LOUISVILLE, Ky.— Colorado Mesa University redshirt sophomore Ellie Smith has been named as a Top 15 finalist for the 2021 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II National Player and Pitcher of the Year awards, it was announced by the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) on Tuesday afternoon.

The winners will be announced following the season on June 3.

The award was created in 2015 to honor the outstanding athletic achievements among softball student-athletes throughout NCAA Division II. In 2019, the Association expanded the award to include a Player and Pitcher of the Year. To be eligible, student-athletes must be nominated by their member head coach. With the cancellation of last year's season due to COVID-19 and a higher percentage of eligible candidates, an additional five players have been added to the traditional top 10.

Smith, who was named as the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year last week, is the lone RMAC player and one of just two from the South Central Region (Shanna McBroom, West Texas A&M) to be named to the elite group, which represents 15 different programs and 11 conferences.  The group consists of seven graduate students or seniors, three juniors, three sophomores and two freshmen.

Smith, a utility player and pitcher for the Mavericks hails from Riverside, California.  She leads the country in three categories, totaling 76 RBIs, 21 doubles and 140 total bases.  She also leads the RMAC and ranks fifth in the country with 18 home runs while leading the conference with a slugging percentage of .979, the sixth best mark in Division II.

As a pitcher, Smith holds a 12-0 record and has the second best ERA in the RMAC at 2.28, trailing only teammate and RMAC Pitcher of the Year Paige Adair.

Smith, Adair and the rest of the Mavericks, who have the best record in the country in terms of winning percentage at .927 (38-3) begin the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday.  The Mavericks are the fourth seed in the South Central Regional and play against fifth-seeded and regional host Texas A&M-Commerce at Noon CDT (11 a.m. Mountain).