Georgia softball junior outfielder Cortni Emanuel has been named to the USA Softball Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List.
 
She was a top 25 finalist for the award last season. It’s the second early honor for Emanuel, as the outfielder earned a spot on the Preseason All-SEC Team announced last week. In 2016, Emanuel was named a top 25 finalist for USA Softball Player of the Year while the year before she was a top 10 finalist for the organization’s Freshman of the Year honor.
 
 
A NFCA Second-Team All-Region selection last year, Emanuel posted the second-best average on the team at .404, placing her in the top 10 of the league and top 75 nationally in the stat. The lefty speedster notched a team-high 82 hits with 56 runs while tallying 33 stolen bases, giving her 78 in her career, which is already in the top five in Georgia’s all-time records. An All-SEC Second-Team honoree in 2016, Emanuel solidified another spot in the record books after setting the school record with a 23-game hit streak.
 
 
The Watch List consists of 26 seniors, 18 juniors and six sophomores while freshmen are ineligible until they compete at the collegiate level. The student-athletes represented come from 37 universities and 13 athletic conferences, as the SEC has 12 on the list.
 
 
The Top 25 Finalists for the 2017 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be announced April 12. 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 10 and the Top 3 announced May 24. The 2017 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed May 30.
 
 
To view the full list, visit a href=”http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/College-Corner/2017-College-Corner/Player-of-the-Year/Top-50-Watch-List” target=”_blank”>USASoftball.org.
 
 
The 2017 season begins on February 10 when No. 10 Georgia hosts the 10th Annual Red and Black Showcase. Winthrop, Syracuse and East Carolina make up the weekend tournament, as the Bulldogs open with Winthrop on that Friday at 3 p.m. ET at Jack Turner Stadium followed by a game with Syracuse at approximately 5:30 p.m. ET.