WICHITA, Kan. - Junior shortstop Sydney McKinney has been named to the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List, it was announced Wednesday morning.

McKinney is one of 50 collegiate softball players from across the country on the preseason list. Entering its 20th season, the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award recognizes outstanding athletic achievement by Division I female collegiate softball players. 

The Norborne, Mo., native is coming off a record-breaking sophomore campaign for Wichita State. McKinney ranked third nationally with 87 hits and was also top 25 in batting average (.439) and toughest to strike out. In 198 at bats, McKinney struck out just four times all season. Her 87 hits and .439 average both shattered the Wichita State single season record. McKinney also added seven home runs, 10 doubles, two triples, 14 stolen bases, 31 RBI and 56 runs scored.

McKinney's stellar season earned NFCA Third Team All-American honors, making her the first All-American in program history. The American Athletic Conference tabbed her Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference.

The Top 25 Finalists for the 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be announced April 20. While an athlete does not have to be on the "Watch List" to be considered for the Top 25, the eventual USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will come from the Top 25 Finalists. The Top 10 Finalists will be revealed May 4 with the Top 3 being released May 18. The 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be announced prior to the NCAA Women's College World Series.

About USA Softball​​​
USA Softball (USAS) is a 501(c)(3) not-for profit organization headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla., and is designated as the National Governing Body (NGB) of Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. One of the nation's largest sports organizations, USAS sanctions competition through a network of Local Associations, which includes all 50 states and select metro associations.  USAS is dedicated to providing people of all ages the opportunity to play the game they love at a variety of levels by offering recreational, league, tournament and competitive play for fast pitch, slow pitch and modified pitch.  USAS annually conducts thousands of tournaments throughout the country including over 100 National Championships.  The USAS umpire program is among the nation's largest and are widely known as the best trained umpires in the game. 

As the NGB for the sport of softball, USAS is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in events such as the Olympics, Pan American Games, World Championships and other international and domestic events. For more information on USAS, including its founding and history as the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA), please visit, www.USASoftball.com.