The much-anticipated wait is over, as we unveil the 2024 Softball Player of the Year Nominees. The next step is an internal process to whittle the list down to a finalist group of 5-7 players, with select others (those right on the bubble) being put up for a Last Finalist Fan Vote. There are 40 POY Nominees.

After that vote, the finalists are up for a BLITZ POY final vote by an internal panel made up of local media, where the players are voted on Heisman-style to determine the winner.

*All coaches were allotted up to 5 nominations from their team*

Katie Anderson – Tallulah Falls SR SS #12

STATS: .475 AVG (19 Hits), 3 HR, 11 RBI, 14 R, 12 SB, 3 2B, 1 3B, .500 OBP, All-Region

Izzy Anthros – Union County SO P/SS #5

STATS: .392 AVG (40 Hits), 11 RBI, 14 R, 9 2B, 1 2B; 3.33 ERA, 177 K

Taylor Burton – Lumpkin County JR P/1B #21

STATS: .402 AVG (37 Hits), 4 HR, 25 RBI, 5 2B, .509 OBP; 10 Wins, 4.24 ERA, 48 K, 74.1 IP

Ace Cochran – Dawson County SR CF #13

STATS: .400 AVG (42 Hits), 17 RBI, 33 R, 1 2B, 9 BB, 2 SB, .462 OBP, .872 OPS

Jaycie Cross – Towns County JR P #19

STATS: .307 AVG, 8 RBI, 16 R, .420 OBP; 3.25 ERA; .956 FLD

Emily Diffenderfer – Habersham Central SR 3B #0

STATS: .391 AVG, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 17 R, .453 OBP, .578 SLG

Sadie Dotson – Dawson County JR LF #29

STATS: .469 AVG (45 Hits), 4 HR, 18 RBI, 38 R, 13 2B, 2 3B, 15 SB, 16 BB, .547 OBP, 1.318 OPS

Riley Dyer – Lumpkin County FR P/1B #14

STATS: .350 AVG (35 Hits), 5 HR, 38 RBI, 9 2B, .411 OBP; 11 Wins, 3.19 ERA, 120 K

Sloane Dyer – Union County SR 1B #13

STATS: .333 AVG (34 Hits), 2 HR, 26 RBI, 22 R, 8 2B, 2 3B

Ava Estes – Lumpkin County JR OF #32

STATS: .404 AVG (38 Hits), 19 RBI, 33 R, 8 2B, .477 OBP

River Evans – Rabun County FR C/IF #17

STATS: .403 AVG (27 Hits), 4 HR, 31 RBI, 10 2B, 2 3B

Scotlyn Fain – Towns County JR SS #23

STATS: .433 AVG, 8 RBI, 19 R, 9 SB, .525 OBP, .903 FLD

Carley Funderburke – Stephens County SO IF/DP #18

STATS: .392 AVG (29 Hits), 14 HR, 40 RBI, 27 R, 4 2B, 1.014 SLG

Peyton Gaylor – Banks County SO P #7

STATS: 26-3, 1.42 ERA, 191 K, 177.2 IP, .749 WHIP, .161 BAA

Bryce Greenwood – Dawson County JR C #8

STATS: .454 AVG (49 Hits), 2 HR, 30 RBI, 7 2B, 12 BB, .512 OBP, 1.086 OPS; 10 CS, 2 PO

Brooklyn Harbin – Commerce SO 2B/SS #1

STATS: .352 AVG (31 Hits), 12 RBI, 25 R, 4 2B, 3 SB, 5 BB, .400 OBP, .398 SLG; 2nd Team All-Region

Emma Hare – White County SR SS #22

STATS: .422 AVG (35 Hits), 16 RBI, 29 R, 11 2B, 1 3B, 27 SB, 8 BB, 1 K, .484 OBP, .578 SLG, .975% FLD

Avery Heidt – Dawson County JR RF #17

STATS: .414 AVG (29 Hits), 2 HR, 26 RBI, 15 R, 12 2B, .474 OBP, 1.146 OPS, Missed 3 weeks to broken foot injury

