Rachel Garcia Kelli GodinRachel Garcia Kelli Godin
Don Liebig, UCLA Photography

UCLA's two finalists are tied for the second most.

Garcia, Godin Named Finalists for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award

Softball

Garcia won the award last year, while Godin is one of only three freshmen finalists for the honor.

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OKLAHOMA CITY - Redshirt junior Rachel Garcia and freshman Kelli Godin are two of 26 finalists for the 2019 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, as announced by USA Softball on Wednesday.

Garcia won the award last year, while Godin is one of only three freshmen finalists for the honor. The finalists also include 10 seniors, nine juniors and four sophomores. UCLA's two finalists are tied for the second most.

The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, which is considered the most prestigious honor in Division I women's collegiate softball, recognizes the outstanding athletic achievement by Division I female players across the country. Previous recipients of the award include UCLA alum Stacey Nuveman (2002) and Garcia.

The list of 26 finalists will be narrowed to the Top 10 on May 8 before the Top 3 finalists are named on May 22. The 2019 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be revealed on May 28 at the Women's College World Series.

Garcia leads the Bruins in the circle with an 18-0 record, a 0.68 earned run average and 177 strikeouts in 113 1/3 innings. In 13 starts, she has gone the distance 11 times, tossing five solo shutouts, while also coming in to pick up two saves. At the plate, Garcia is batting .351 with seven home runs, 37 runs batted in and seven doubles, leading the squad with 25 walks.

Godin is tops on the team with a .471 batting average, a .521 on base percentage, 22 stolen bases and six sacrifice hits. She is also third with 36 runs scored, adding 12 runs batted in, eight walks and three doubles.

The second-ranked Bruins open up a three-game series against Utah on Friday at Easton Stadium at 7 p.m.