Arkansas softball star Danielle Gibson named a finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year

The Arkansas Razorbacks clinched the regular-season SEC softball championship earlier this week, and now more good news has trickled in.

Danielle Gibson, the star infielder for the Razorbacks, was named as one of 10 finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year on Wednesday.

Gibson has been outstanding all season and is likely to be the SEC Player of the Year. Gibson is slashing .451/.503/.861 on the season with 11 doubles, 16 home runs, 54 RBI, and 45 runs scored.

Nobody in Arkansas Razorbacks softball history has won the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award. What’s more: Only two players from the SEC have won since the award began being handed out in 2002. Those players are Monica Abbott of the Tennessee Volunteers in 2007 and Kelly Barnhill of the Florida Gators in 2017.

The other players up for the award are:

Jocelyn Alo - Oklahoma Sooners (2021 recipient of the POY award)
Jordy Bahl - Oklahoma Sooners
Georginia Corrick - South Florida Bulls
Baylee Klingler - Washington Huskies
Grace Lyons - Oklahoma Sooners
Kelly Maxwell - Oklahoma State Cowgirls
Sydney McKinney - Wichita State Shockers
Keely Rochard - Virginia Tech Hokies
Danielle Williams - Northwestern Wildcats