Ellis Named Top Three Finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of The Year
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas senior first baseman Bri Ellis has been selected as a Top Three Finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, the organization announced Monday.
Currently in its 23rd season, the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award recognizes outstanding athletic achievement by Division I female collegiate softball players nationwide.
Ellis is the first player in program history to be named a top-three finalist for the award. Previously, she was the second Arkansas player to be named a Top 10 Finalist for the award, joining Danielle Gibson, who accomplished the feat in 2022.
She is joined by Nebraska pitcher/utility player Jordy Bahl and Texas Tech pitcher Nijaree Canady as finalists for the coveted award.
The Houston, Texas, product is putting together one of the greatest individual seasons in NCAA history. Ellis is batting .457 with 26 home runs, 72 RBI, 145 total bases, 64 walks and 64 runs scored while posting a 1.142 slugging percentage, a .646 on-base percentage and a 1.788 OPS. Her 26 homers and 72 RBI are both single-season program records and she is on pace to set single-season program records in batting average and on-base percentage. Ellis finished the regular season ranked second nationally in home runs per game (0.51) and walks per game (1.42), becoming the first player to finish the regular season in the top two nationally in both categories since Jen Yee of Georgia Tech in 2010. Through 55 games, Ellis has homered once every 4.88 at-bats while walking once every 3.21 plate appearances.
Ellis was previously named SEC Player of the Year after batting .397 with a league-leading 11 home runs and 29 RBI while drawing 27 walks and posting a .983 slugging percentage, .606 on-base percentage, and 1.589 OPS during SEC Play. She finished the conference slate on a 20-game reached base streak. Defensively, the first baseman posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 124 putouts and seven assists on her way to earning SEC All-Defensive honors for the second consecutive year.
The announcement of the 2025 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be on Tuesday, May 27, prior to the NCAA Women’s College World Series, which is scheduled to take place May 29 – June 6 at the Softball Capital of the World® in Oklahoma City, Okla.
2025 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top Three Finalists
Jordy Bahl, Nebraska, RHP/UTL, Jr.
Nijaree Canady, Texas Tech, P, Jr.
Bri Ellis, Arkansas, 1B, Sr.
Up Next
Arkansas (43-12) will host a Super Regional next weekend (May 23-25) at Bogle Park against Ole Miss. The Hogs will face the Rebels at 7 p.m. on Friday and 8 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday’s if necessary game time has not been set.
For schedule updates and other news, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on X, Instagram and Facebook.
