Wilmes and Laird Named to 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List
1/26/2022 11:22:00 AM | Softball
COLUMBIA, Mo. – On Wednesday, USA Softball released the 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List. University of Missouri graduate student Brooke Wilmes and sophomore Jenna Laird represented the Tigers on the 2022 list.
A 2021 NFCA Third Team All-American, Wilmes returns after starting all 59 games in center field during 2021. She batted .373 on the year with 79 hits, 16 doubles, 13 home runs, 55 RBI, and 17 stolen bases. Her 79 hits were tied for fifth in program history for a single season, and her 16 doubles were tied for fourth. Additionally, she recorded a fielding percentage of .987 and had six outfield assists.
Currently, Wilmes sits among the top 10 in program history in hits, runs, doubles, and RBI. She is one of 14 Tigers to ever surpass 200 hits in a single career. Wilmes hit five home runs over six games in the NCAA Tournament.
Reigning SEC Freshman of the Year Jenna Laird was a standout in her debut season for the Tigers. She started all 59 games at shortstop while batting .369 with 69 hits, 13 doubles, two triples, eight home runs and 38 RBI. On the basepaths, she was a perfect 12-for-12 in stolen base attempts.
Laird was named SEC Freshman of the Week on four separate occasions. In SEC play, she batted .410 with five doubles, four home runs and 16 RBI while scoring 19 runs. Her .410 batting average was the third-highest in the SEC among all players.
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