Postseason Awards Preview: Atlantic 10 Player of the Year

The contenders:

Jocelyn Dearborn

Jocelyn Dearborn: she is just a stud with one of the most powerful bats in the entire conference, as well as having a cannon of an arm at 3rd base, Dearborn is just a force to be reckoned with. She is a strong athlete who really leaves it all out on the field. She does not get cheated out of her at-bats and she goes up to the plate ready to crush the ball. Dearborn hits for both power and average while also being a threat to steal bases as well, she is just all in all a well rounded softball player. She has also improved on her number each year at Fordham and you can tell that she has put in the work on and off the field to make herself a better player. Dearborn will likely go down as the best player in Fordham history and she has been a big part of why Fordham has risen to national prominence.

Lauren Nacke

Lauren Nacke: after opening her career with two good campaigns, she has elevated her game to a whole new level. She has always been known for her power, but this year she has really put it all together, hitting for both power and average. Nacke has set Dayton records in single season and career HR, as well as RBI. She has been hitting around .400 this year and over 40% of her hits have gone for extra bases. In conference play, Nacke's number have been staggering, as she has launched 10 HR in 19 games. Those numbers are unreal and if the A10 has a good website, we could find out if that is a record for conference play. Either way these numbers are out of this world. In addition to the 10 HR and 28 RBI that she has put up, she has hit at a .481 clip. When Dayton needed her bat the most she delivered and she is a big reason why the Flyers have returned to the A10 tournament for the 1st time since 2000. Whether Nacke wins the Player of the Year award or not, teams are going to pitch to Nacke very carefully down in Charlotte.

Tenaya Tucker

Tenaya Tucker: she started fast in February and she hasn't cooled down since then. Tucker has been steady all season long for Coach DeVos and when games have been on the line she has come through for Charlotte. Tucker hits for average and power and she has tied the Charlotte single season HR total. Tucker is also very productive as she rarely strikes out. Another impressive aspect of Tucker's game is her defense, as she has thrown out 30 of 49 runners who have tried to steal against her, which is a downright impressive percentage. She is also calls the pitches for the 49ers and I think she is a big reason why Katy Hackett has had such a successful senior season. Tucker has hit over .400 in conference play and she has led this squad to one of its best offensive seasons. Much like some of the other players listed here, when games have been on the line teams are choosing to pitch around Tucker. Tucker has had an outstanding senior year and it will be interesting to see what she can do in the A10 tournament.

Monica Aguilar

Monica Aguilar: when the Hawks get their lefty speedsters on base Aguilar has been there to drive them in. Aguilar just gets the job done and she has the 38 RBI to show for it. That is an average of right around one per game and she has driven in about a quarter of St. Joseph's runs this season. Aguilar has a powerful bat, as she leads the Hawks in HR, but an underrated part of her game is her speed. Aguilar has shown the ability to take a base when she needs and she is the perfect player for the way St. Joseph's plays softball. The Hawks play station by station softball and when they execute Monica Aguilar is at the plate with runners in scoring position. Aguilar rarely strikes out and she has a very good eye at the plate and whatever the situation seems to be, she gets the job done. The Hawks are going to be looking to her clutch, powerful, bat in important situations at the A10 tournament and it will be interesting to see if she can deliver.