AUBURN, Ala. – For the fourth time in the last five years, Auburn will open its softball season with a Tiger represented on the USA Softball Player of the Year Watch List as junior pitcher Samantha Yarbrough was named to the 2021 Top 50 Watch List for the award, USA Softball announced Wednesday.
Transferring from South Alabama, Yarbrough appeared in 13 contests over the shortened 2020 season, seeing most of her time in the circle as a reliver. The right-hander earned a starting role over the final two weeks of the season. She tossed two complete-game efforts over her three starts.
She posted a 6-0 record in the circle with a save, allowing just eight runs over 48.2 innings. Dishing out over 16 consecutive innings of scoreless softball, Yarbrough recorded a 1.15 ERA to rank sixth among SEC pitchers.
The Fairhope, Ala., native allowed just 24 hits and held opponents to a .147 average at the plate.
She was honored as Southeastern Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week last season after holding No. 18 Minnesota to one hit in Auburn's 5-1 victory.
Earlier this month, she was ranked the No. 21 college junior by Softball America. She was also tabbed No. 68 in the publication's 2021 Preseason Top 100.
Yarbrough is one of 15 juniors represented on the list, joining five sophomores, 11 seniors, and 19 student-athletes that are competition in their fifth year following the NCAA's decision to grant 2020 spring athletes an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19.
Freshman can be considered for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award once they have competed at the collegiate level and are eligible for nomination later in the season.
Yarbrough is one of 11 SEC student-athletes represented on the initial watch list.
The Top 25 Finalists for the 2021 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be announced April 21. While an athlete does not have to be on the "Watch List" to be considered for the Top 25, the eventual USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will come from the Top 25 Finalists. The Top 10 Finalists will be announced May 5 and the Top 3 announced May 19. The 2021 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed June 1.
