Old Tappan’s Rodriguez named Gatorade NJ Player of the Year by Chris Iseman of The Record
NV/Old Tappan’s Julie Rodriguez earned another national honor Monday when she was named the Gatorade New Jersey Softball Player of the Year.
The Golden Knights’ senior was a dominant force both in the circle and at the plate, helping to lead NV/Old Tappan to the North 1, Group 3 championship, the program’s first sectional title since 1981.
The UCLA-bound Rodriguez finished the season 21-6 with a 1.15 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 177 1/3 innings.
She batted an incredible .644 with seven home runs and 22 RBI in 28 games. Rodriguez posted 13 doubles and seven triples. She walked 32 times and 28 of them were intentional.
Rodriguez struck out just three times in her four seasons with the Knights.
The Gatorade Player of the Year award recognizes outstanding athletic excellence as well as high academic achievement and exemplary character on and off the field.
Rodriguez is now a finalist for Gatorade’s National Softball Player of the Year award.
As a state award winner, Rodriguez received a $1,000 grant to be donated to a national or local youth sports organization.
This is the second national honor Rodriguez earned in the last week.
On Friday, Rodriguez was selected as a member of the Louisville Slugger Hit Club and will play in the Premier Girls Fast Pitch High School All-American Game, which will be held July 28 in Irvine, Calif.
The game will showcase 30 to 40 of the best high school softball players in the nation.