We’ve reached the halfway mark in the 2019 season, and there’s been no shortage of headlines and happenings, with plenty of surprises; disappointments; and performances that won’t soon be forgotten. Conference play has begun in nearly every conference coast-to-coast, with leagues like the SEC and PAC-12 already deep into the throes of league play.
With half of a season’s worth of games under our belts, it’s time to present our annual Mid-Season Awards. If the season ended today, based on what we’ve seen so far, who would take home the nation’s top trophies? Our staff came together and made our picks; do you agree?
Mid-Season Player of the Year: Amanda Sanchez, LSU
>>> An offseason pickup from Missouri, Sanchez’s transfer early in the summer was overshadowed by the aftereffects of the NCAA’s new transfer portal; nevertheless, she has been the shining star of the year’s mega-crop of transferring stars. Sanchez leads LSU in four offensive categories and ranks second on the team in another five. Her fourteen doubles on the year lead the SEC and rank in the top five nationally, while her .482 batting average is also a top-10 mark. Sanchez has come in clutch for the Tigers and, even with offensive output from a number of players throughout the lineup, it isn’t a stretch to say Sanchez has been one of the major catalysts to the Tigers’ success this season.
Also Considered: Courtney Cashman, UMass-Lowell; Mia Davidson, Mississippi State; Alyssa DiCarlo, Georgia; Rachel Garcia, UCLA; Jessie Harper, Arizona; Kayla Konwent, Wisconsin; Julie Rawls, Louisiana-Lafayette; Sydney Sherrill, Florida State
Mid-Season Pitcher of the Year: Rachel Garcia, UCLA
>>> Oh, Rachel Garcia. There’s not much to say that hasn’t been said, stipulated to, and echoed by softball pundits and insiders alike, coast to coast. One of the finest dual-threat players in recent memory, and in UCLA history, Garcia’s pitching has been electric thus far this season. She boasts a microscopic 0.50 ERA on the season, to go along with a perfect 13-0 record in the circle. She has thrown a complete game in eight of her nine starts this year, and in just over eighty-three innings pitched, has allowed just six earned runs. Her strikeout/walk ratio is nearly 12/1; she has allowed just eleven extra base hits; and opponents are hitting just .137 against her.
Also Considered: Taran Alvelo, Washington; Kelly Barnhill, Florida; Christina Biggerstaff, USC-Upstate; Miranda Elish, Texas; Summer Ellyson, Louisiana-Lafayette; Amber Fiser, Minnesota; Montana Fouts, Alabama; Molly Jacobsen, Ole Miss; Meghan King, Florida State; Shealyn O’Leary, Texas; Riley Randolph, Florida Gulf Coast; Tara Trainer, Indiana; Brooke Yanez, UC-Davis
Mid-Season Coach of the Year: Patrick Murphy, Alabama
>>> Murphy’s Crimson Tide boasted the nation’s longest winning streak to start the year, going on a 33-0 run to open the season. The streak came to an end in a surprising loss to Texas A&M on Sunday, but the impressiveness of the Tide’s perfect start shouldn’t be marred by the surprising loss to the Aggies. The streak included ten run-rule victories, including in the first two games against Texas A&M, and held opponents to three or fewer runs in all but six games. Alabama entered the season with expectations of success, but have already surpassed most predictions, spending most of the early part of the year as a top-5 team in the national rankings.
Also Considered: Lonni Alameda, Florida State; Jessica Allister, Stanford; Larissa Anderson, Missouri; Pete D’Amour, Virginia Tech; Nicole Dickson, Stephen F. Austin; Jen Fisher, Colorado State; Kristie Fox, UNLV; Adrian Gregory, Texas Tech; Kelly Inouye-Perez, UCLA; Maggie Livreri, Boise State; Shonda Stanton, Indiana; Beth Torina, LSU; Mike White, Texas
Mid-Season Freshman of the Year: Montana Fouts, Alabama
>>> A huge reason for Alabama’s success this season is Fouts’ emergence in the circle as a true freshman. The three-time Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Kentucky, Fouts has quickly established herself as the shining star of the Tide’s pitching staff, as well as one of the top arms in the SEC. Her 1.05 ERA ranks tenth in the nation, and second in the SEC, and holds a near 7/1 strikeout/walk ratio on the year. She has limited opponents to just nine extra base hits, including just two home runs, and boasts an opponent’s batting average of .162.
Also Considered: Natalie DenHartog, Minnesota; Megan Faraimo, UCLA; Zoe Jones, Texas Tech; Shealyn O’Leary, Texas; Andrea Scali, Kent State; Savana Sikes, Georgia; Kassidy Wilbur, Stephen F. Austin; Danielle Williams, Northwestern
