Oklahoma State University Athletics
Busby, Elish and Maxwell Named to 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List
January 26, 2022 | Cowgirl Softball
STILLWATER – Hayley Busby, Miranda Elish and Kelly Maxwell of Oklahoma State are among 50 athletes named to the 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List, it was announced today.
The Cowgirl trio ties Oklahoma State with Alabama, Florida, Michigan and UCLA for the second-most student-athletes on the list.
Busby looks to build off a 2021 season in which she earned third-team All-America honors after setting a single-season OSU record with a .794 slugging percentage. Her 19 home runs last year were just one shy of tying the school record. Her power makes her a threat – add in that she also batted .376 a season ago – and it becomes clear why she is one of the nation's most dangerous hitters for 2022.
A 2020 first-team All-American and the SoftballAmerica 2020 Shortened Season National Player of the Year, Elish is a standout as both a pitcher and a hitter. Between her time at Oregon and Texas, she has posted a 66-15 career record with a 1.53 earned run average and 669 strikeouts in 550 innings of work. She enters into her final collegiate season boasting a .318 career average at the plate and a .402 career on-base percentage.
A 2021 first-team All-Big 12 and NFCA first-team all-region honoree, Maxwell can be overpowering. Her 8.80 strikeouts per seven innings is second on Oklahoma State's career list. She has thrown a solo perfect game and combined with Carrie Eberle on a second perfect game. On top of that, she's thrown an additional pair of no-hitters. In 2021, Maxwell put together a streak of 36.2 innings to start the season before giving up her first earned run.
The top 25 finalists for the 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be announced April 20.
The top 10 finalists will be revealed May 4 and top 3 released May 18. The 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be announced prior to the NCAA Women's College World Series.
The Cowgirls open the season February 10 when they take on Arizona State in the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona.
For season-long coverage of Oklahoma State Softball, visit okstate.com and follow @CowgirlSB on Twitter and @osusoftball on Instagram.
The Cowgirl trio ties Oklahoma State with Alabama, Florida, Michigan and UCLA for the second-most student-athletes on the list.
Busby looks to build off a 2021 season in which she earned third-team All-America honors after setting a single-season OSU record with a .794 slugging percentage. Her 19 home runs last year were just one shy of tying the school record. Her power makes her a threat – add in that she also batted .376 a season ago – and it becomes clear why she is one of the nation's most dangerous hitters for 2022.
A 2020 first-team All-American and the SoftballAmerica 2020 Shortened Season National Player of the Year, Elish is a standout as both a pitcher and a hitter. Between her time at Oregon and Texas, she has posted a 66-15 career record with a 1.53 earned run average and 669 strikeouts in 550 innings of work. She enters into her final collegiate season boasting a .318 career average at the plate and a .402 career on-base percentage.
A 2021 first-team All-Big 12 and NFCA first-team all-region honoree, Maxwell can be overpowering. Her 8.80 strikeouts per seven innings is second on Oklahoma State's career list. She has thrown a solo perfect game and combined with Carrie Eberle on a second perfect game. On top of that, she's thrown an additional pair of no-hitters. In 2021, Maxwell put together a streak of 36.2 innings to start the season before giving up her first earned run.
The top 25 finalists for the 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be announced April 20.
The top 10 finalists will be revealed May 4 and top 3 released May 18. The 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be announced prior to the NCAA Women's College World Series.
The Cowgirls open the season February 10 when they take on Arizona State in the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona.
For season-long coverage of Oklahoma State Softball, visit okstate.com and follow @CowgirlSB on Twitter and @osusoftball on Instagram.
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Cowgirl Softball
P
/ Cowgirl Softball
P
/ Cowgirl Softball
P
/ Cowgirl SoftballCowboy Basketball Media Availability | Oklahoma State Postgame vs. Baylor (01-13-2025)
Wednesday, January 14
Cowboy Wrestling Media Availability | Oklahoma State Postgame vs. Oklahoma (01-11-26)
Monday, January 12
Oklahoma State vs. Oklahoma | Condensed Dual Highlights (1-11-2026)
Monday, January 12
Jax Forrest PINS opponent in collegiate debut! #collegewrestling #wrestling #okstate
Monday, January 12
