University of Missouri–St. Louis junior pitcher Hannah Perryman is one of 50 student-athletes from across the country to be selected to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association watch list for the inaugural Schutt Sports/NFCA DII National Player of the Year award.
Behind the collaboration between the NFCA and the NCAA Division II Head Coaches Committee, and the generosity of Schutt Sports, the award was created to honor the outstanding athletic achievement among softball student-athletes throughout Division II.
Perryman, a two-time All-American and the two-time reigning Great Lakes Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year, led NCAA DII in total strikeouts (408) for the second straight year as a sophomore and strikeouts per seven innings (13.5). She finished the year 29-6 in the circle with a 1.19 ERA and also tossed 23 complete games, including 10 shutouts. Peryman’s ERA ranked ninth nationally in NCAA DII, while the 3.51 hits she allowed per game were fourth. Perryman tossed three no-hitters in 2014, including throwing a perfect game in NCAA Midwest Regional win over Ohio Dominican and tied an NCAA seven-inning single game record with 20 strikeouts in shutout win at Drury.
Perryman, a criminology and criminal justice major, entered the 2015 campaign as UMSL’s career strikeouts leader (760) and ranks second in career wins (53), second in career shutouts (20), third in career ERA (1.37) and fourth in career complete games (44).
This inaugural group consists of 29 seniors, 14 juniors and seven sophomores that represent 37 programs from 18 different conferences across the country. Nine programs garnered multiple candidates, including Caldwell, out of the East Coast Conference, boasting five selections. Defending national champion and Lone Star Conference representative West Texas A&M picked up three nominations, while seven more institutions had two apiece.
The GLVC paced the way with five of its schools and seven student-athletes. The Lone Star and Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) each had four programs with seven and five student-athletes, respectively. The Pacific West Conference and California Collegiate Athletic Association followed with three, while the ECC, Heartland Conference, Northeast-10 Conference and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference garnered two apiece.
Other GLVC players represented include MacKenzi Dorsam (Southern Indiana), Morgan Foley (Indianapolis), Ally Foster (Bellarmine), Andrea Klipsch (Truman State), Scarlett Powers (Bellarmine) and Casey Williamson (Indianapolis).
The Top 25 finalists for the 2015 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II National Player of the Year award will be announced on April 8. While an athlete does not have to be on watch list to be considered for the Top 25, the winner will come from the 25 finalists. The Top 10 finalists will be announced on April 30 and the Top 3 on May 13 or 14.
