helped North Georgia to a 2015 National Championship, has continued her dominance in 2016. Following her 53rd victory of the season last night, Poole became the NCAA's all-time single season wins leader breaking Courtney Blades' former all division record of 52 wins set in 2000 at Southern Miss. Poole is 53-2 with a 0.61 ERA, 24 shutouts and 435 strikeouts to just 47 walks in 364.2 innings of work. She has held her opponents to a .157 batting average and completed 45 of the 54 games started. Entering the week, the Watkinsville, Ga. is second in the NCAA in ERA and shutouts, along with ranking fourth in strikeouts. Poole's squad is one win away from advancing to their second straight Division II National Championships.
Behind the collaboration between the NFCA and the Division II Head Coaches Committee, and the generosity of Schutt Sports, the award was created in 2015 to honor the outstanding athletic achievement among softball student-athletes throughout Division II.
The fourth-ranked Nighthawks look to advance to their second straight NCAA Division II Softball Championship this afternoon, needing one win against No. 16 Armstrong State to punch their ticket to Denver.