Nyleigh Hutto – Stephens County JR IF #27

STATS: .484 AVG (46 Hits), 2 HR, 34 RBI, 30 R, 10 2B

Cadence Ivey – Lumpkin County JR C/3B #31

STATS: .440 AVG (48 Hits), 32 RBI, 22 R, 11 2B, .479 OBP

Drew Livingston – Towns County SR 1B #3

STATS: .322 AVG, 8 RBI, 11 R, .410 OBP, .981 FLD

Jacie McCall – Rabun County SR SS/CF #5

STATS: .486 AVG (34 Hits), 11 RBI, 8 2B, 3 3B

Kaylee McVay – Commerce SR 3B/1B #5

STATS: .325 AVG (26 Hits), 1 HR, 16 RBI, 7 R, 2 SB, 9 BB, .426 OBP, .438 SLG; All-Region HM

Jordane Mullanack – Union County SR CF #10

STATS: .389 AVG (42 Hits), 2 HR, 21 RBI, 28 R, 9 2B, 3 3B

Alaina Murphy – Towns County JR C #8

STATS: .469 AVG, 17 RBI, 10 R, .567 OBP, .976 FLD

Allison Murphy – Banks County SR 3B #2

STATS: .306 AVG (30 Hits), 4 HR, 26 RBI, 10 2B

Reese Murphy – Banks County SR CF #12

STATS: .345 AVG (39 Hits), 2 HR, 33 RBI, 7 2B, 8 K

Brooklyn Nunley – Commerce SO CF/P #6

STATS: .407 AVG (35 Hits), 26 RBI, 26 R, 4 2B, 8 BB, 9 SB, .448 OBP, .488 SLG; 1st Team All-Region

Kaylee Purvis – Commerce SR C/3B #4

STATS: .325 AVG (26 Hits), 12 RBI, 17 R, 7 2B, 1 SB, 9 BB, .432 OBP, .412 SLG; 2nd Team All-Region

Jenna Rapp – Jefferson SO SS #3

STATS: .489 AVG (55 Hits), 12 HR (School Record), 42 RBI, 21 2B, .974 SLG, 1.498 OPS, .975% FLD

Shelby Rinefierd – Habersham Central SR C #10

STATS: .472 AVG, 17 RBI, 13 R, 3 K, .951 FLD, .500 OBP, .611 SLG

Juliana Roberts – Tallulah Falls SO C #23

STATS: .316 AVG (12 Hits), 6 RBI, 5 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 4 SB, .381 OBP

Hallee Shirley – Stephens County SR IF #1

STATS: .455 AVG (50 Hits), 2 HR, 31 RBI, 48 R, 11 2B, 3 3B, 47 SB

Carson Stowe – Stephens County SR IF #20

STATS: .474 AVG (36 Hits), 3 HR, 28 RBI, 19 R, 14 2B, .776 SLG

Tylee Strickland – Banks County SO 2B #3

STATS: .315 AVG (29 Hits), 7 HR, 32 RBI, 5 2B, 10 K

Camden Thomason – Commerce JR SS/OF #11

STATS: .440 AVG (44 Hits), 1 HR, 17 RBI, 25 R, 6 2B, 3 3B, 7 SB, 5 BB, .462 OBP, .590 SLG; 1st Team All-Region

Desiree Trudel – Banks County SR SS #33

STATS: .451 AVG (46 Hits), 13 HR, 35 RBI, 10 2B, 32 BB, 1 K

Riley Walker – Stephens County SR P/OF #4

STATS: .466 AVG (41 Hits), 2 HR, 22 RBI, 20 R, 9 2B, 5 3B, 18 SB, .750 SLG; 12-5, 2.78 ERA

Cylee Whitfield – Banks County SR 1B #1

STATS: .340 AVG (36 Hits), 36 R, 8 2B, 14 SB, 8 K

Julianna York – Lumpkin County SR 1B #12

STATS: .367 AVG (36 Hits), 1 HR, 35 RBI, 24 R, 10 2B, .423 OBP