Clemson’s Valerie Cagle tabbed 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year

OKLAHOMA CITY – Reigning from Clemson University, Valerie Cagle makes her mark in history as the program’s first-ever USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award winner after receiving the prestigious honor at tonight’s 2023 NCAA Softball Women’s College World Series banquet in Oklahoma City. The award has recognized outstanding athletic achievement by Division I softball players across the country for the past 21 seasons, with Cagle representing the fifth two-way player recipient since the award’s inception in 2002. 

“I think it can be easy to watch someone’s success on the field from the outside and not understand the pieces that helped carry them forward,” said Cagle. “Nothing I accomplished this season would’ve been possible without my teammates or coaches and us having the success we had as a team. My teammates’ support allowed me a chance for me to be me — so, because of that, I would like to share this award with them.”

Cagle, a three-time ACC Pitcher of the Week and All-ACC first-team selection, etched her way on the national leaderboard in both pitching and hitting with a .469 batting average (No. 4), 19 home runs (No. 7) and 25 wins in the circle (No. 9). Making history during the 2023 season, Clemson’s dominating two-way player set a new single-season record for the Tigers with 19 home runs in addition to tossing the program’s first perfect game with a five-inning, eight-strikeout performance against Mercer on March 8. Cagle’s presence on the rubber remained consistent throughout her redshirt-junior season, tallying a 25-8 win-loss record and 1.56 ERA throughout 193 innings pitched. Earning her second ACC Player of the Year honor (2021, 2023), Cagle led the Tigers to the Norman Super Regional against No. 1 ranked Oklahoma where she finished with a .500 batting average and .625 slugging percentage against the Sooners.

“This year had many challenges, and a lot of them looked different than I expected or what I had experienced in the past,” said Cagle. “Despite these challenges, I was able to find the joy of playing again. I found a way to feel and embrace the level of competitiveness this game gives me.”

Along with Cagle, the Top 3 Finalists for the 2023 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year included Florida’s 2023 SEC Player of the Year, Skylar Wallace, and UCLA’s 2023 Pac-12 Player of the Year, Maya Brady. 

Previous recipients of the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award include Stacey Nuveman (UCLA – 2002), Cat Osterman (2003, 2005, 2006 – Texas), Jessica Van der Linden (Florida State – 2004), Monica Abbott (2007 – Tennessee), Angela Tincher (2008 – Virginia Tech), Danielle Lawrie (2009, 2010 – Washington), Ashley Hansen (Stanford – 2011), Keilani Ricketts (2012, 2013 – Oklahoma), Lacey Waldrop (2014 – Florida State), Lauren Haeger (2015 – Florida), Sierra Romero (2016 – Michigan), Kelly Barnhill (2017 – Florida), Rachel Garcia (2018, 2019 – UCLA) and Jocelyn Alo (2021, 2022 – Oklahoma). 

The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year is voted on by coaching representatives of 10 Division I Conferences in the 10 USA Softball Regions, members of the media who consistently cover Division I Softball across the country as well as past winners of the award.