Softball Signee Named National Player of the Year
6/6/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
June 6, 2006
KELLER, Texas - Baylor softball signee Kirsten Shortridge of Keller High School has been named the 2005-06 Gatorade National Player of the Year announced on Tuesday by Gatorade Thirst Quencher. Shortridge joins former University of Texas ace Cat Osterman as the only native Texans to win the award.
The award, which recognizes athletic achievement as well as the academic performance and overall character of its recipient, distinguishes Shortridge as the nation's best high school softball player. A national advisory board comprised of sportswriters and sport-specific experts from around the country selected Shortridge from the more than 364,000 softball players nationwide. She is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade Female High School Athlete of the Year Award, to be presented at an awards ceremony the afternoon prior to The ESPY Awards in July.
Shortridge went 32-3 in the circle with a 0.23 ERA and 438 strikeouts as a senior, recording 23 shutouts, eight no-hitters and three perfect games - two of which came in consecutive outings. She led Keller to an overall record of 34-3, its fourth consecutive district title and its second consecutive appearance in the Texas 5A state championship game.
The Baylor signee capped her prep career with unofficial totals of 112 wins and 1,544 strikeouts, the latter of which would place her atop the all-time list in Texas and No. 9 all-time according to the National High School Sports Record Book (National Federation of State High School Associations). She is a four-time conference MVP, three-time all-state and NFCA All-American, and was this year's Fort Worth Star-Telegram player of the year.
"Without question, Kirsten is deserving of recognition as the nation's best high school softball player based on her performance and the tremendous ability she's demonstrated," said Gatorade Senior Vice President of Sports Marketing Tom Fox. "She is also a shining example to peers and aspiring young players of what a leader and a student-athlete should be. She represents everything we hope for in a Gatorade Player of the Year recipient."
The Gatorade Player of the Year program recognizes one winner in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, and awards one National Player of the Year in five boys sports (football, soccer, basketball, baseball, track and field) and five girls sports (volleyball, soccer, basketball, softball, track and field). In addition to athletic performance, award criteria include the achievement in the classroom and overall character. Shortridge is the first Baylor signee in any sport to be awarded the Gatorade National Player of the Year award.
For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information and lists of past winners and future announcement dates, visit www.gatorade.com/playeroftheyear.
Shortridge is just one of several Baylor softball signees to receive prestigious honors for their performance over the past few weeks. Tiffany Wesley (Parkview Baptist High School, Baton Rouge, La.) was recently named the Girls' High School Athlete of the Year by The Advocate (Baton Rouge) while Courtney Oberg (A&M Consolidated, College Station, Texas) was recently tabbed an all-state selection.
