Top 5 Softball Players From 2010

Who is the top softball player from the 2011 season?

The 2011 softball season came to a close a few weeks ago. The ladies finished an impressive season, finishing with a record of 33-21 (13-5), falling in the first round of the Big East tournament. The Bulls were a young team and many thought they would not play so well, but they proved everyone wrong and are loaded with young stars that will make them a competitor for years to come.

We will be bringing the top 5 players from the 2010-2011 season. This list reflects who we believe made the greatest impact on the field for the ladies. See if you agree with our countdown should have added someone else. [keep reading]

Starting with number 5, freshman Kourtney Salvarola.

Salvarola stepped onto the field in her freshman season and made a huge impact. The 5'5" freshman from Arnold, Maryland showed great poise both in the field at the plate.

She originally started at short stop to begin the season, but moved to third base at times, showing great range and a solid arm as well.

She was also a force at the plate. Salvarola batted .290 for the entire season. She had 6 home runs and drove in 43 RBI. She also was 6 of 7 in steal attempts on the season, making her a power threat and also a smart base runner.

It is not often a freshman makes an impact, but Salvarola did in her first year. The Bulls are excited to have such a talented star on the field, both as a defensive standout and at the plate with her great batting average and power as well.

Checking in at number 4 on the list is junior catcher Laura Fountain. Fountain, the 5'4" junior out of Copper City, Florida became the anchor for a solid pitching staff in the 2010-2011 season.

In 2010, Fountain didn't get many chances to play and was quiet at the plate. She finished the season hitting just .156 with 8 RBI, not the type of production that will get many players on the field. In 2009 she hit .258, so the potential was there.

This season, Eriksen put her back on the field and she responded big time for the Bulls. Fountain finished the regular season hitting .261 with 21 RBI, giving the Bulls more offensive firepower and helping the pitching staff behind the plate. Fountain did a terrific job with the incredible freshman pitcher Sara Nevins and junior Lindsey Richardson. Both became the strength of the USF team and Fountain was behind the plate to help guide them.

Coming in at number 3 is sophomore pitcher Lindsey Richardson. Richardson, the 5'10" pitcher out of Estero, Florida, was the number two punch behind Sara Nevins for the USF pitching staff.

In 2010, Richardson held a record of 12-8 and an ERA of 1.83 in 130 innings of work as she got to work right away in her freshman year. This season however, she did not have the same workload as Nevins took over on the circle. Richardson finished 2011 with a record of 10-6, an ERA of 2.85, and held opponents to a .250 batting average. HE pitched 103 innings (down from 130 last season), while walking 37 batters and striking out 105. Lindsey missed a few starts due to a concussion, but returned healthy for the end of the season.

Richardson was a key member to the pitching staff and gave the Bulls another incredible arm on the diamond when she pitched. Along with Nevins, the USF pitching staff will be a force for the next few seasons.

Coming in at number two is outfielder Gina Kafalas. The 5'6" junior from Tampa had an outstanding year leading off at the top of the batting order and in the field as well.

Kafalas hit .263 last season with 22 runs scored and 12 RBI. She was also 8 for 13 in steals, showing speed and base running ability.

This season, her bat woke up even more as she got every game started for the Bulls, usually getting on base and scoring the first run of each game. Gina hit .359 for the entire season, scoring 48 runs, and driving home 8 RBI. She was also 24 for 26 in steal attempts.

Gina is a great hitter and with her speed, she causes headaches for the opposing pitcher and gets the offense going in a hurry.

So how checks in at number one? It really shouldn't be a surprise here. The number one spot goes to freshman pitcher Sara Nevins. The 6' freshman out of Pinellas Park became the ace of the pitching staff and one of the best young players in the country.

Nevins finished the season with a record of 15-8 and an ERA of 1.71. For most of the season, her ERA was under one, showing her dominance on the field. She also set a program record with 8 saves, showing the one-two punch of Nevins and Richardson.

Nevins went the distance all season. She pitched a total of 155.1 innings, allowing 115 hits. She allowed only 55 runs to score, while walking 23 and striking out 193 (insane number). Opponents only hit .197 against her.

Nevins was the ace of the staff and did everything for the Bulls. She had several games in which she almost had a no hitter and continued to dominate everyone all year. The Bulls are extremely excited to have her on the and the next 3 years should be exciting.

So there you have it, the top 5 players from the 2011 season. Does someone else deserve to be on the list? Everyone had a great year and we appreciate everything the ladies and coaching staff did, but in our opinion, this is the top 5 list. Let us know what you think, if someone should be added or if the ranking is a bit off, let us know!