Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

Sweet Named Finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — University of Notre Dame senior outfielder Abby Sweet has been named a Top 25 Finalist for USA Softball’s Collegiate Player of the Year Award, which is considered the most prestigious honor in Division I women’s collegiate softball and recognizes the outstanding athletic achievement by Division I female players across the country.

Sweet is the third player in Irish history to be selected as a Top 25 Finalist for the award, joining Emilee Koerner (2013) and Karley Wester (2015 & 2016).  She is one of four ACC players to make the list for 2021. 

Sweet is one of the nation’s best at the plate, ranking among the top not only in the ACC, but across Division I softball. On the season, the senior and team captain owns a .470 batting average, and has led the ACC in that category since March 13. 

Entering this weekend, Sweet’s .477 avg. ranked 12th in the nation, while her 51 total hits were first in the ACC and tied for 14th in the nation. She was also the toughest player to strike out in the ACC, striking out just five times on 107 at-bats. Sweet was tied for the conference lead in doubles (13, T-10th nationally), and led the ACC in total bases (85, 39th nationally) and on-base percentage (0.545, 29th nationally).

She has proven to be a challenge to pitchers all season, evidenced both by her low strikeout-to-at-bat ratio, as well as her 12 HBP. She was hit by four pitches in the second game of the March 27 doubleheader vs. NC State, totaling six HBP on the day (two from the first game). The four HBP tied for the most in a single game taken by any Division I player in NCAA history, and are the single most this season. In that game, Sweet never posted an at-bat, as she was hit on all four plate appearances, as the game ended her 16-game hit streak.