March 15, 2018
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Auburn senior pitcher Kaylee Carlson has been selected as a candidate for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award. She is one of 30 of the top NCAA softball student-athletes who excel both on and off the field to be selected.
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 believe that the Senior CLASS Award is the most prestigious award for a student-athlete as it encompasses the true meaning of being a student athlete," Auburn head coach Mickey Dean said. "What a great honor it is for Kaylee to be nominated."
Carlson, a native of Garden Grove, Calif., is a standout both on and off the diamond. She is 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.
The right-handed hurler has posted a 0.57 ERA this season, which ranks fifth in the SEC and 11th in the nation. She also is tied for fifth nationally with 12 wins on the season. Carlson sits among the top 10 of many Auburn career records, including fifth in wins (58), seventh in games started (71), fifth in shutouts (12) and first in combined shutouts (18). She also has posted the lowest-career ERA in school history at 1.51 (minimum of 400 IP).
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 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists later in the season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2018 Women's College World Series.
Carlson and the 14th-ranked Tigers will host No. 12 Alabama Friday through Sunday at Jane B. Moore Field.