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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri Softball junior outfielder Alex Honnold was listed as one of the Top 25 Finalists for the 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, the organization announced Wednesday.
Honnold was one of 12 position players shortlisted for the prestigious award and one of eight student-athletes representing the Southeastern Conference.
The West Des Moines, Iowa, native, leads the Tigers in average (.427), on base percentage (.565), slugging percentage (.818), runs scored (41), home runs (nine) and walks (32) in 41 games played.
She also ranks among the SEC’s top 10 in most offensive categories, where she holds the conference’s fourth-best mark in batting average (30th in the NCAA), on base percentage (11th in the NCAA), and slugging percentage (11th in the NCAA).
Additionally, Honnold ranks sixth in the SEC in runs scored, eighth in hits, seventh in walks, tied for seventh in doubles, tied for fifth in triples, tied for sixth in triples and tied for sixth in stolen bases.
On the basepaths, Honnold has snagged 16 bags (0.39 stolen bases/game), which is sixth in the SEC.
Honnold has registered 15 multi-hit games in 2023 and is third on the Tigers with 34 RBI (seven multi-RBI games, fourth on the team). She is currently on a nine-game reached base streak.
In the field, Honnold has a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in her 66 chances, and she has recorded three outfield assists.
Earlier this season, Honnold was named the SEC Co-Player of the Week on Feb. 20, batting 9-for-14 with a pair of home runs and 10 RBI across a non-conference trip to Florida. In six games, Honnold slashed .643/.762/1.357 with six extra-base hits to lead the Tigers to a 6-0 record across the week, winning a midweek matchup at No. 20 UCF and the Panther Invitational.
USA Softball will narrow down the Top 25 Finalists to 10 athletes on May 3, and the Top 3 finalists will be released on May 17. The 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be announced prior to the Women’s College World Series, which will take place June 1-9.
Looking Ahead
Missouri faces Kansas Wednesday before stepping out of conference play for a three-game series against North Texas Friday through Sunday.
All three games will be broadcasted on SEC Network+ (6 p.m., 3 p.m., 12 p.m., CT). Saturday’s game is All for Alex while Sunday is Bark in the Park and Family Funday Sunday.
All 13 SEC teams will participate in the third annual “All for Alex” weekend to honor the legacy of Mississippi State’s Alex Wilcox. Wilcox was a member of the 2018 Mississippi State softball team who inspired the nation with her courageous fight against ovarian cancer. Mizzou will wear specialty teal jerseys to recognize her impact on the softball community nationwide and in the fight against ovarian cancer.
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For all the latest information on Mizzou Softball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@MizzouSoftball).
