KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee’s Meghan Gregg is one step closer to being named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year after earning a spot among the top-three finalist for the prestigious award on Wednesday afternoon.

The award is widely considered the most prestigious honor in Division I college softball. Gregg joins Florida sophomore pitcher Kelly Barnhill and James Madison junior pitcher Megan Good as the top-three finalists for the award. The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be announced on May 30 before the start of the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

Gregg is just the fourth player in the history of the program to be named a top-three finalist for the award, joining Monica Abbott (2006 & 2007), Tonya Callahan (2008) and Raven Chavanne (2013). If Gregg were to win the award, she would join Abbott as the only players in Tennessee softball history to win USA Softball National Player of the Year honors. Abbott accomplished the feat as a senior in 2007.

The Williamson, Ga., native has had a career year for the Volunteers, leading the team and setting career highs in batting average (.440), hits (70), doubles (18), home runs (14), RBIs (77), slugging percentage (.830) and on-base percentage (.555). Gregg tied the Tennessee single-season RBI record of 77 during last week’s NCAA Regionals, driving in six runs in three UT victories.

Earlier this season, Gregg became the fifth player in program to win SEC Player of the Year honors. The junior shortstop was also named to the NFCA All-Southeast Region first team last week and ranks among the top-15 players nationally in a handful of offensive categories. Most notably, Gregg ranks second in the country with a career-high 77 RBIs, eighth in on-base percentage, 10th in batting average, 12th in doubles, 15th in slugging percentage and 13th in total bases.

The USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award is voted on by coaching representatives of 10 Division I Conferences in the 10 USA Softball Regions, members of the media who consistently cover Division I Softball across the country as well as past winners of the award.

Learn more about all three finalists on USA Softball’s website by clicking HERE.

-UT Athletics