STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford softball’s Kayla Bonstrom was named to the 2016 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List, as announced by the organization Wednesday.
Bonstrom was a 2015 NFCA Second Team All-American and a NFCA First Team All-West Region selection at first base. She is a three-time All-Pac-12 selection and was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team in 2015.
Bonstrom registered one of the best individual seasons in Stanford history during 2015, finishing in the top-11 in program history in multiple single-season categories including batting average (5th, .439), home runs (T-5th, 13), RBI (T-7th, 54), doubles (11th, 16) and fielding percentage (T-2nd, .997).
Bonstrom recorded the highest single-season slugging percentage in Stanford history (.806) – becoming the first Cardinal player to ever break the .800 mark. She was named to the 2015 Pac-12 All-Defense Team, making just one error in 381 chances.
Bonstrom has played in 168 of a possible 169 games during her career, making 166 starts.
A 2015 Capital One Academic All-American and Capital One Academic All-District Team District 8 selection, Bonstrom excels in the classroom as well. She is a two-time Pac-12 All-Academic selection and a 2015 NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete.
Bonstrom was selected to the Center for International Security and Cooperation Interschool Honors Program in International Security Studies during her junior year to develop a thesis with the federal government related to national security. She will be presenting senior thesis at the West Point Counter Terrorism Conference in April 2016.
The preseason watch list includes 25 seniors, 15 juniors and 10 sophomores, with freshman ineligible for consideration. Athletes named to the watch list represent 35 NCAA Division I universities and 15 athletic conferences.
The Top 25 Finalists for the 2016 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be announced April 13. 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 announced May 11 and the top-3 announced May 25. The 2015 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed May 31.