April 5, 2018
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Auburn softball senior pitcher Kaylee Carlson has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
"I'm honored to even be considered for an award like this," Carlson said. "There are a lot of great student-athletes out there, so I'm just happy to be recognized as one of them."
Carlson, a native of Garden Grove, Calif., is a standout both on and off the diamond. She is a Biomedical Sciences major with a minor in Spanish and was named a Top Academic Tiger in 2016, as well as to the SEC Honor Roll.
On the field, Carlson is having a season to remember. The right-hander has tossed her way to a 16-1 record and has tied the school record for career wins with 62. She has posted a 0.63 ERA, the lowest in single-season history (minimum 50.0 innings pitched).
Carlson has amassed a career ERA at Auburn of 1.45, by far the lowest in program history and currently fifth-lowest among active NCAA pitchers.
This is the second-straight season that Auburn has had a finalist for the CLASS Award with All-American Kasey Cooper earning the honor last season.
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
The finalists were chosen by national media from the list of 30 candidates announced earlier this month. Nationwide fan voting begins immediately to help select the winner, and fans are encouraged to submit votes online at the Senior CLASS Award website through May 14. Fan votes will be combined with those of the media and Division I head coaches to determine the winners. The Senior CLASS Award recipient for softball will be announced during the 2018 NCAA Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City, May 31 through June 6.
2018 Senior Class Award Finalists
Kaylee Carlson, Auburn
Ivie Drake, Georgia State
Meghan Gregg, Tennessee
Kylee Hanson, Florida State
Kayli Kvistad, Florida
Paige Parker, Oklahoma
Kylee Perez, UCLA
Randi Rupp, Texas State
Vanessa Shippy, Oklahoma State
Allie Walljasper, LSU