SW Florida's all-time best softball player poll. VOTE now
We narrowed down our list to 11 all-time softball greats from Southwest Florida. Tell us which one is the best of all time.
Who is the best softball player from Southwest Florida? Let the debate begin. As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time .
Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states. First, we are going to take a look at athletes in their individual sports. Here are the stars of the diamond in Southwest Florida.
The 11 players (listed in alphabetical order) were all standout players at the high school level before moving on to even greater heights. We even saved a spot for you to write in a candidate we may have overlooked or that you feel strongly about. Mary Babb, Barron Collier The shortstop was a part of the Cougars' 1992 state championship team and in 1993 she was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Softball after a season where she hit .
439, scored 34 runs, and drove in 26 runs. She started her collegiate career as a walk-on at the University of Missouri and ended up a Hall-of-Fame player for the Tigers after setting nine career records for the team and earning All-American honors in her senior season where she contributed to MIssouri's Big 12 Conference regular-season and post-season championships. Jean Bonnici, Naples The 1994 Naples High graduate helped power the Golden Eagles to three softball state championships.
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