Future Sooners Named Players of the Year

NORMAN -- Incoming Oklahoma softball freshmen Jayden Chestnut (Oklahoma) and Brittany Finney (Kansas) have each been named their state's respective Gatorade Player of the Year, it was announced Thursday.

The award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field. Chestnut and Finney are now finalists for the prestigious Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year award, which will be announced later in June.

Oklahoma was joined by LSU, Massachusetts and Wisconsin as the only programs to have two signees/commits named as their state's Player of the Year.

Chestnut went 24-3 during her senior season with a 0.92 earned run average and 242 strikeouts in 164 innings to help lead her team to a state championship. She threw three perfect games during the season and posted a .405 batting average with four homers and a .613 slugging percentage.

“I'm very proud of Jayden and her continued growth as a pitcher," Oklahoma head coach Patty Gasso said when the signing class was unveiled in November. "I'm especially proud of the way she finished her high school career as a state champion. Jayden will bring an added force to our mound and will turn some heads as a freshman."

Finney finished her career as the state's all-time leader in home runs with 38. In helping her school to a second straight state title, Finney hit an impressive .774 with 17 home runs and 54 runs driven in. She also posted 13 doubles, three triples, 35 runs scored and 25 walks. Finney also recorded a .846 on-base percentage and a 1.903 slugging mark.

In the circle, Finney was 14-1 with a 0.30 earned run average. In 70 innings of work, she struck out 112 and walked only eight while surrendering just 20 hits.

"Brittany is a very strong and dominant athlete," Gasso said in November. "Her size and strength is intimidating when she's on the mound. She had a very good summer of softball and continues to improve, preparing herself for her future as a Sooner. Brittany is also a threat at the plate and can be a difference maker."

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport.

The selection process is administered by the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School Sports, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Future Sooners Named Players of the Year

Related News

Related Videos

Sponsors