IRVING, Texas – Three players from the American Athletic Conference put an exclamation point on the 2022 softball season by securing National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America honors on Wednesday afternoon. South Florida pitcher Georgina Corrick was named to the NFCA All-America First Team and Wichita State outfielder Addison Barnard and shortstop Sydney McKinney each claimed NFCA All-America Second Team accolades on the eve of Thursday’s opening day of the 2022 Women’s College World Series. The three All-America softball performers in a single season were the most for The American in conference history.
One of three national finalists for the 2022 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, Corrick captured All-America honors for the third straight season to go along with a third-team selection in 2021 and a second-team nod from the NFCA in 2019. The first South Florida player to land on the top All-America team since 1992 and just the second American player ever on the NFCA’s first team (UCF’s Shelby Turnier, 2015), Corrick was the third Bulls pitcher to earn NFCA All-America accolades in the league since the conference’s debut season in 2014 (Sara Nevins, 2014 third team; Erica Nunn, 2016 second team). Barnard was recognized as a first-time All-America selection and McKinney claimed an All-America scroll for the second straight campaign (2021 third team, first All-American in Wichita State program history).
Corrick and McKinney were the fifth and sixth all-time selections (second and third among the Top 10 Finalists) from The American as USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year finalists earlier in 2022. Corrick was previously one of 26 finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award in 2019, with Corrick and McKinney joining Lindsay Crowdus from Memphis (top 25 in 2017), Turnier from UCF (top 10 in 2015) and Nevins from South Florida (top 25 in 2014) as national player of the year finalists representing the conference.
Corrick continued to re-write The American record book in her senior campaign, becoming the first student-athlete in conference history with four straight major yearly awards (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022) and was the unanimous American Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive campaign. Corrick captured a record nine American Pitcher of the Week citations during the 2022 regular season to finish her career with an impressive 25 conference pitcher of the week and five national pitcher of the week honors.
Over 47 appearances (40 starts) in the circle in 2022 Corrick posted a 37-5 record and 0.51 ERA with two saves, three total no-hitters and two perfect games. Corrick spun 34 complete games, 21 solo shutouts and five combined shutouts across all starts, striking out 418 batters while allowing just 34 walks over 274.1 innings pitched (.121 batting average against). Corrick was the national leader in victories, shutouts and strikeouts as of the latest NCAA DI statistics report on May 29 and set American conference records for pitching wins (113 career, 37 season), strikeouts (1,302 career, 418 season), shutouts (55 career, 21 season) and career no-hitters (eight solo, one combined).
Barnard enjoyed a monster sophomore showing as a starter in the Wichita State outfield, bashing a conference record 33 home runs and 84 RBI with an incredible 1.018 slugging percentage in 52 starts. Barnard is believed to be the first DI softball player in NCAA history to finish a season with at least 30 home runs and at least 25 stolen bases after chipping in 25 steals during the year. Barnard was named the 2022 American Player of the Year and captured national player of the week from the NFCA on three separate occasions. Barnard was the NCAA DI leader in both home runs and RBI as of May 29.
McKinney led the country with a .522 batting average, 97 hits and 1.35 runs per game as of May 29, all of which were conference records, to go along with additional league watermarks in runs scored (69) and on-base percentage (.566) in a single season over 51 starts. McKinney hit 13 home runs, ripped 12 doubles, legged out five triples and registered 38 RBI in 2022, adding 12 successful stolen bases in 15 attempts. The everyday shortstop for Wichita State, McKinney logged a .942 fielding percentage over 172 chances and helped turn nine double plays for the Shockers.
2022 American Athletic Conference Softball All-Americans
NFCA All-America First Team
Georgina Corrick, Sr., RHP, South Florida
NFCA All-America Second Team
Addison Barnard, So., OF, Wichita State
Sydney McKinney, Jr., IF, Wichita State