Maxwell, Becker named to 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year

Kelly Maxwell and Rachel Becker of Oklahoma State are among 50 student-athletes named to the 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch list.

A top 10 finalist for the award in 2022, Maxwell is among just six student-athletes who have been named to the preseason edition of the watch list for the second-consecutive year.

The duo of Maxwell and Becker marks the second year in a row that Oklahoma State has had two or more student-athletes named to the top 50 watch list; Hayley Busby and Miranda Elish joined Maxwell on the top 50 watch list ahead of the 2022 season.

Maxwell looks to build off a 2022 season in which she earned first-team All-America recognition as the ace of the Oklahoma State pitching staff. The reigning Co-Big 12 Pitcher of the Year enters into her redshirt senior year with a 1.45 career ERA and a 10.28 career strikeouts per seven innings, which ranks first in OSU history.

The Friendswood, Texas-native tallied 313 strikeouts in 2022 and joined Cowgirl legends Lauren Bay Regula and Melanie Roche as the only Cowgirl pitchers to eclipse 300+ season strikeouts.

Becker enters into her first season with Oklahoma State and her fifth and final season of collegiate softball after a historic four-year career at Purdue. She earned All-America status in her final season as Boilermaker – becoming the second All-American in Purdue program history – after leading the Big Ten in batting average with a .429 clip.

The infielder from Lindenhurst, Illinois, ended the 2022 season with a .522 on-base percentage, .662 slugging percentage and 15 doubles.

The top 25 finalists for the 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be announced April 19.

The top 10 finalists will be revealed May 3 and the top 3 released May 17. The 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be announced prior to the NCAA Women’s College World Series.

The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award is recognized as the most distinguished individual honor in NCAA DI softball.