Four Lady Vols Named D1Softball Top 100 Players for 2023

Tennessee softball's Kiki Milloy, Ashley Rogers, McKenna Gibson and Zaida Puni have been tabbed to D1Softball's Top 100 players of 2023 after the four put together excellent seasons to help lead the Lady Vols to a pair of SEC titles and a return to the Women's College World Series.

All four players landed inside the top 40, led by Milloy at No. 2, Rogers at No. 12, Gibson at No. 29 and Puni rounding out the group at No. 34.

Milloy cemented her name among college softball's elite as she led all Division I players with 25 home runs – a single-season school record – and averaged 1.41 runs per game to lead the nation in two categories. The Woodinville, Washington, native led Tennessee in batting average (.406), OPS (1.483), runs (86), hits (69), home runs (25), total bases (158), slugging percentage (.929), walks (51), on-base percentage (.554) and stolen bases (40).

The center fielder earned NFCA First Team All-America honors for the first time in her career in 2023. Milloy will return to Rocky Top in 2024 to use her final year of eligibility.

A right-hander from Athens, Tennessee, Rogers returned to Rocky Top this past season to use her extra year of eligibility. She went 20-1 in the circle for the Lady Vols – reaching the 20-win mark for the third time in her career. She finished the 2023 campaign with a 0.92 ERA – joining Monica Abbott and Buffy Walker as the only players in program history to finish a season with a sub-1 earned run average.

For the year, Rogers tossed 13 complete games, recorded six shutouts and picked up one save.

Rogers fanned 179 batters in 144 innings of work and held opposing hitters to a .134 against average. She ranked first in the nation in hits per seven innings, allowing just 3.21. Her ERA ranked tied for third nationally. She was named an NFCA First Team All-American in 2023.

Gibson had a breakout sophomore campaign, hitting .362 with an OPS of 1.232. The Santa Clarita, California, native finished second on the squad with 59 hits and 15 home runs, while tying for the team lead in RBIs at 60.

The first baseman recorded 14 multi-RBI games this season – the third-most on the team – and ended the year riding a 23-game reached base streak. She earned NFCA Second Team All-America honors this past season.

Third baseman Zaida Puni is the fourth Lady Vol on the top 100. She finished the 2023 season with a .363 average, 1.187 OPS with 32 runs, 14 doubles, 14 home runs and tied for the team lead in RBIs at 60. Along with Milloy, she was named to the 2023 Women's College World Series All-Tournament Team.

The Carson, California, native tore through the NCAA Tournament, hitting .393 with a team-leading three doubles, six home runs and 15 RBIs. Puni was named to the 2023 All-SEC First Team.

University of Tennessee Athletics

Four Lady Vols Named D1Softball Top 100 Players for 2023

Players Mentioned

McKenna Gibson

Kiki Milloy

Zaida Puni

Ashley Rogers

Related Videos